The History and Future of Angel Island's Public Health Service Hospital

Opened in 1910, the Public Health Service (PHS) Hospital at the Angel Island Immigration Station provided medical services for immigrants detained at the station, but also played a key role in determining who might be allowed to enter the country. New arrivals were subjected to a medical examination at the PHS Hospital and screened for any contagious diseases or physical defects.

In addition to the standard medical examination, Asian immigrants were examined for traces of parasitic diseases - for example, hookworms and liver flukes - which required blood and feces samples. In the early years, typically 10-15% of immigrants were found to have medical problems. Those with incurable conditions or who did not have the funds to pay for the cost of medical treatment at the hospital would be deported. Asian immigrants in particular described the examination process as invasive and humiliating.

The site, including the PHS Hospital, was closed in 1946 and left abandoned until the site was saved from demolition by the local Asian American community. Thanks to generous funding from federal and state governments and private donations from supporters of AIISF, much of the immigration station site and the barracks building were restored and reopened in 2009. And to bookend the over 40 years of restoration efforts, AIISF is proud to announce that the restored PHS Hospital will reopen as the new Angel Island Immigration Museum (AIIM).

The AIIM will contain interpretative displays depicting the historical role of the PHS Hospital at the immigration station as well as exhibits covering more contemporary immigration history. A wide range of personal stories, including those of recent immigrants, will allow visitors to understand the impact of shifting policies, from the past to the present, affecting immigration across the Pacific to the United States, especially to California, where more than a quarter of the population is now foreign-born.

Mark your calendar! AIISF is planning a public opening celebration for AIIM, which will be a day to remember the legacy of Angel Island and the dynamic evolution of Pacific Coast immigration.