Speech #890088133

I am very pleased that this recognition Is finally being accorded to Ellis Island. From 1892 until 1954. Ellis Island was the gateway to freedom for millions of immigrants from all quarters of the globe. These immigrants differed from one another in language. in culture. in educational achievementin almost every way but one: each brought with him a heart full of hope. This hope. this enthusiasm. was translated into a host of diverse forms of action. by which each ethnic group which came to our shores was to record its contribution to the tradition and the progress of America. Perhaps we who were fortunate enough to be born in the United States can never fully appreciate the ordeal of change which our forebears encountered in leaving behind their families. their friends. and often their fortunes. The journey to the New World was not an easy one. but in embracing the challenge which it offered. these immigrants of yesteryear brought to America a spirit of adventure and a tradition of courageous selfreliance. which formed an essential element of the American creed by which we live today. It is altogether fitting. therefore. that we should pay tribute to these brave immigrants. And what could be more appropriate than to memorialize Ellis Islandthe symbol of immigration. the quintessence of the melting pot. Today. when there are still so many divisive influences at work in Americainfluences which seek to set apart the Negro and the white. the Nordic and the Latinit is well that we should stop a moment to reflect upon the meaning of Ellis Island. and to honor its memory. For it was there. on that small plot of land that national and ethnic groups were brought together in brotherhood.