Volume 4, No. 1 (Fall 2000) -- Ellis Island/Immigration Issue

The Ellis Island Oral History Project is dedicated to preserving the first-hand recollections of immigrants arriving at Ellis Island from 1892-1954. Begun in 1973 by NPS employee Margo Nash, the project has grown to include more than 1500 interviews. Each interview includes family history, an examination of everyday life in the country of origin, reasons for emigrating, experiences on the ship, processing at Ellis Island and adjustment to living in the United States.

The full-time and volunteer staff adds more than 100 interviews each year to the collection. All interviews are available as tapes and transcripts to researchers and the public. The museum exhibits rely heavily on quoted oral history material, as does the museum's Charles Guggenheim film. Interviews from the Oral History Project have been used for television and film documentaries, radio broadcasts, books, creative artworks and theatrical presentations.

People are chosen by the project staff from an "Oral History Form," a 2-page questionnaire mailed to those interested. The form asks for an abbreviated immigration history and any interesting stories or anecdotes. Upon receiving the completed form, the staff decides whether to interview the person. The person has the option of coming to the Ellis Island Immigration Museum to be interviewed at the recording studio or to have a project staffer visit their home with portable recording equipment. Most interviews last about one hour. Each person interviewed is given their own copy of the interview on audio cassette. The interviews are eventually transcribed and are now added to a computer database that can be accessed at the Ellis Island Immigration Museum Library.

Interviews include former Ellis Island immigrants and Statue of Liberty employees, people stationed in the military on the islands and former island residents who were children when a family member was an employee in some capacity. Most presently live in most states in the continental United States as well as several foreign countries. Most interviewees are in their late eighties, the oldest to date being 106 and the youngest being 46.

For further information about the Ellis Island Oral History Project, please write to: Oral History Project, Ellis Island Immigration Museum, New York City, New York, 10004, call (212) 363-3200, ext. 156, or fax (212) 363-6302.