One of the organizations that helped my Grandmother and her father when they came to the United States from the region of Latina was St. Elizabeth's of Mount Loretto in Staten Island, NY. My grandmother lived in this facility until she was about 16 years of age. It was an Irish institution founded to help aid poor children.

There were many Nuns assisting out during the immigration processions, often helping immigrants with social services.

The "Strange Yellow Food" was actually a Banana, as Bananas didn't come to Europe until the tail end of World War 2.

An example of what the female passengers would be wearing: This is my ancestor Emilia Nunzia Giuseppa DeMarco. It is a stark contrast from how American women would dress.

It was called the Island of Tears, originally coined by the Irish immigrants for the possibility of being turned away and having your dreams of a better future dashed.

The small island was; Ellis Island.

Again, an example of a ship registry

In this book, there is another POV; that of an inspector themselves. The feel sympathy for the plights of the immigrants, but they just "doing their job". They don't want to turn people away, but sometimes they have to.

Francesca is worried her sister won't pass the rigorous health inspections. In this photo you can see passengers being briefly medically inspected at what is now battery park.

This is how the passengers were identified. Here is the ship manifest for one of my ancestors; Anna De Cola. Her passenger ID number is : 102353080274 Her ship was the "Napolitan Prince" and her information is visible on line 4. She arrived in New York two years after her husband, Salvatore.

All that time and work, only to be sent back home. Back to poverty, famine, and political instability. It is unknown which region in Italy the man was from, as even the sisters couldn't understand his dialect. But it is clear, that he was escaping something. As all passengers on these boats were.

Naples was a vital port for immigration channels to New York. There were three major ports throughout Italy; in Genoa, Palermo, and Napoli.

"He's crazy". But really, the reality of the situation he was desperate. He had left behind everything and everyone he had known, and now was denied entry into the United States. Denied entry into what he believed would be a better future for himself, and most like his family. Very frequently men would make the journey to New York City, work, and then once they had enough money send for their wives, children, and then extended family. His denial not only meant his future has ended, but that of his family as well.

The man was already accounted for, and marked with an X. This meant for one reason or another he was denied entry.

The immigration officer.

Coming from the sunny Mediterranean temperature of Sicily, a New York City winter is quite the shock. It truly was a temperature they never experienced before.

This was probably the majority of their belongings

Ellis Island was the main U.S. immigration processing center from 1892 to 1954. Located in New York Harbor, it inspected and processed millions of immigrants, mostly from Europe.

The richer passengers were fortunate enough to avoid the realities of Ellis Island.

In fact, the majority of steamboats docked in Manhattan. Allowing first class passengers direct entry into the United States. While lower-class passengers were sent to Ellis Island for further inspection.

On average, 5,000 docked through the harbors in NYC awaiting immigration and seeking a better future.

The Statue of Liberty. It was the first things immigrants would see when docking in the harbors of New York. It was a gift from France to the United States, It became a powerful beacon of hope and freedoms in the "New World".

These passengers had nothing, a few bits of copper could help aid them in their new life.

Shortly Francesca and her sister would be undergoing an interrogation by the immigration officers conducted in English.

Francesca and her sister were in the steerage, the cheapest ticket and it was located in the bowels of the ship.

Usually immigrants coming through New York were monolingual and exclusively spoke their native language.

The so called land of opportunity, where the streets are paved in gold.

Immigrants being processed through NYC harbors had to undergo extensive medical examination for various diseases.

As depicted in the first chapter, this journey occurred during the winter months. Traversing the Atlantic ocean during the winter months was not an easy feat. It was cold, grey, and depressing. The only hope the passengers had, was their new lives in America.

The first inklings of New York City!

The immigrants leaving Europe for a better future more often than not were experiencing extreme poverty. They would want to guard what little they had, among a boat of strangers.

This book touches upon the horror women immigrants specifically faced during the migration from Europe to Ellis Island, you can only infer as to why she wouldn't want to wear a night gown.

After a 7-10 day steamship journey from Italy to New York, they landed.

Having to be "American" as a performance

During this time period, many Italians especially those with southern origins were facing harsh conditions in poverty.

Again, the immigrants being processed through Ellis Island tried to present themselves in their absolute best state.

The "Gibson Girl" style was the idealic beauty standard for American women, originating from Massachusetts. Many immigrants being processed through Ellis Island purposely made themselves look more "American" by donning more American clothes and leaving behind their traditional European garments.

Roughly about only 2% of immigrants were turned away. For those who were permitted entry it was the "Isle of Hope" and for those turned away it was the "Isle of Tears"

Francesca the main character is Sicilian, on average the steamboat journey from the Sicilian ports to New York were about 7-10 days. Additionally, the majority of Italian passengers had to ride in steerage. More importantly, in order to be admitted through the immigration interview at Ellis Island, they needed to have a clean bill of health.