As we Celebrate July 4th – let us remember what the Statue of Liberty meant to people like my father, Hans Masie, who came came to America as a place where Freedom meant acceptance.
Thank you for sharing this. I have a similar document for my grandmother who immigrated through Ellis Island. She came from what is now Croatia. At the time, the island was occupied by Italy. I find the manifest facinating! So informative of the time.
My grandfather came over in 1908 from what was then Austria-Hungary. He always remembered seeing the Statue of Liberty in the harbor and what it meant to him and his family.
Today, we live in a country that is taking away our rights rather than strengthening them. Thank you, Mr. Masie, for your Fourth of July message reminding that 99% of of everyone who lives in the United States today is due to family in the past who immigrated here to give their family a better life.
It is unfortunate that in this great Nation we must continually fight for the rights of immigrants. This Nation was built on the work of immigrants -- whether they were brought here involuntarily, or by the need to flee persecution, or by the choice these United States offerred. Today, many of those immigrants provide us with the food that we eat, care for us when we are sick, and continue to do jobs that others reject. We educate many from other nations and then refuse to permit them to use their brains and talents to create the newest opportunities. When will we ever learn?
The manifest is an extraordinary document. Its simple lines hide so many powerful stories, many tragedies but also a narrative of hope. The ship came from Southampton so I would love to know how the passengers got to Southampton and who arranged the travel. The defiance of so many of the passengers, in no longer wanting to acknowledge their German heritage, is a stark reminder of what they were running from and what an extraordinary place of sanctuary the US must have appeared.
In 1938 travel was still somewhat free. At least when emigrants were willing to leave the biggest part of their belongings back in Germany.
The strange thing is, that many of the Jewish Germans were feeling deeply "German" much more than being "jewish". Some were highly decorated veterans of World War 1, many were highly educated scientists, artists and so on.
Still not wanted because of not belonging to the so called Arian race.
There is a lesson in there what the US did well that time and I deeply hope you can keep that spirit, as well as I hope we can keep it up in Europe.
Thank you for sharing this. I have a similar document for my grandmother who immigrated through Ellis Island. She came from what is now Croatia. At the time, the island was occupied by Italy. I find the manifest facinating! So informative of the time.
My grandfather came over in 1908 from what was then Austria-Hungary. He always remembered seeing the Statue of Liberty in the harbor and what it meant to him and his family.
"Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses, yearning to breathe free" I totally needed to read that today.
Today, we live in a country that is taking away our rights rather than strengthening them. Thank you, Mr. Masie, for your Fourth of July message reminding that 99% of of everyone who lives in the United States today is due to family in the past who immigrated here to give their family a better life.
I love this! My grandparents came through Ellis Island during WWII.
Nicely done, Elliott. A valuable reminder for all of us.
It is unfortunate that in this great Nation we must continually fight for the rights of immigrants. This Nation was built on the work of immigrants -- whether they were brought here involuntarily, or by the need to flee persecution, or by the choice these United States offerred. Today, many of those immigrants provide us with the food that we eat, care for us when we are sick, and continue to do jobs that others reject. We educate many from other nations and then refuse to permit them to use their brains and talents to create the newest opportunities. When will we ever learn?
The manifest is an extraordinary document. Its simple lines hide so many powerful stories, many tragedies but also a narrative of hope. The ship came from Southampton so I would love to know how the passengers got to Southampton and who arranged the travel. The defiance of so many of the passengers, in no longer wanting to acknowledge their German heritage, is a stark reminder of what they were running from and what an extraordinary place of sanctuary the US must have appeared.
In 1938 travel was still somewhat free. At least when emigrants were willing to leave the biggest part of their belongings back in Germany.
The strange thing is, that many of the Jewish Germans were feeling deeply "German" much more than being "jewish". Some were highly decorated veterans of World War 1, many were highly educated scientists, artists and so on.
Still not wanted because of not belonging to the so called Arian race.
There is a lesson in there what the US did well that time and I deeply hope you can keep that spirit, as well as I hope we can keep it up in Europe.