[This is another true story from my immigrant oral histories collection.] “I was born in 1900 and grew up on the island of Rhodes in Greece. I had heard about the great life in America from others who had been there and I wanted to go. It was wartime though, and we couldn’t travel because … More True Immigrant Stories_9: Jordan’s Journey
[If you didn’t read last week’s post, I suggest you do so first, as this is a continuation of Helen’s immigrant experience. This is a true story, told in her own words. This material comes from my research for my historical novel about Ellis Island in the 1890s, Guardians of the Gate, and its sequel, … More True Immigrant Stories_8: Hunger in the Ellis Island Cages
[From my immigrant oral histories collection during research for my historical novel, Guardians of the Gate, and its sequel, Defenders of Freedom. Helen sailed from Glascow, Scotland, in 1921. She was 14 and traveled with her mother and three brothers to rejoin her father who had left for America a year earlier.] “It may sound … More True Immigrant Stories_7: Scottish Teen in Steerage
[This is another true immigrant story from my oral history collection. In 1925 at age 13, Heinz sailed alone from Bremen to live with his aunt and uncle in the United States. “We arrived on Election Day and our ship was supposed to be guided in by the U.S. pilot, but that’s the one day … More True Immigrant Stories_4: Young Teenager at Ellis Island
[This is another true story from my oral histories collection of immigrants who came through Ellis Island. Elzbieta came from Russia in 1923 at age 15.] The closer we came to the United States, the better we felt after being so dizzy and nauseous. The trip took us ten days and we landed in Ellis … More True Immigrant Stories_5: Her Father and His “Palace”
[This is another true story from my immigrant oral histories collection. When Wilhelm retold his story–even 65 years later–the emotional level and tears during his narration were quite moving to this listener.] “I came by myself to the United States from Germany in 1910 when I was 16 years old. I had been on small … More True Immigrant Stories_6: A Teenager at Ellis Island
[This is another true story from my oral histories collection of immigrants who came through Ellis Island .] Ida Napolitano was just three years old when her father emigrated from Italy into the United States, with the plan to earn enough money for the family to join him. During the three years it took for him … More True Immigrant Stories_3: Ida and Thomas Jefferson
[If you didn’t read last week’s post (below), I suggest you do so first, as this is a continuation of Tanya Arden’s immigrant experience. As in the first part, this is a true story, told exactly as it happened, without embellishment.] Once their ship docked, Tanya, her family, and other passengers were transported directly to … More True Immigrant Stories_2: Tanya at Ellis Island
[Throughout my career as a college professor, I have collected numerous firsthand accounts from immigrants about their journeys and first impressions and/or experiences in America. This is the first of dozens immigrant oral histories i will post. I’ll begin with my favorite story, without any embellishment, about that wonderful symbol of who and what we … More True Immigrant Stories_1: The Statue of Liberty
In an interview last week, the reporter asked me if the events of the 1890s described in my novel, Guardians of the Gate, can in any way relate to current issues on immigration. The simple answer was “yes,” and some of the details are the topic of this week’s blog. Americans in the 1890s saw … More The Relevance of 1890s Immigration to Today
Vince Parrillo 