Immigrants who arrived in New York City often had limited resources and were forced to live in the Lower East Side of Manhattan, where rents for overcrowded apartments, known as housing, were low. The Lower East Side Housing Museum is located in a former residential building and tells the story of immigrants in the city. Ellis Island is a federally owned island in the port of New York, located within the US states of New Jersey and New York, which was the busiest immigrant inspection and processing station in the United States from 1892 to 1954. Nearly 12 million immigrants who arrived at the port of New York and New Jersey were processed there under federal law. Today, it is part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument and is only accessible to the public by ferry. The north side of the island is the site of the main building, now a national immigration museum.
The south side of the island, including the Ellis Island Immigrant Hospital, is only open to the public through guided tours. The 27.5-acre (11.1 ha) island expanded considerably through land reclamation between the late 1890s and the 1930s. Judicial disputes between New Jersey and New York State persisted until the United States Supreme Court ruled in 1998 in the case of New Jersey v. New York, which is often considered one of the most important cultural centers in the country, since it welcomed immigrants long before the days of Ellis Island. The circumstances that led to an enclave in New York being located within New Jersey began in colonial times, after the capture of New Holland by the British in 1664. The need to build the nation and rebuild New York after the Revolutionary War (1775-178) requires immigration to New York City.
Approximately one out of every four workers in New York is an immigrant and, together, they constitute a vital part of the state's workforce in a variety of industries. Although the island remained federal property after the lawsuit, New Jersey and New York agreed to share jurisdiction over the land itself. This story, which takes viewers from China to California and then to New York, is a story of tragedy, perseverance and extreme intolerance on the part of American citizens and authorities. Initially, much of the western coast of Upper New York Bay consisted of large marshes with huge oyster hatcheries, which were an important source of food for lenapes. Only the areas associated with the original island, including much of the main building, are in New York; the remaining area is in New Jersey. The episode begins in the colonial period and illustrates the formation of a fairly important Jewish community, mostly Sephardic, in New York City.
While the revolution shifted the center of the Cuban-American community to South Florida, Cubans who made New York their home over past 200 years have left a vibrant and lasting mark on New York society. It then documents China's perseverance in overcoming obstacles of structural racism to form a flourishing community in New York City. Nearly a quarter of New York residents are immigrants, while nearly a fifth are natives. Because of extreme intolerance on West Coast, large numbers of Chinese immigrants arrived in New York City, with goal to build life for themselves and their community.
