The exhibit you are about to see first came to life on a ferryboat trip to Ellis Island in the spring of 2002 when a Texas 10th grader on a school trip to NYC said to me, his chaperone, “I don’t know why I came all the way to Ellis Island to find my roots. My family came to America through Galveston.” Why indeed? Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty symbolize immigration to the United States, but what about the other gateways to the nation? What about Galveston?
It was his next comment, however, that set me on this journey: “At least it was safe to come to America back then. Now the immigrants might be terrorists.” It was exactly six months after the 9/11 attacks on America. Our children were reflecting our fear. That fear had again affected how we see strangers amongst us, especially new immigrants.
I returned to Texas determined to create a venue that would promote a dialogue between past and present attitudes toward immigration. This is the story of a particular gateway — Galveston — at
a particular time — 1845–1924. I hope that this thin slice of the history of American immigration can help us understand our nation’s struggle with recurring questions: Who should be allowed to be an American? Who decides?
I invite you now to come join the conversation.
Suzanne Seriff, Ph.D.
Support for this exhibit comes from The National Endowment for the Humanities; Robert J. Kleberg, Jr. & Helen C. Kleberg Foundation; The Albert and Ethel Herzstein Hall Fund; Cynthia and George Mitchell Foundation; Summerlee Foundation; Harris & Eliza Kempner Fund; Moody Foundation; Scurlock Foundation; and Humanities Texas.