Although Ellis Island is now a mere relic of the past, its facts, figures, and myths continue to fascinate people today. This fascination is likely because Ellis Island served as the port of entry for millions of people during one of the largest migration periods in the history of the world.
If you and your parents were born in the United States, then there’s a fair chance that one of your ancestors passed through Ellis Island en route to his or her new home. In other words, not only is Ellis Island an important chapter in United States history, but it could be an important chapter in your own family history as well.
Discover more about what your ancestors may have experienced with the following list of facts and myths about Ellis Island—then, see if FamilySearch can help you find their immigration records.
Common Myths about Ellis Island
Over time, stories of Ellis Island have reached epic proportions. Let's take a look at which of these stories really are just stories.
Myth 1: Immigration officials at Ellis Island likely changed my ancestor’s name to make it sound more American.
This is a myth. Immigration officials at Ellis Island rarely wrote anything down—in terms of names, that is. They merely asked the immigrants the same questions that they had answered for the ship’s manifest before the voyage ever began. The purpose was to confirm the immigrant’s identity and his or her reasons for entering the country.
So who changed the name? Very likely, it was the immigrants themselves—to fit in better with neighbors or perhaps to help people pronounce the name more accurately. But this change would have happened later on.
Myth 2: Nearly everyone living in the United States today has an ancestor who passed through Ellis Island.
This, of course, is a myth. Ellis Island was in operation only from 1892 until 1954. So if your ancestor came before 1892 or after 1954, then he or she most certainly arrived and entered the country somewhere else.
However, experts do estimate that somewhere between 33 and 40 percent of all Americans have an ancestor who came to the United States through the immigration offices at Ellis Island.
Myth 3: Standing in line at Ellis Island was a long and arduous ordeal.
This statement is partly true and partly a myth, depending on your definition of “long.” Most immigrants passed through Ellis Island in 3–5 hours. When it was their turn at the clerk’s desk, immigrants were asked a series of questions about their intentions. Then, they were examined by a doctor. While it’s true that those who failed the doctor’s examination were detained and possibly sent back to Europe, the doctor’s examination lasted, on average, only about 6 seconds.
Myth 4: Everyone who arrived in New York from Europe during this period passed through Ellis Island.
This is a myth. People who traveled first or second class unloaded before Ellis Island and passed through a special immigration facility—a customized customs office, if you will, for those with money—very, very quickly. Members of the lower class—passengers from the ship’s steerage—were typically sent to Ellis Island for processing.
Myth 5: Ellis Island got its nickname “The Island of Tears” from having so many people turned away and sent back to Europe.
Again, this is partly true and partly a myth. Failing any of the examinations at Ellis Island was certainly a cause for tears. But only 2 percent of the people who came were ultimately turned back. For 98 percent of the immigrants who arrived, Ellis Island was quite literally the island of hope.
Fun Facts About Ellis Island
Now that we've cleared up the truth behind some Ellis Island myths, let's learn some fun facts!
Fact 1: A child was the first immigrant through Ellis Island.
Annie Moore was the very first immigrant to come through Ellis Island. This 17-year-old Irish girl was technically a minor and was noted as such.
Impressively, she and her 2 younger brothers traveled completely unaccompanied to New York to meet up with her parents and older siblings. The whole family was finally reunited in New York in 1892.
Fact 2: Over 12 million immigrants were processed at the Ellis Island Immigration Station.
This staggering figure is absolutely true! Beginning at its opening in 1892, the Ellis Island Immigration Station processed tens to hundreds of thousands of immigrants a year. When it finally closed in 1954, it had processed around 12 million immigrants.
Fact 3: During World War I and World War II, Ellis Island was a detention center.
Immigration had decreased substantially by the time World War I began. During World War I and World War II, the station was used to hold people considered threats to the country. These people included suspected Nazi sympathizers during the Second World War.
Fact 4: Ellis Island’s history stretches back long before it became an immigration station.
Ellis Island is most often associated with its time as an immigration station, but did you know that it has a long and fascinating history?
Ellis Island’s history began when it was granted to Captain William Dyre in 1674. From there, its ownership passed through many individuals and changed names many times. At one point, it was known as "Gibbet Island," after the structures on the island where criminals and pirates were hanged. It was also used controversially as a powder magazine by the United States Navy, much to the dismay of those who lived nearby.
To learn more about the history of Ellis Island, read the time line on our When Did New York Immigration Start at Ellis Island? article.
Fact 5: Fiorello LaGuardia was employed as a translator at Ellis Island.
Fiorello LaGuardia was a well-known New York mayor. So well known, in fact, that the LaGuardia Airport was named after him!
But did you know that he was also a translator at Ellis Island? LaGuardia was a translator for immigrants speaking Italian, Croatian, and Yiddish who came through the immigration station between 1907 and 1910.
Sometime later, he would go on to assume his official role as the mayor of New York.
Fact 6: Ellis Island grew physically larger.
This is not a trick or a myth! Ellis Island was expanded with fill dirt to make space for buildings to accommodate the number of immigrants and employees on the island. Ultimately, Ellis Island grew from being 3.3 acres to the 27.5 acres it is today.
Fact 7: Ellis Island is actually in New Jersey waters.
In 1998, the United States Supreme Court ruled that 83 percent of the historic Ellis Island belonged to New Jersey, not New York. Previously, in 1834, more than 100 years before the ruling, Congress approved a compact that established the above-water land of the island to New York and the submerged lands surrounding the island to New Jersey.
After the island was expanded—with fill dirt placed on top of the submerged land—the claim that Ellis Island was strictly New York was contested. Strangely, this ruling means that the original 3.3 acres of Ellis Island is still owned by New York. Quite an unusual border!
Discover Your Ancestor's Immigration Records
Your ancestor’s immigration records are historical treasures—for you, your children, and anyone you are related to. They symbolize a pivotal moment of sacrifice, endurance, and optimism in your family’s history.
Such records might also contain information about your ancestor that you wouldn’t be able to obtain from any other source—details about his or her occupation, appearance, homeland, and even relatives.
A trio of free FamilySearch databases allows you to search Ellis Island records for free. Read this article by FamilySearch to learn more, or visit the databases directly by clicking the links below:
- New York Passenger Lists, 1820–1891
- New York Passenger Arrival Lists (Ellis Island), 1892–1924
- New York, New York Passenger and Crew Lists, 1909, 1925–1957
The subject of this article and some of its material was taken from Kathy Tarullo's class, “Ellis Island: Myths and Truths,” at the 2019 BYU Conference on Family History and Genealogy.
The BYU Conference on Family History and Genealogy is held annually and offers classes for genealogists and others wanting to learn about their ancestors. Keep an eye on the BYU conference page for announcements about the schedule of the next conference and when registration opens.
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