Being Tired and Poor

Saturday, George and I went to go see the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We kind of got off to a late start because we were exhausted from Friday and arrived in Battery Park at 2:15 pm. It was wonderful! There weren’t as many people everywhere and it reminded me more of home (George doesn’t agree). As we got in line for tickets, two women walked up and gave us their tickets. They were told it was a two hour wait, but it actually only took an hour. The line was mostly filled with people from all over the world. The sun was beating down on us and our water was warm, but a Jamacian New Yorker started signing to us. He first asked us where we were from and made a song about a Chicago man and his lovely lady. The best part for George was when the guy said the “Fighting Illini” and George screamed “Yeah!” George took out his wallet, but we had no cash! He said he did it every weekend to keep him happy and there was no need for a donation.

After an airport-like security check we climbed up on the ferry and went straight for the top (being up there lessens by sea sickness). George said that nothing much has changed since the turn of the century: you stand in a long hot line, nobody speaks English, and a bunch of security guards yell and use hand motions to direct you to the island. Looking back at the city, the view was amazing. It seemed to go on forever. You can definitely notice the foggy haze around the city. Within a few minutes we were right in front of the statue and like all of the other tourists we clicked our camera. The ferry stopped at the Liberty Island, but I wanted to get off at Ellis Island first (It ends up that it only goes in one direction so we never actually went on the island).

Once we reached Ellis Island I couldn’t wait to get off the ferry. It was so nauseating. We went right into the processing building and entered into the luggage area. I couldn’t believe we were standing in the same building where my Grandpa Martens and his family passed through (I wish I would have known to ask him questions about what it was like to travel to America). Melissa had mentioned that the short play of the traveler’s experiences was great so that was the first thing we did. It was a great way to get our mind set on what it was like here years back. It was the story of Bela Lugosi, the original Dracula, who came as a well known actor back in Europe.

Right after the performance I wanted to find my Grandpa Martens, Great Grandpa and Grandma Martens, and Great Grandpa and Grandma Moore’s names in their archive list. After waiting in line we found out that the archive records were only from 1890-1924 (during wide open immigration). My Great Grandfather Martens came in 1928 and My Great Grandmother and Grandpa Martens came in 1932. We Learned that after 1924 immigration standards were more efficient with checking health records in advance to travel and people had to obtain passports. Therefore, people that entered after 1924 have their records stored in the National Archive Library in NY and Washington, D.C. on microfilm. In order for me to find the Martens records I have to know everything about their travels like the boat they came on, exact date, etc. We are going to try and find it hopefully I can!

We also found out that you could check to find your relatives online through their website for free at home so I think I might have found my great grandparents on the Mohr side, (their name was changed at the boarder to Moore) but I have to check to make sure their ages match up with what my grandma knows.

After this we looked around and saw the exhibits they had about the rooms they had to go in and the tests they had to test. Some were crazy like having to draw a diamond to prove you weren’t insane. We learned that they would test people’s mental abilities by putting puzzle pieces together. If they could not accomplish the task within a certain amount of time they were thought to have a mental disability, which meant they had to be further checked and very few* were sent back to their home country. In truth, we were at first disappointed with the museum because it wasn’t visually appealing or very stimulating. Some of the information was neat, but the north end could have been done much better. We think they left it stripped down to maintain its true form, but they could have been more creative.

Next, we joined a 45 minute tour of the outside of the main building. George said, “This chick doesn’t mess around!” He thinks she could have been transferred from Yellowstone she was so intense. She explained what it was like to pass through, get checked, etc. and told us a lot of interesting information about how Ellis Island came to be through how we ended up here today taking a tour. On the wall of all the names that passed through I found “The Moore Family” but ours would have been spelled Mohr (you never know, maybe that’s us. George just thought I was crazy because you have to pay a $100 to get your family’s name up on the wall and we didn’t do it, he said you might as well look for Carrera then). I took a picture anyway.

After the tour we walked around ourselves and found the historical documentary pictures to be fascinating. This is where the place really got neat. It had tickets and passports and diagrams of how the place developed over the years. One part of the island was kept strictly for the sick and the doctors, nurses, medical staff, etc. that were caring for them. Some could never leave the island…crazy! George loved looking at all of the old advertising and the train maps. A whole room was devoted to the restoration of the island that occurred in the 90’s. You see, the place closed and then sat for like twenty years. It looked like it was ready to fall over in the pictures, but the overhaul saved it and made it look great. They did a really great job with the museum on this end of the building (of course, we must specify that it was the south end for George). We wished we would have found this side first because we had to move through it so quickly.

*George’s sidebar: At this juncture, I would like to take this opportunity to point out that Ellis Island was not the horror story that so many textbooks make it out to be. Sure, it wasn’t the most comfortable place, but it got the job done. The worst thing they did was lift the eyelid with a little hook. 98% of those who got to the island got into America. 98%!!!! Do you know how amazing that is?! Unheard of! So kids, if you ever hear your teacher say something about the big, bad, terrible, rejecting Ellis Island, set them straight.

We got on the last ferry possible after 6:00p.m. and had to go straight back to Manhattan because the island was closing. George thought it would also be a good idea to see where the Twin Towers stood since it wasn’t far from Battery Park. The bus dropped us off two blocks away and to see the emptiness of where the buildings stood was shocking. I could not even imagine what it would have been like on 9/11. George said he tried to imagine the building, but it was impossible. Everything was blocked off and we found a little area where we could look through some fences. The holes of where the buildings stood were enormous and construction looked as if it has made little progress in 7 years. George and I continued to try and find a better view, but everything was pretty much blocked off. The fire station right across from where the towers stood had more than 50 pictures of men that died serving on 9/11 and my heart dropped to look at it. The good thing is that the new center, slated for 2012 looks unbelievable. It will be a fitting and living memorial to the worst day in US history.

George and I went looking for a place to eat dinner. We sat on a bench watching some daring skateboarders and then decided to go to Ray’s pizza.

-Michelle and George the American Tourists

“On Monday I go to work, but on the weekends, I do this to smile!”

On the ferry to Liberty Island

In front of the only thing France ever gave us

Michelle in the Registry Room

View of Downtown from Ellis Island

The main building on Ellis Island

A sculpture in Battery Park damaged at the WTC on 9/11