Our customs may vary but we share common values: a deep love of freedom. a keen sense of justice. and a passionate regard for liberty. The Statue of Liberty stands as the most widely recognized symbol of Americas promise. In its 99 years it has beckoned and welcomed countless millions of immigrants to our shores. Less than sixtenths of a mile from the Lady Liberty lies Ellis Island. the gateway to America for 17 million immigrants. Over 100 million Americans. nearly 40 percent of our population. are descended from those who passed through the Immigration station on Ellis Island. Ellis Island is the symbol of the American immigration experience. Many older Americans still remember the long climb up the stairs to the great hall and the vast expanses of its vaulted spaces. If Liberty lifted her lamp beside the golden door. as Emma Lazarus wrote. then Ellis Island was the golden door.
Keywords matched
Immigration immigration immigrants