About the Foundation

Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF) is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to promote a greater understanding of Pacific Coast immigration and its role in shaping America’s past, present and future. AIISF raises funds to restore, preserve and interpret the U.S. Immigration Station at Angel Island, a National Historic Landmark.  In partnership with the California State Parks, AIISF educates the public about the complex story and rich cultural heritage of Pacific Coast immigrants and their descendants.

After several years of restoration work funded by public and private funds, AIISF and the California State Parks reopened the Immigration Station Museum in February 2009.  Over 30,000 people visit the museum every year.

AIISF has launched the Angel Island Legacies Project, which trains oral historians and researchers to interview detainees and descendants of all nationalities and share their rich stories with the public. Stories gathered through this project now appear on www.aiisf.org in a section called "Immigrant Voices."  Angel Island immigrants as well as those who came to the U.S. in later years such as the actress/director Joan Chen and writer Isabel Allende are profiled in "Immigrant Voices."

AIISF also conducts outreach presentations, seminars, and teacher training workshops.

"Poetry in Motion" is another educational project of AIISF. Supported by a grant from the Marin Community Foundation, several high school students from San Rafael and Novato come to Angel Island for poetry writing workshops at the Immigration Station.  Inspired by this setting, they create new works about the immigrant experience. This program resumes in fall 2011.

AIISF also works with the San Francisco Unified School District to sponsor low-income students to visit the Immigration Station.  A grant for AT&T enabled AIISF to work with Hillcrest Elementary School and Spring Valley Elementary School in May 2010 to bring 150 students, parents and teachers to Angel Island. This program will resume in Fall 2011.

Gateway to Gold Mountain, AIISF’s traveling multi-panel exhibit, which chronicles the Angel Island story, has been on display recently in San Francisco and Sacramento.

For more information about AIISF contact us at 50 Francisco Street, Suite 110,San Francisco, CA 94133 or info @ aiisf.org. Our phone number is 415 262-4429.

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