Separation for Inspection
Immigrant families were split into two lines; women and children to one side, men and boys over 15 years to the other. Czechoslovakian Immigrant Annie Turner describes her experience passing through Ellis Island as an anxious one. After reaching Ellis Island, her family quickly found their luggage. Shortly afterward, her father had to separate from Annie and her mother. Her father was upset because, as she recalls, he said “Mother has all the money. What will I do?”
Most of their money was in gold, in bags tied into her skirts for safekeeping. The family was detained for three days, finding their luggage and undergoing medical inspections. Ellis Island doctors had to find out what vaccinations they had in Czechoslovakia and whether they needed more vaccinations, and whether they had enough money to avoid being destitute upon arrival on the mainland.
