History of North America

The poems of freedom

Between 1910 and 1940 it was in operation on Angel Island , in the San Francisco Bay (California), a control, administration and "treatment" center for the thousands of immigrants arriving on the American West Coast. Angel Island (also called the Guardian of the West Gate) was the last stop on the journey to America.

The treatment of immigrants was very different depending on nationality and race. The whites and Europeans had more facilities to disembark but the Asians and, above all, the Chinese were sent to Angel Island. 97% of those "incarcerated" there were of this nationality who, after the "Chinese Exclusion Act" enacted on May 8, 1882, had restricted and limited entry into the US.

What was initially "simply" an immigration control center became a detention center. Upon arrival, they were separated by sex and locked up like animals in wooden barracks, awaiting intimidating interrogations and rigorous medical examinations. Up to 30% were deported.

After 1940, Angel Island was briefly used as a detention center for the internment of Japanese citizens returning to Japan and for prisons in World War II. In 1946, it was closed and abandoned.

In 1970, forester Alexander Weiss discovered 135 poems (mostly in Mandarin and other Chinese dialects) etched on the walls of the men's barracks (the women's were destroyed in a fire). There are many engravings referring to dates and names, but the poems express a series of thoughts and feelings – nostalgia, sadness… – they describe the poverty they left behind, the hopes of the family that accompanied them in their search for a new life, and the frustration of your situation. They also offer advice to successive generations of aspiring immigrants. The future of the complex was demolition but Alexander Weiss brought in two academics from San Francisco State University, George Araki and Mark Takahashi , who managed to photograph them and give them publicity to preserve that memory of history.

Some examples (the translation is "relative"):

  • Instead of remaining a citizen of China, I have become an ox.
  • I intended to come to the United States to make a living.
  • Western-style buildings are tall, but I'm not lucky enough to live in them.
  • How come no one knew my abode would be a prison?

  • Imprisoned day after day in a wooden construction,
  • My freedom withheld, how can I talk about it?
  • I look to see who is happy, but all I find is silence.
  • I'm anxious and depressed and can't fall asleep.
  • The days are long, my mood sad, even so, I don't despair.
  • The nights are long and my pillow is cold, who can pity my loneliness?
  • After experiencing loneliness and sadness,
  • Why not go home and learn how to plow the fields?

Later, the Angel Island Immigration Station (AIIS) Foundation
was created, which was in charge of rehabilitating the building and restoring the engravings. The complex was declared a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service.

Sources and photos:The KQED, California State Parks, Lantern Review Blog,