Wearing the dressiest clothes in our suitcases, we were among the first to arrive in the dining room. Other families joined our tables. Excitedly, everyone talked about our long-awaited arrival in New York and seeing the Statue of Liberty for the first time. After the farewell cake was served, the captain appeared at the head of the dining room, commanding our attention. “Soon, we will arrive at our destination in the New York Harbor,” he said. “It has been my extreme honor to take you on this transatlantic voyage. Tomorrow you will set foot on American soil. Make your life extraordinary! May God bless you, and God bless the United States.” The captain’s straightforward, eloquently worded speech was paramount to every immigrant onboard. After the tables were cleared, the
…show more content…
While everyone eagerly awaited the captain’s order to disembark, an unexpected announcement from an INS official sounded over the loudspeaker. The entire ship was required to clear customs, followed by a federal health inspection. Accordingly, no passengers were permitted to leave until the following day. Although having to spend one more night onboard in our cramped cabin was disappointing, knowing we were no longer sailing was a small consolation. Early the next day, with all the INS formalities and requirements out of the way, we were finally allowed to disembark, proceed to the immigration terminal, claim our luggage, and await our turn to be interviewed by an American INS agent, who would issue the necessary travel documents for the rest of our journey to California. We retrieved our luggage quickly. When our two steamer trunks and six suitcases were accounted for, Mom stood in line for the interview while Ellen and I stayed with Oma to watch over our pile of luggage. Only a few families were ahead of Mom. Suddenly, I realized that I had left my needlepoint project in our
While everyone eagerly awaited the captain’s order to disembark, an unexpected announcement from an INS official sounded over the loudspeaker. The entire ship was required to clear customs, followed by a federal health inspection. Accordingly, no passengers were permitted to leave until the following day. Although having to spend one more night onboard in our cramped cabin was disappointing, knowing we were no longer sailing was a small consolation. Early the next day, with all the INS formalities and requirements out of the way, we were finally allowed to disembark, proceed to the immigration terminal, claim our luggage, and await our turn to be interviewed by an American INS agent, who would issue the necessary travel documents for the rest of our journey to California. We retrieved our luggage quickly. When our two steamer trunks and six suitcases were accounted for, Mom stood in line for the interview while Ellen and I stayed with Oma to watch over our pile of luggage. Only a few families were ahead of Mom. Suddenly, I realized that I had left my needlepoint project in our