Arts & Entertainment
Angel Island Family Day Scheduled For Saturday
Attendees will receive a round trip ferry ride, a shuttle service to the Immigration Station and lunch from Shef.
SAN FRANCISCO — The historic Angel Island Immigration Station will host a Family Day this Saturday.
The sold-out event will take place from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Attendees will receive a round trip ferry ride from either Tiburon or San Francisco, a shuttle service to the Immigration Station and lunch from Shef, an online marketplace for cooks to connect with customers in their community and earn income selling homemade dishes.
Angel Island, located in San Francisco Bay, gained prominence in the mid-19th century as a gateway for immigrants coming to the United States.
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The Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and subsequent restrictive immigration policies led to the creation in 1910 of the Angel Island Immigration Station, where immigrants were detained and interrogated before being allowed entry into the country.
From 1910 to 1940, it served as the West Coast counterpart to Ellis Island, receiving immigrants primarily from Asia. During this period, thousands of immigrants, from China, Japan, Korea and other Asian countries endured long and arduous detentions, sometimes lasting months or even years. The conditions on the island were often harsh, with detainees facing strict interrogations, inadequate facilities and discriminatory treatment.
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"Like Ellis Island in New York, Angel Island offered an isolated location that could be tightly controlled," a sign on the island reads. "Unlike Ellis Island, Angel Island came to symbolize discrimination and exclusion instead of welcome."
Angel Island is now a state park and a National Historic Landmark. It offers visitors a glimpse into the past, with restored buildings and exhibits that tell the stories of the immigrants and detainees.
The Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation states that it works to bring its history to light and to make the lessons about the complicated intersection of race, immigration and the American identity a part of the national dialogue.
Family Day on the island is a celebration of family, connection and heritage. Activities for Saturday include a genealogy workshop; video screenings that highlight history, communities coming together and current day stereotypes; arts, crafts and performances.
For more information, click here.
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