A New Life In America
A variety of culture in the United States is shown through religion, food, music, fashion and architecture. The culture of America is uniquely intertwined due to customs and traditions instilled by immigrants from many different backgrounds.
All photographs in this slideshow are from the book Ellis Island Interviews: In Their Own Words by Peter M. Coan.
"What, then, is this new man, the American?
They are a mixture of English, Scotch, Irish,
French, Dutch, Germans, and Swedes.
From this promiscuous breed, that race,
now called Americans, have arisen."
~ J. Hector St. Josh de Crevecoeur
The most beneficial aspect of Ellis Island is that it gave hopeless people from war-torn and impoverished countries a new start. Suddenly, hard working families had the opportunity to make a better living and experience the American Dream. From the very fabric of America's largest city to the cultural changes all over the United States, the opportunities created by Ellis Island's role in immigration proved to be a turning point in American history and help fulfill America's promise to be the land of opportunity. When these immigrants saw the torch of the Statue of Liberty they knew there was hope for a new life.
A panoramic view of present day Ellis Island