HHCA 5th graders stepped back in time last Friday and journeyed to America through Ellis Island as immigrants in 1892. 

In the two weeks before the Immigration Simulation, students learned about life on Ellis Island between 1892 and 1920. They studied immigration vocabulary, identified immigrant groups that traveled through Ellis Island, and researched the push and pull factors that led immigrant groups to America.

During the simulation, students went through several stations: the Registry, the Great Hall, the Medical Inspection, the Legal Inspection, the Detained Section, and the Gateway of Opportunity. They also acted as medical examiners and legal inspectors in the immigration process. 

This is always a memorable day for 5th-grade students as they learn more about the history of our great country. They came away from the experience feeling more informed about immigration into the USA after having the opportunity to experience a walk in the shoes of these early immigrants.

- Joanna Cherry, HHCA 5th Grade Mentor