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Angel Island is a short ferry ride around Alcatraz from the San Francisco waterfront. It is a state park, available for camping, beautifully undeveloped save the remnants of forts long abandonded and of the immigration station that gives the island a significant place in American cultural history. From 1910 to 1930 it was the port of disembarkation for a million asian (mostly Chinese) immigrants, many suffering long detentions not imposed on other newcomers. The ghosts of those applicants remain, in the poems of hope, despair and longing neatly carved into the wood paneling of the station's dormitory walls. Despite a large number on the once-a-day ferry we were almost alone in our tour of the Immigration Station. The stillness made this encounter with our heritage all the more poignant.
Home | Places | USA | California | Angel Island
