Ellis Island | Hope and Tears

Lindsay Graham (0:00)

Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of American History Tellers early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts.

From Audible Originals, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is American History Tellers, our history, your story.

Today, Ellis Island is part of the National Park Service, a day outing for people interested in history. More than 70 years have passed since ferries of immigrants arrived there to be processed, but this site is still alive with the memories of all those who entered its vast hall full of hope for the future and anxious that they'd be given the chance to become Americans. No one alive today knows these conflicting emotions better than the people who work at the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island Foundation. The Foundation restored and preserved the Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island, and they maintain a database of millions of records of immigrants who came to America through various ports of entry over the past several hundred years. Two of those who work on Ellis Island are Stephen Lean, Director of the Records Discovery Center, and Riley Dominianni, a Research Assistant at the Records Discovery Center. Both know that the archives are far from merely dusty bureaucratic records. Instead, they are often surprisingly personal.

SPEAKER_2 (1:44)

The NBA is back on PrizePix. Pick a shootout in the west and a boards battle in the east. PrizePix is bringing out their best offer yet. New users who sign up will get $150 in lineups if you win your first $5 lineup. That's right, if you win your first $5 lineup, you'll get $150 in lineups. On PrizePix, you simply pick 2-6 players, pick more or less on their stat projections, and submit your lineup. Then, sweat it out as you watch your picks play out live. It's the best way to get more locked in on game day. Make all the picks you want this season all in the same app. Now, PrizePix is available nationwide. The NBA is on PrizePix. What you want? Download the PrizePix app today and use code WONDERY. That's code WONDERY. To get $150 instantly in line ups if you win your first $5 line up, PrizePix. Run your game.

SPEAKER_3 (2:40)

Must be present in certain states. Visit prizepix.com for restrictions and details.

SPEAKER_4 (2:44)

Confidence. It's listening to your gut. It's moving forward even when the path ahead is unclear. For nearly 160 years, Pacific Life has helped people keep their promises, building confidence for generations. Whether you're confident in your financial future, or just beginning to envision it, we're here to help. Ask a financial professional how. Pacific Life. The power of a promise. Pacific Life Insurance Company, Omaha, Nebraska, and in New York, Pacific Life and Annuity, Phoenix, Arizona.

Riley Dominianni (3:21)

I'm Riley Dominianni. I'm a research assistant at the Records Discovery Center at Ellis Island. I started at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island Foundation in 2022

I was among the first class of interns that they hired for the summer. I was still in college. When I graduated, I started full-time.

Lindsay Graham (3:40)

Riley studied history and anthropology at Fordham University in the Bronx. And for her, the commute to Ellis Island is one that never gets old.

Riley Dominianni (3:49)

I wake up every morning, head down to the A train on 145th Street, take that all the way to Fulton Street, switch over to the 45, and I get off the train at Battery Park, cut through Castle Clinton, which was the immigration station before Ellis Island. So I get to start my day by going through that building. So kind of getting into the feel of the place. And I see all of the visitors lining up to take the ferry over to the statue and board the boat with my fellow staff members. And we ride about 10 minutes. We see the statue every morning, which is just so cool. And then we pull up to Ellis Island and I head into the office.

Our office is in the main building of Ellis Island in the former kitchen and laundry wing. And we call our office the Ice House because it was historically where they stored the ice on the island.

Lindsay Graham (4:40)

Working on Ellis Island is very meaningful for Riley.

Riley Dominianni (4:43)

It's very surreal to work in that building. You know, there are a lot of museums that are just buildings with things in them, but I think there's a huge privilege in getting to work and have an office in the building where everything happened, where millions of people passed through and started their lives in this country.

Lindsay Graham (5:01)