Imagine moving to a new country. There you know almost no one and you don't speak the language. Eighty years ago, my grandmother, Jean Rizzi, did just that.
Like so many immigrants (移民) from Europe, her first stop in America was Ellis Island, in New York. The immigration station on Ellis Island opened 125 years ago. From 1892 to 1954, over 12 million foreigners entered America through Ellis Island.
My grandmother's journey started near Naples, Italy. Her father got a job in New York years earlier. After he saved enough money, he sent for his family to join him. In November 1936, his wife and three kids got on a ship to New York. At just 8 years old, my grandmother didn't know what to expect. "I was nervous," she says. "But I was also excited about finally getting to see my new home in the big city."
For nearly two weeks, they were at sea and couldn't see any land. They all stayed in one small room on the boat. When the boat arrived at Ellis Island, my grandmother thought the journey was over. But she and her family still had to be examined (检查) by doctors. Finally, they were off to their new home in Queens, New York. My grandmother still lives there.
Ellis Island is now a popular tourist attraction (旅游景点) in New York. More than 3 million people visit it each year. To immigrants like my grandmother, the island is a symbol of freedom (自由) and the American dream.
