Ellis Island Opened on New Years Day 1892: A Look Back

Co-authored with Jairo Flores, who conducted much of the research and writing for this article. Visit AustinKocher.com for more short articles about the current state of the US immigration system.

Today marks 129 years since the opening of Ellis Island. Ellis Island opened on New Years Day in 1892. As an immigration researcher, Ellis Island looms large in America’s history of immigration, serving both as a symbol of how much our country has been shaped by immigration while also hiding many of the abuses and exclusionary policies that…