Ellis Island Research Paper

The Island lacked the resources needed for the immigrants. There were too many people coming to Ellis Island to have enough space to support them. This was not entirely the staff’s fault, however. As reported by Renee C. Rebman, Ellis Island had over 800,000 processed passengers in 1905 alone, not including first and second class who had the privilege of going through at a different time than steerage (21). With such an immense number of immigrants coming in one year alone, it became burdensome on the staff to manufacture enough space for everyone. Since Ellis Island was so congested on a daily basis, some of the immigrants that were let off of the ship and into the main hall did not get helped the same day they arrived. This meant immigrants had to stay on the island overnight to get examined,
Rebman continues, “These rooms were crawling with vermin and disease, even though they were scrubbed daily” (44). Being held in a tight space with hundreds of other people who do not speak the same language as you can be frightening and even life threatening. Being so close to others when these rooms were covered in disease was not a good way to contain sickness. Not only was it the staff's job to provide the immigrants with the limited shelter that they owned, the staff members were responsible for feeding them and keeping them comfortable as well. With the amount of immigrants coming in, it became cumbersome for the staff to give out these things. Ellis Island lacked the manpower to provide the immigrants with basic necessities. Immigrants were forced to wait for extended periods of time just to receive food. As reported by Barbara Barondess, a Russian immigrant who experienced these long lines, “You had to wait in line to get the