Grandmother arrives at Ellis Island in 1920

My grandmother, Genowefa Wojtkowska, in later years known as Jean Schmitz, arrived in Ellis Island on September 19, 1920 with her mother, Maryanna Wojtkowska.

Ellis Island Ship Manifest arriving Ellis Island port New York page 2. Credit

This when they immigrated from Poland to the United States via the vessel "New Rochelle". They left Danzig on August 29, 1920. It took them 32 days of travel. 

New Rochelle renamed in 1920 in which my grandmother and great grandmother sailed upon. Credit1 and Credit2 

Ellis Island Ship Manifest leaving Danzig page 1. Credit

What did they need upon arrival at Ellis Island? 

The answer is simple - Not much. They had to list where their final destination was and if they could read and write. It was this simple. This was the process at Ellis Island.

Didn't they have to have a visa?

The signing in of the law in 1917. Credit

The answer is No. The 1917 Act implemented a literacy test that required immigrants over 16 years old to demonstrate basic reading comprehension in any language. This my great grandmother did (above) as you can see by the column if they can read yes/no.

The US did bring in a quota system in 1921 under the Emergency Quotas Act of 1921. This was only to limit the amount of people because the ports were so busy. A really good explanation is here with a video. 

In fact, visas were not required until 1924 when stricter visa laws came into effect under the Johnson-Reed Act. 

By this point, many of the people in the US today had ancestors who already went through this, and many other ports, to settle into the USA.

During 2016-2019's culture of "my ancestors came over legally" doesn't stand up because today there are so many more hurdles to jump through to get into the US, than back in even in 1926 when my grandfather arrived.

"there were no numerical limitations on immigration, no requirements to have an existing family or employment relationship with someone in the country, and no requirement to obtain a visa prior to arriving" - American Immigration Council

When my grandfather, Mathias Schmitz, in later years known as Mathew Schmitz, arrived in Ellis Island in April 1926, he did have to have a visa, which he did and it was noted on the ship manifest. 

My grandmother and great grandmother came over while their country was at war with Russia before the Iron Curtain fell. In fact, they could have even been classified as political refugees because of the fighting. 

However, today is the day we celebrate my grandmother and great grandmother getting their dry feet on US soil and completing their journey to the USA. 

Credit

I believe all my ancestor's who came to the USA, including the ones who enter in September 1920, wanted what was written on the Statue of Liberty as it was the first beautiful, magical thing (my grandmother's words) they saw and believed in. Even today when I see videos, like below, it sends tingles down my spine.

I believe the "The New Colossus" says it all.

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,

With conquering limbs astride from land to land;

Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand

A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame

Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name

Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand

Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command

The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.

"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she

With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,

Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,

The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.

Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,

I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

Taken from The New Colossus page.

What is written and bolted to the Statue. Credit

I first saw these words when I was a child, and he ones bolded above are the most important and what we understand growing up. I consider these words very important next to the pledge of allegiance. 

There can be laws put into place, but everyone still needs to treat each other with respect due to a living person. There has to be a way to work through problems and not just send the people back to places where they might end up dead for trying to get a better life. They worked through problems like these back 100 years ago, and did it with respect and consideration. 

We're all adults and it's time adults started treating others like this as this is what is sorely lacking in today's society. I think everyone is forgetting one of the basic things they were taught growing up. 

July 4th and what its meaning is to me - then and now

Growing up July 4th always meant the summer, fairs, swimming and fireworks. When I was a young adult, it just seemed like it was a holiday to be thrown in there. I couldn't (and still can't!) stand the crowds and all that goes along with it. It just seemed to be too much. Of course, when you don't have two pennies to rub together, that might play into things as well. 

Credit 

Anyhow, then I moved from the US to Australia and as its not a holiday here, it just slips by. We have gone over to visit the US during the July 4th time, but wouldn't you know? We could not find any fireworks and I even asked and one person said there might be some but it was a drive to get to. It was like everyone barred the things that year. 

However, this year? I'm thinking about it because of my genealogy work. My first ancestors to hit the US was in 1892 and was on my maternal side - Alois and Jules Gauquie. This was just a handful of years since The Statue of Liberty's dedication in 1886. I can only imagine what it was like for them. 

Then I think about my paternal side - Adam Wojtkowski. This was the first person on that side to arrive in the US in 1913. True, it was many years since the dedication but I think Adam would have found the statue's meaning and quote even more than the Gauquie's. This was due to the restrictions of rights that had been going on in Poland since before Adam was born and those restrictions were only getting worse. 

Adam's Manifest from Ellis Island's website. The other Wojtkowski (name spelled wrong but all other info correct) people were of same village - not relatives.

Can you imagine not being able to speak your own language in your own country? How about one day being able to go to school and the next being told you can't go to school anymore? Or even having the right to walk down the street and run into a soldier and then being told to go back home even though you were going to do some food shopping (and having very little food as it is) and the soldier not allowing you to keep going and forcing you to turn and go back home without any food? All this was what was going on in Poland. 

1905 May 19 from The Sun in NY NY taken from Chronicling American newspaper section

In each of these instances, although the Gauquie's knew family in the US whereas Adam didn't really  know anyone, you still bought and got onto the ship not knowing if you were going to make it to the US or die on the ship OR if once you got to the US you would be denied from entering the US for some reason and then get shipped back. This was the reality of people immigrating from Europe. One family came, I believe, because they didn't like how just a bit of their rights were being taken away (the Gauquie's from what research I have done). Whereas the other side, had every single thing you can think of taken away just about (the Wojtkowski's from what research I have done). The tale of 2 European groups coming to the US but under such different circumstances! 

My paternal grandmother told me many times growing up about how when they came into the NY Harbor (in September 1920) and saw the Statue of Liberty standing so tall and beautiful with the sun behind her and the water twinkling like jewels, she felt safe and happy for the first time in such a long time. She knew then and there that she had hope and freedom and that's what that lady in the harbor stood for. The whole and each time she told me about this, she had tears in her eyes. The only other time she was like that was talking about her parents. This is what the 4th of July means to me. 

Taken from the National Parks Service website

Taken from the Wiki site

You could feel the change before today, and some say it started after September 11th and how today's children would never know about feeling like how we did in our youth. Here's the story if you want to read it and I have to admit for most of it the author is correct. However, what makes me feel dirty is the current situation within the USA. 

People turning on others just to do it - over anything and everything. There are things going on in the last 6 months and I'm actually - for the first time EVER - ashamed to be an American. If this is making America great again then I'm stumped by how. People shooting others and killing just over 300 times since the start of the year, a president that insults

From Mass Shootings Tracker.org

others and reminds me of things I've seen in the playground by bullies, the government - who we pay for their public service - (which is supposed to make the US people feel reassured about their government) are blocking or delaying live feeds from the White House Press Secretary which is not reassuring anyone about their competencies but makes you wonder what they are hiding and the list goes on and on. 

You should hear about what the international press are even saying about Trump and even if I wanted to try and defend him, you can't. Why? Because he does stupid things like calling people names or re-releasing  a video from years ago and instead of a person's head he amends it to put a News

Taken from Twitter

company's name on it? Further to all of that, he's 'beating' (its a wresting thing but in the eyes of children - during when this clip has been getting paid they will see it - they will think this is alright especially if the President is doing it) up a person or something that has a common media logo on it. The whole thing is just screwy. 

I can just see the people who put so much into the Statue of Liberty which was a symbol OF liberty just shaking their heads and crying. Why? Because American used to be so much better than it is currently. 

Taken from Wikipedia 

I leave you with this part of the famous within The New Colossus:

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free"

This is what America is about - not what its become over the last 6 months.