[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 9 (Wednesday, February 2, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Pages S890-S891]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mrs. FEINSTEIN (for herself, Mrs. Boxer, and Mr. Akaka):
  S. 262. A bill to authorize appropriations to the Secretary of 
Interior for the restoration of the Angel Island Immigration Station in 
the State of California; to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources.
  Mrs. FEINSTEIN. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce the Angel 
Island Immigration Station Restoration and Preservation Act, with 
Senator Boxer as an original cosponsor.
  This legislation authorizes the use of up to $15 million in Federal 
funds for ongoing efforts to restore and preserve the Angel Island 
Immigration Station located on Angel Island in San Francisco Bay.
  I understand that Congresswoman Lynn Woolsey is introducing similar 
legislation in the House. In the 108th Congress, Congresswoman 
Woolsey's Angel Island bill passed the House.
  The Angel Island Immigration Station is an important piece of 
American history, especially to our Nation's Asian American and 
immigrant communities.
  From the mid 19th to early 20th century, millions of people came to 
America in pursuit of the American dream. Most people are familiar with 
Ellis Island and the stories of immigrants coming to America and seeing 
the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor, but often forgotten are the 
experiences of those who made it to America through the West Coast by 
way of Angel Island. Just like those who came through Ellis Island, 
there are many stories of triumph and tribulation associated with Angel 
Island.
  However, for the Chinese and those from other Asian countries who 
came through Angel Island Immigration Station the story goes a bit 
further.
  The economic downturn in the 1870s brought political pressures to 
deal with the increasing population of Chinese who risked everything to 
travel to ``Gold Mountain'' in search of a better life. Amongst the 
harshest of measures taken was the passage of the Chinese Exclusion Act 
of 1882, the only legislation enacted by Congress to ban a specific 
ethnic population from entry into the United States.
  To enforce this new law and subsequent legislation which excluded 
most Asian immigrants to this country, the Angel Island Immigration 
Station was established in 1910.
  After a difficult journey across the Pacific Ocean, many new arrivals 
were brought to the Station where they faced separation from their 
family, embarrassing medical examinations, grueling interrogations and 
long detainments that lasted months, even years, in living deplorable 
conditions.
  Testaments to these experiences can be found today on the wooden 
walls of the barracks. Many of the detainees told their stories through 
poems that they carved on the barrack walls. Using allegories and 
historical references, they described their aspirations for coming to 
America as well as expressed their anger and sadness at the treatment 
they received. However, this experience did not break the spirit of 
these new courageous immigrants. They endured and established new roots 
and made immeasurable contributions to this nation.
  The Station was closed in 1940 and three years later Congress 
repealed the Chinese Exclusion Act. For the next 20 years the Station 
remained mostly unused except for a short term during World War II, 
when it was used as a prisoner of war camp.
  In 1963, Angel Island became a State park and the California 
Department of Parks and Recreation assumed stewardship of the 
Immigration Station.
  In the late 1990's, the Station was a declared a National Historic 
Landmark and named on ``America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.'' 
In 1998, Congress approved $300,000 to conduct a study to determine the 
feasibility and desirability of preserving sites within the Golden Gate 
National Recreation Area (GGNRA) which includes the Immigration 
Station. As a result, a historic three-party agreement was created 
between the National Park Service, California Department of Parks and 
the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation to conduct this study. 
In 2000, Save America's Treasures named the Angel Island Immigration 
Station one of its Official Projects and provided $500,000 for the 
preservation of poems carved into the walls.
  The Station is supported by the people of California as well as 
numerous private interests. The voters of California voted in 2000 to 
set aside $15 million for restoration of the Station through 
Proposition 12 and in addition approximately $1.1 million in private 
funds has been raised so far. Most recently, in December 2004, the 
California Cultural and Historical Endowment Board voted to reserve $3 
million pending further staff findings for the Immigration Station.
  The legislation limits Federal funding to 50 percent the total funds 
from all sources spent to restore the Angel Island Immigration Station. 
The remaining money will be provided through State bond funding and 
raised through private means, making this a true public private 
partnership.
  Today, approximately 200,000 visits are made each year to Angel 
Island by ferry from San Francisco, Tiburon and Alameda. In addition, 
60,000 visits are made to the Immigration Station, about half of which 
are students on guided tours.
  The resources secured so far have set in motion designing, planning 
and initial restoration efforts of the Immigration Station but much 
more is needed, particularly to save the Immigration Station Hospital 
building, which is deteriorating.
  The bill I am introducing today will authorize $15 million in Federal 
funding to complete the restoration of the Angel Island Immigration 
Station so the stories of these early Americans who courageously 
endured the experience at the Angel Island Immigration Station will be 
preserved for future generations.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill. I ask unanimous consent 
that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the bill was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                                 S. 262

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Angel Island Immigration 
     Station Restoration and Preservation Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       The Congress makes the following findings:
       (1) The Angel Island Immigration Station, also known as the 
     Ellis Island of the West, is a National Historic Landmark.
       (2) Between 1910 and 1940, the Angel Island Immigration 
     Station processed more than

[[Page S891]]

     1,000,000 immigrants and emigrants from around the world.
       (3) The Angel Island Immigration Station contributes 
     greatly to our understanding of our Nation's rich and complex 
     immigration history.
       (4) The Angel Island Immigration Station was built to 
     enforce the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and subsequent 
     immigration laws, which unfairly and severely restricted 
     Asian immigration.
       (5) During their detention at the Angel Island Immigration 
     Station, Chinese detainees carved poems into the walls of the 
     detention barracks. More than 140 poems remain today, 
     representing the unique voices of immigrants awaiting entry 
     to this country.
       (6) More than 50,000 people, including 30,000 
     schoolchildren, visit the Angel Island Immigration Station 
     annually to learn more about the experience of immigrants who 
     have traveled to our shores.
       (7) The restoration of the Angel Island Immigration Station 
     and the preservation of the writings and drawings at the 
     Angel Island Immigration Station will ensure that future 
     generations also have the benefit of experiencing and 
     appreciating this great symbol of the perseverance of the 
     immigrant spirit, and of the diversity of this great Nation.

     SEC. 3. RESTORATION.

       (a) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary of the Interior 
     $15,000,000 for restoring the Angel Island Immigration 
     Station in the San Francisco Bay, in coordination with the 
     Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation and the 
     California Department of Parks and Recreation.
       (b) Federal Funding.--Federal funding under this Act shall 
     not exceed 50 percent of the total funds from all sources 
     spent to restore the Angel Island Immigration Station.
       (c) Priority.--(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the 
     funds appropriated pursuant to this Act shall be used for the 
     restoration of the Immigration Station Hospital on Angel 
     Island.
       (2) Any remaining funds in excess of the amount required to 
     carry out paragraph (1) shall be used solely for the 
     restoration of the Angel Island Immigration Station.
                                 ______