Angel Island: Gateway to Gold Mountain
By Kate Pavao,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Historic immigration station comes alive in photos, poems.
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What's the Story?
Through photographs, original poems, and interview excerpts, author Russell Freedman tells young readers about the experience of immigrants coming through San Francisco's Angel Island during its operation from 1910 to 1940. Though immigrants came from 80 countries, he focuses especially on Chinese immigrants, since most of Angel Island's immigrants "were mainly from China and other parts of Asia." He describes how the Chinese were subject to intense hardships, including long interrogations, unexplained delays, and humiliating examinations. He also provides historical context: The prejudice the Chinese faced in the West, including the murder of 19 Chinese people by a mob in Los Angeles, and the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882, "the first time the United States excluded immigrants because of their nationality or race." The book ends with a description of what visitors see when they visit Angel Island today, including the "men and women's dormitories, where so many human dramas unfolded."
Is It Any Good?
ANGEL ISLAND: GATEWAY TO GOLD MOUNTAIN is a well-constructed history for young people. Simple text and a big font make it easy for young readers to understand this often-overlooked piece of American history. Freedman's book also gives voice to Chinese immigrants trapped without recourse in a prejudiced system. The poems in particular help readers connect with immigrants' overwhelmed, anxious feelings as they awaited their fate ("Angel Island / Angel Island, all the people said. / So I thought it would be like heaven. / Yet when the iron gate locks with a clang -- / It feels like hell.") This would be a great read-aloud book for parents to share with tweens, as there's plenty for families to talk about, including their own ancestors' immigration stories, why it's important to remember shameful chapters of our history, and more.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about their own immigration stories. How did your family come to where you live?
The park ranger says that kids whose "parents and grandparents had come through Angel Island...had no idea of this history." Why didn't their families share their stories?
How do the immigrants' own words help us understand history?
Book Details
- Author: Russell Freedman
- Genre: History
- Topics: History
- Book type: Non-Fiction
- Publisher: Clarion Books
- Publication date: October 22, 2013
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 9 - 12
- Number of pages: 96
- Available on: Hardback
- Award: ALA Best and Notable Books
- Last updated: July 12, 2017
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