The Opening of Angel Island

Angel Island was a detention center located in San Francisco Bay that was established in 1910 as the main entry point for Asian immigrants to the United States. Angel Island was considered different than Ellis Island because its goal was not to let immigrants in, but rather to exclude them. During its operation, Angel Island detained and interrogated hundreds of thousands of Asian immigrants, including Chinese, Japanese, and Korean immigrants. This was due to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 which only allowed Chinese with elite occupations or who were children of U.S. citizens into America.

One of the most significant aspects of Angel Island was the phenomenon of "paper sons". This was a practice in which Chinese immigrants who were already in the United States would claim that a male child in China was their son. This would allow the child to enter the United States as a US citizen rather than as an immigrant, circumventing the restrictions of the Chinese Exclusion Act. To prove their claim, the "paper sons" had to memorize details about the supposed family history and be able to answer questions about their "relatives" in the United States.

Angel Island became notorious for its harsh conditions, and many immigrants were detained there for months or even years while awaiting approval to enter the country. However, despite the difficult circumstances, many detained immigrants used their time on Angel Island to resist and subvert the oppressive system. This included writing poems and messages on the walls of the detention center, documenting their experiences, and expressing their frustration with the immigration system.