Angel Island
The largest island in the San Francisco Bay, Angel Island, is 1.18 square miles not far from Alcatraz Island. 57 people live there now. There is a baseball diamond near Ft. McDowell open to the public on the island, and it was used by the American Soldiers in WWII Three thousand years ago it served as a fishing and hunting site for Coastal Miwok Indians. Later on a Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala, a cattle ranch, and a U.S. Army post were on this island.
In a 30 year span, 1910-1940, Angel Island processed hundreds of thousands of immigrants. Similar to Ellis island in the east, Angel island to the west side was the entry way for immigrants seeking new lives. Most of them were from China. Japanese, and German POWs were held on the island during WWII. In the 50s and 60s, the island was home to a Nike missile site. Later, in 1962, the missile site was deactivated. In the same year, the entire island was turned over to the State of California for park purposes.
The life on Angel Island was pretty bad. The meals that people had were described as terrible and no variety. Chinese cooks tried to smuggle papers or messages in dishes to connect to people far away. The residents could write letters but they were always examined. Their living quarters were separated by sex because there was a fear of collusion, or exchange of information. The only communication between a married couples was calling out to each other to let them know they were ok. The detention barracks were dirty with few toilets that worked and bunks stacked three high. The main reason for an immigration station on the island was for interrogation. Immigrants had to prove innocence. There were said to be many stories of ghosts in the bathrooms where immigrants hung themselves because they would not want to go back to China.
History – Angel Island Conservancy." Angel Island Conservancy RSS. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2014.
KQED : Pacific Link: The KQED Asian Education Initiative: History: Angel Island." KQED : Pacific Link: The KQED Asian Education Initiative: History: Angel Island. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Sept. 2014.
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Good job but don't forget personal thoughts!