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Ellis Island : immigration and the American Dream
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2025
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Kirkus Review
An overview in graphic format of the facility through which so many immigrants to America passed. A frame story involving a modern couple born in Mexico (their daughter says, "I was born here, a Mexicanewyorker!") expands Feggo's focus to include glances at the entire contentious history of voluntary or forced immigration to the U.S., past and present. In tribute to what he dubs "a modern-day Plymouth Rock," he mostly traces the development of an uninhabited mound in waters near the Lenape island of Manahatta to the sprawling complex that opened in 1892, shuttered in 1954 after processing some 12 million new arrivals, and eventually became a museum. While the author compresses a huge story into relatively few pages, it's an effectively told, moving history. Big steamships and the Statue of Liberty put in appearances, but most of the scenes in Howard's neatly squared-off panels are people-centric. He first depicts Indigenous residents and European settlers in historical dress; later, anxious-looking figures or families make the arduous ocean crossing, step down gangplanks, and submit themselves to inspections. Crowds of headshots illustrate the ethnic diversity of all the new arrivals. For a finale, the modern museum's restored, expansive main hall serves as a reminder of "where we all came from and the future we are all building…and rebuilding…TOGETHER!" Coherent, provocative, and more cogent than ever. (afterword, photos)(Graphic history. 10-13) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Summary

Turn back the clock with History Comics! In this volume, take a visit to Ellis Island and learn America's immigration story.

Many Americans know someone who can trace their ancestry through Ellis Island. In addition to being part of the world-famous Statue of Liberty National Monument, this modest-sized piece of land once housed the main immigration processing center for the U.S., documenting upwards of 12 million people between 1892 and 1954! Over the generations, Ellis Island has taken on an almost mythic status as a beacon of hope to those seeking freedom and refuge from persecution. But how did it all get started?

Our past is only the beginning with History Comics, a riveting nonfiction graphic novel series from First Second!

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