Speech #1010197531

I rise to introduce. with 73 of my distinguished colleagues. a resolution to commemorate Ellis Island by declaring October as National Ellis Island Month. In 1992. Ellis Island will be celebrating its centennial. the first immigrants passed through there in 1892. Ellis Island is a symbol of hope. liberty. and freedom for millions of people in our country. More than 17 million immigrants first set foot on American soil at Ellis Island. Those who sought a new beginning and freedom saw Ellis Island as a beacon of hope and a gateway to their independence. Their dedication. patriotism. and hard work helped build a foundation of prosperity and opportunity for all. which has made our country the envy of the world. Forty percent of all living Americans can trace their heritage to an ancestor who had come to the United States through Ellis Island. Now. after years of renovation. Ellis Island is scheduled to reopen in the fall of 1990 as a historical site of interest to tourists. as well as families of past immigrants. Designating October 1990 as National Ellis Island Month will remind us of those early pioneers. It will also honor the hard work of the people who made the refurbishing of Ellis Island possible * * * the largest historic renovation project in the history of the United States.