" The difference between the Irish and the illegal immigrants, though. The Irish came through Ellis Island and weren't sneaking over the border to get in. There's that whole legal thing again. "
www.ellisisland.org is a great resource .
We found the ship's manifest for my paternal grandmother and it gave us goosebumps to see her name listed and imagine her journey.
Immigrants coming through Ellis Island had to undergo a legal and medical examination.
Not likely under a mesquite bush by the Rio Grande.
"The two main reasons why an immigrant would be excluded were if a doctor diagnosed that the immigrant had a contagious disease that would endanger the public health
or if a legal inspector thought the immigrant was likely to become a public charge
or an illegal contract laborer."
Hmmmm....
I'm tired of the dying media equating the plight of my grandparents to those of today's Mexican " guest " workers.
My grandparents wanted to start a new life in America, they wanted to become Americans and they came legally.
What a concept.
That would be awesome to find those records. I haven't found my great grandparent's records. Just my great great uncle at Castle Gardens. He was the one who sponsored my great grandparents and the rest of his family so they could get in here.