Every Name Has a Story

"Ellis Island is a special place for me.  My mother came through those gates and when she passed I had her name engraved on one of the metal panels that line the grounds.  Every name on those walls has a story.  When these newcomers first looked over to view their new city they had hope, but many came to learn the hard truth.  As an immigrant saying goes — “I came to America because I heard the streets were paved with gold. When I got here, I found out three things: first, the streets weren’t paved with gold; second, they weren’t paved at all; and third, I was expected to pave them.
…history is always (unfortunately more brutally) repeating itself."