The Faces of Immigration 100 Years Ago

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To celebrate the Senate’s approval of immigration-reform legislation, Buzzfeed has a collection of photos of immigrants who came through Ellis Island near the turn of the last century.

From a Romanian shepherd with an extremely intense hundred-yard stare to a group of women from the Caribbean island of Guadaloupe, there are some really compelling faces—and clothes—to check out.


Lauren O'Neal is an MFA student at San Francisco State University. Her writing has appeared in publications like Slate, The New Inquiry, and The Hairpin. You can follow her on Twitter at @laureneoneal. More from this author →