Island of Hope, Island of Tears

Statue of Liberty circa 1960, six years after Ellis Island closed, courtesy http://www.nycvintageimages.com/category/old-new-york-photo-catalog/statue-liberty.

As immigrants arrived in New York Harbor on ships from Europe or Asia, they caught their first glimpse of the Statue of Liberty, a symbol of "the land of the free and the home of the brave".  In Liberty's shadow sat Ellis Island, where the newcomers would debark.  America represented a refuge for immigrants fleeing persecution, poverty or war.  But when they first arrived, they felt both hope and fear.  The immigration process could be quite daunting.

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http://sydaby.eget.net/swe/ellis_island.htm

The sounds that greeted the recent arrivals at the immigration station were an assault to the senses.  "Various languages blended into a confusing roar, and the colorful clothing so many immigrants wore gave the appearance of a costume party.  Pushing and surging crowds, along with the sounds of babies crying, mothers wailing in search of missing children, and staff barking out orders to go this way or that, little of which produced any understanding, all prevailed." (https://www.amazon.com/Encountering-Ellis-Island-European-Immigrants/)

http://www.greeknewsonline.com/the-ellis-island-immigration-museum-part-iii-name-changes-setting-the-record-straight/

The smells were equally overwhelming.  "Looking down from the balcony surrounding the iron maze, one could describe a sea of people packed together.  The combination of food, sweat, vermin and the crowds of bodies gave the place, as one immigrant observed, "a foul odor."

The questions posed by the immigration officials were daunting, especially to someone who didn't speak English.  One wrong answer could be the difference between a yes and a no.  Questions raced through the immigrant's mind:  "Should a bribe be offered as was the custom in the Old World?"

http://www.museumoffamilyhistory.com/imm-hai-trachoma.htm

The medical exam was nerve racking.   Parents make a valiant effort to hide their children's rashes, injuries, illnesses or strange behaviours.  Even so, some were still taken off the line, an X marked in chalk on the back of their coat. 

"The immigration machine moved along regardless of fear or hope, relentlessly spitting out those deemed unacceptable and pushing along those allowed entry."  Known for its efficiency, Ellis Island processed as many as 5,000 new arrivals each day, an endless queue filing past, endless paperwork being stamped, an endless list of names being entered into a ledger.

http://www.genealogyintime.com/articles/Ellis%20Island%20Immigration%20Facts%20page5.html

Advent: The Season of Anticipation

Today at church Jacqueline and I helped the Junior and Senior Kindergarten Sunday School students put together advent wreaths (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath).  We gave each student a green wreath cut out of styrofoam-like material. Then, we gave them candle #1, HOPE, which they had to colour purple.  Next was candle #2 PEACE which they had to colour purple as well.  Candle #3 was JOY which they coloured pink.  Candle #4 was LOVE which they coloured purple and Candle #5 was JESUS which they left white.  Some of the students were already had their candles coloured and glued on.  Some needed help with the colouring and gluing.  Some needed help reading the five words.  But all were immersed in the activity, their little fingers working busily to finish the task.

The season of advent brings back great memories for me.  The anticipation of the coming of Christmas, the coming of Jesus, makes it so exciting.  I remember the Christmas wreath at our home church.  I always looked forward to the lighting of one candle, followed the next week by two, and so on, building up to the Jesus or Christ candle on Christmas Eve.  One of the Advent Sundays was also a white gift Sunday where we would wrap a canned good in white tissue paper, twist it at the ends and put it under the Christmas tree at the front of the sanctuary.

As an adult, we celebrate Advent at home as well, following Rob's German Lutheran tradition.  My mom gave us her old wreath which she used to hang on our front door.  I bought a holder which fits four candles which sits inside the wreath.  We sit it on our dining room table.  For each of the Sundays of Advent, once it gets dark, we light a candle on the wreath, and sing Christmas carols (English and German).  At the end, we take turns saying a prayer and blowing out a candle.  As toddlers, our children cried when they had to sit still for Advent.  As preschoolers, they suggested we sing Happy Birthday (the only song they knew by heart).  As older children, they loved the tradition.

In two weeks, we will light the Candle of PEACE.  I can already feel the anticipation.  Maybe some of my Kindergarten students will post their wreaths on their fridge doors.  Likely some will have an Advent wreath at home.  Maybe they'll even sing. I'm sure Jesus will smile when he hears their little voices.