Immigrant Voices Features: Toshiko Inaba and Robert Schwarz
Toshiko Inaba was born in the US but due to racisit and sexist immigraiton and nationality laws, she was denied entry. She was one of the 85,000 Japanese to arrive in San Francisco between 1910 and 1940 but also holds the record for the longest known detention among Japanese on Angel Island. Her story details the difficulties she went through to make it back to the US.
In 1940, Robert Schwarz a Jewish immigrant left Germany in hopes of becoming an US citizen. As many immigrants who came through Angel Island, he was detained to assess the possibility that he may become a public charge. The following story recounts Mr. Schwarz's journey from Germany to the US.
Former Angel Island Detainee: Eliseo Felipe video interview
Eliseo Felipe, a 100 year-old retired serviceman, shares his journey to the United States and his pride in becoming an American.
At the age of seven, Eliseo learned to work on the fields to support his family in the Philippines. He immigrated to the United States in 1933 where he met his brother and uncles who worked on the farms in Salinas, California.
Over the years Eliseo held many jobs across California, working as a farmer, bellman, and eventually a serviceman for the United States Army.
Currently, Eliseo is retired and tends to his garden at his house in Salinas, CA. He recently celebrated his 100th Birthday with his wife, four children, and grandchildren.
This film was Produced by Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation.
Join the Second Phase of the Immigrant Heritage Wall!
Due to overwhelming demand, AIISF, in conjunction with Angel Island State Park, is building Phase II of the Immigrant Heritage Wall and expects to dedicate it in September of 2012.
The immigration experience is a common thread binding the histories of most Americans. Whether escaping persecution, poverty or lack of economic prospects, immigrants have come to the United States for the ideals it represents — freedom, democracy, and opportunity. Most Americans know the story of Ellis Island, where immigrants crossing the Atlantic Ocean were processed. But the story of its West Coast counterpart, Angel Island, is little-known.
Located in the middle of San Francisco Bay, Angel Island Immigration Station was routinely the first stop for immigrants crossing the Pacific Ocean. The Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF) is the nonprofit partner of California State Parks and the National Park Service in the effort to preserve, restore and interpret the historic immigration station.