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>> I have strong feelings, my great grandfather made 7 to 9 trips from Sicily to bring himself and family here legally. Walking those same steps at Ellis Island was full of pride for the crazy journey they made for us.
@beadweaver: Not sure when your GG emigrated here but up until 1882, there basically was no federal immigration law:
anyone who arrived was welcome to make their life in the U.S.; there
were no visas necessary, no consulting with a U.S. consulate before you
departed; you boarded a boat and you built your new life in the USA.
That began to change in 1882, with the Chinese Exclusion Act, meant to keep out those that some felt were inferior. Slowly more laws were made to make it harder for just about everyone but Europeans. It wasn't until 1965 that Johnson signed new laws making allotment of visas based more on family connections and employability. That worked fairly well until our economy grew to a point that was a much higher demand for low wage workers yet the cap on legal low wage worker visas has been capped at 5000 per year for some time. To put that in perspective at Ellis Island's peak 5000 mostly low wage workers came here each day. High wage workers with a good education and degrees don't fall into the low wage cap and can come here legally much easier. The reality is that a low wage worker from south of our border (Mexico down to South America) has a very slim chance of coming here legally at all. I would also add that the vast majority of those here now who are classified as illegal most likely came here legally and overstayed their work or school visas which then moved them to the illegal category yet they often have a better chance of modifying their status as compared to those who cross the border illegally. I know because my daughter's previous boy friend was in this category, brought her as a child and the parents overstayed. In my opinion a wall will not solve the problem but a comprehensive overhaul of our current immigration system of laws would go farther.
@Chrisinkingwood:
We are not sure, we keep finding more manifests. My great and grand parents and all of them are gone except one wife. They commonly changed spelling on names. I have a picture of the tablet with my great grandparents name from Ellis Island. I want to go back and do a rubbing do I can frame it. My grandma was 14 and told me many stories. I was 10 when she passed. I wish I listened more. Especially when she was going through pictures and old movies and slides.
I do know many that came went into slave labor. Sicilians were paid less than an Italian, and polish were paid more than Italians. During slave times they were cheaper than black slaves. Sicilians being the lowest or cheapest.
We've traced our Irish roots to early 1500's.
Those were not cruise ships they sailed on.
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