Angel Island served as an immigration station for the Chinese during the first half of the 1900s. The Chinese immigrants had to undergo intensive questioning by immigration officials to prove they were relatives of U.S. citizens. Some immigrants had to stay on Angel Island from weeks to months before they could join their families in California.

Think about the answers to the following questions. Discuss with your teammates, and write your responses in your journal.

What feelings and thoughts would you have during your journey to a new country as an immigrant?

to print these questions and record your answers.

Click the link to research about Angel Island.

Angel Island Immigration Station

Click the following links to learn about the experience of three Chinese immigrants who were detained on Angel Island:

Henry S.H. Gee            Helen Wong Hom             Lester Tom Lee

Click the links below to take a virtual reality tour of the geographical location of Angel Island. Click and hold the mouse over the image. Move the mouse in the direction you want to tour the site. Hold Shift key down to zoom in. Hold Control (Crtl) key down to zoom out.

Angel Island Virtual Tour

Click the AngelCam to view a nearly live photograph of Angel Island.

1. Click this link Angel Island Poetry to read examples of poems written by the Chinese immigrants detained on Angel Island.

2. Write your own poem expressing the thoughts and feelings of these Chinese immigrants. Your poem can include:

• feelings about being detained.
• experiences about leaving their home country to come to a foreign land.
• hopes or expectations about what America has to offer them.
• dreams for their future