“The Angel Island Immigration Station is a pivotal historical landmark for the nation and for learning about the Chinese-American experience,”said Rep. Woolsey.

WASHINGTON, DC - The House Resources Committee unanimously passed Rep. Woolsey’s legislation to save the Angel Island Immigration Station. The Angel Island Immigration Station bill, H.R. 4469, will allow the continuation of the restoration and preservation project by making it eligible to receive federal funds while preserving Angel Island’s status as a California State Park. The bill, as passed by the House Resources Committee, will authorize $15 million for the preservation project.

Current estimates to restore and preserve the Angel Island Immigration Station are over $30 million. To date, the Immigration Station has secured $16 million for the preservation efforts from private foundations, federal and state government sources. However, because the Immigration Station is located in a California State Park, without the Woolsey legislation it is unable to receive federal dollars beyond the grants for which it has already qualified.

“The Angel Island Immigration Station contributes greatly to our understanding of our nation's rich and complex immigration history,” said Rep. Lynn Woolsey, “in particular, the Station is a significant historical landmark because it teaches visitors about the Chinese-American experience.”

"Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF) is extremely grateful to Congresswoman Woolsey for shepherding this legislation through the House,” said Forrest Gok, President of the AIISF Board of Directors.

The Angel Island Immigration Station was the entry point for over 1 million immigrants from 1910-1940, including approximately 175,000 Chinese immigrants who were forced to stay at Angel Island before entry to San Francisco -- or return to China. According to the Angel Island Immigration Foundation, “the average detention was two to three weeks, but many stayed for several months and a few were forced to remain on the island for nearly two years.” During their detention many of the Chinese immigrants carved poetry on the walls of the station. Today, about 140 of the poems remain on the walls of the detention barracks, as a testiment to their experience.

In 1997, the Angel Island Immigration Station was designated as a National Historic Landmark and in 2000, it was placed on “America’s 11 Most Endangered Historic Places” list, becoming an official project of Save America’s Treasures, a joint program of the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the White House Millennium Council. More than 50,000 people, including 3,000 school children, make the trip out to the site each year to learn about its rich history.