Questions
from Ms. Edinger's Class:Questions
from Ms. Edinger's Class:Q. What sort of entry tests did immigrants passing through Angel Island take?
(We're still researching this question. We have some sample questions to share with you, but we hope to get a copy of all the questions asked during the interrogation sessions. We'll be telling you about "paper sons" too.)
Q. How did the United States government work the passing-through process? Was it a lengthy process?
A. It was very hard for the Chinese to get into San Francisco. The US government had to check the immigrants if they had diseases. Besides the health checks, the Chinese immigrants had to pass all the tricky interrogation sessions. They were detained on Angel Island anywhere from two weeks to two years. Overall, it was a long and hard process.
Q. Is there an Immigrant Wall of Honor as there is at Ellis Island?
A. Sadly, there is no Immigrant Wall of Honor at Angel Island. But, instead, there are three monuments. The first is a tolling bell that was used to signal people to meals. You can still see the bell, with the Angel Island label on it. The second monument is a poem of perfect Chinese language that was carved on a wall in one of the buildings and preserved. The last monument is a slab of marble that was carved in loving memory of those who were there. We think these three monuments make up for there not being an Immigrant wall of honors.
(Researched by Phillip,
Sarah, Brian, and Summer) 
Q. Coming to New York, only the poorest immigrants went to Ellis Island (others went to New York right away) . Was that also true at Angel Island?
Q. Could you imagine Angel Island as it was when Asian immigrants were detained and interrogated there?
A. We
could all imagine Angel Island as it was when Asian immigrants
were detained there. The buildings at Angel Island were very dirty,
with no privacy at all. 
The dorms were very
crowded, for instance, there were 100 women in a 30 x30 foot room.
The women were only able to walk around the island once a week,
and the men had to stay in a fenced yard. Children 12 and over
had to be put in a dark room if they were back. The food there
was like "food thrown together like a pig shop." Overall
we would say Angel Island was like a prison for the Chinese immigrants!
(Researched by Elaine, Stephen, Nguyen, and Courtney)