Meet the woman confronting public figures with their immigrant histories

[MadCrow]

4. Chain migration in my family

My great grandmother was left a widow in Barbados in 1912 with 8 children to raise. She attempted to bring 5 of the older ones to the U.S., but they were turned back at Ellis Island even though she did have family here. She later came by herself and by working various jobs such as waitressing in a tea room and selling newspapers on the street of New York, she was able to eventually bring all 8 of the children to New York. I found a letter in the Bureau of Immigration archives that the government of Barbados had given her some assistance since her husband had been a civil servant as an hospital administrator.