To two teenagers from New Jersey, Ellis Island was a forbidden mystery that was tantalizingly close to shore, so we began venturing to the island in a tiny rowboat with a 16-millimeter camera. In the film, they vividly recalled the dizzying experience of arriving and of seeing New York City for the first time. Their brief stay on Ellis Island became the fulcrum — the literal pivot point — of their lives. Today, revisiting our film about the historic role of Ellis Island raises profound questions about the country’s current immigration policies. The stories of those who long ago passed through Ellis Island may suggest an answer to this question.

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Persons: Ellis, Emma Lazarus’s Locations: New York Harbor, United States, Manhattan, New Jersey, New York City, Ellis