It is 1932 and I am emigrating from Greece. My name is Alexandra Rembienska. I am 55 years old and extremely weak and tired. I spend my days working in the fields with my husband and seven children. It is hard for me to work because I have arthritis and some question my mental health. My family and I attend church every Sunday. I am coming to America in hopes of providing a better life for my family and myself. I can’t wait to go to New York and see those streets paved with gold everyone is talking about. My fellow immigrants and I will be relieved to see the Statue of Liberty and know that we are finally free.
The 8th grade Humanities class at Bruce M. Whittier Middle School in Poland has recently been working on a unit about immigration. All of the students participated in an Immigration Simulation where we simulated what the processing would have been like at Ellis Island. Our teachers Ms. Nicole Rancourt and Mr. Shawn Vincent gave each student a piece of paper that described who our character would be. Everyone either received a description of an immigrant or a description of a processor at Ellis Island. The immigrant descriptions referred to their origin, character, and physical attributes. The processing descriptions stated at which station they would interrogate. After learning our characters inside and out we began the simulation.
The room was set up so that when you walked in there was a waiting area for all of the aspiring American citizens. The first station was the Background Station. At this station the processor would take down the character’s name and age. The next station was the Vocation Station. Here questions were asked about the person’s job status and whether or not they had a spouse or children. After finishing that station the person was sent to the Character Station. Here processors asked about the immigrant’s criminal past, religion, and political beliefs. They were then sent to the last station, which was the Health Station. It was crucial to pass this station because it was all about the immigrant’s mental and physical health. If all the stations were passed, the immigrant would go to the Clearance Station and they would be cleared to go and participate in the loyalty oath. If there was a question about any of the stations, or if there was a considered deportation, the immigrant could choose to go to the appeals station and plead their case. Finally, if they didn’t pass they were sent right to the Deportation Station.
At the end of the activity all of the students were grateful that we had the chance to participate. Everyone learned a great deal about what it would have been like for an immigrant to come to America. Our teachers helped so much to prepare us for the experience. They also gave us an interactive opportunity to learn about immigration. They allowed a way for the more visual and hands-on learners to learn about the unit. After finishing the simulation, to prepare us for the assessment, our teachers had a real immigrant, who was actually processed at Ellis Island, come in and share her story. Dr. Schlikin, the superintendent of Union 29, came in and told us about her amazing journey. Hearing a first hand experience of what she went through really helped us understand immigration in a new and genuine way. Overall, everything we did was a great experience!
It has been three months since I first started my voyage to America. I am back in Greece, and I am devastated. It has been two weeks since I was deported and sent back to live here. My family is gone. I have lost everything of any importance to me. Things have drastically changed. It saddens me to know that all my family is in America with a better life and I am here, dealing with the same conditions I tried to run away from. I can only hope that they know and realize that I love them with all my heart and I hope the best for them.
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