Everyone has a story…what is yours?

What is amazing to think about is how each individual person has their own family history.  The roots of our ancestry were established many, many years ago and each intricate web of events is equally important to where a person is today.  Our ancestors, whether they be Italian, Polish, African American, Irish, or of any other descent, persisted forward for future generations.  Their hard work was for us.

Pride. Honor. Legacy.  We stand for far more than simply who we are in our shoes.  We also stand for our family, for our nationality.  Whether it be a tradition or a physical feature, we were handed down with our own unique treasures from relatives and from their experiences.  The path that was blazed to establish our roots in American soil was a pilgrimage, a testimony to what family means.  It is without a doubt that our loved ones worked hard to get here and…they didn’t give up.

Ellis Island was once the United States welcome center for immigrants from 1892 to 1954 .  An estimated 17 million immigrants passed through this location and obtained permission to enter the United States.  This was more than just an island, it was the doorway to the beautifully diverse future of America.

The Cause

What is quite unfortunate is that within Ellis Island, among the walls in which most likely your very own ancestors gazed their hopeful eyes, there lies vacant, shuttered buildings.  This is not fitting for a place doused in the ancestry of our country.  The buildings are in need of repair and rejuvenation.  Save Ellis Island, Inc. has partnered with the National Park Service to raise funds to rescue and reuse these buildings.

Although the main building welcomes many visitors wishing to retrace the steps of their family, much of the island remains closed to the public.

The Park inspires reflection and dialogue on the meanings and practice of liberty and opportunity in the United States and throughout the world. The “We Are Ellis Island” campaign aspires to capture the essence of Ellis Island by sharing the stories of the immigrants who arrived here seeking equal rights, overcoming challenges and enduring life’s many struggles, all to create new opportunities for themselves and generations to come.

- We Are Ellis Island

There is historic equipment and much more within these buildings that should be preserved.  Ellis Island has the power of the “American Dream” invested in it.  It boggles my mind that this is the first place that immigrants fixed their eyes on as they hoped, prayed, and fought for a better life.  Ellis Island was their “this is it.”  Ellis Island was their “I’ve waited so long for this.”  Ellis Island was their chance.

Nearly 40% of Americans can trace their family history back to Ellis Island.  In the condition it is in, it is too bad we can only physically have only a taste of what our ancestors went through.  What will you do?

Visit www.weareellisisland.com.  Spread the word, donate, share YOUR story with the rest of America and continue to praise the sacrifices made for future generations.