24 GATEWAYS TO THE USA
266-273
Présentation de l’unité
L’objectif général de cette unité est de permettre aux élèves de
réfléchir à la fois au peuplement des États-Unis et aux mouve-
ments migratoires qui ont constitué une grande partie de l’iden-
tité américaine. L’étude de ce thème se fera principalement à
travers la découverte de deux sites majeurs, symboles de l’im-
migration aux États-Unis : Ellis Island, île située à l’embouchure
de l’Hudson River à New York, berceau des diverses vagues
d’immigration en provenance d’Europe, et Angel Island, île de
la baie de San Francisco, qui recevait quant à elle les migrants
en provenance d’Asie. La seconde partie de la séquence se
focalisera tout particulièrement sur cette migration asiatique,
phénomène peu connu en Europe, et permettra ainsi de mettre
en relief la différence de traitement suivant l’appartenance à
telle ou telle communauté.
Soulignons que l’unité apporte un éclairage original à cette thé-
matique migratoire, puisque l’on traitera du sujet par le biais de
la poésie. Les élèves découvriront ainsi quelques témoignages
laissés par les migrants, faisant état de leur expérience ainsi que
de l’accueil et du traitement qui leur étaient réservés. D’autres
poèmes, écrits au XXIe siècle, proposent quant à eux de redonner
une voix aux migrants asiatiques qui bien souvent ne pouvaient
témoigner de leur expérience en anglais à leur arrivée sur le sol
américain.
Si l’ensemble de l’unité est plutôt dédié à des élèves au niveau
d’anglais soutenu, il est tout à fait possible de l’alléger afin qu’elle
soit étudiée en tronc commun (voir plus bas les propositions de
différenciation).
Enfin, les enseignants ayant abordé l’unité 1 de Hitthe Road! 1re
avec leurs classes trouveront dans cette unité des passe-
relles intéressantes à établir.
EXTRAIT DU PROGRAMME DE TRONC COMMUN (B.O.)
Axe 8 – « Territoire et mémoire »
Comment s’est construit et se transmet l’héritage collectif dans une
aire géographique donnée ? Les espaces régionaux, nationaux et
transnationaux offrent des repères marquants (dates, périodes, lieux,
événements, espaces saisis dans leur évolution temporelle, figures
emblématiques, personnages historiques, etc.) et permettent de
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_347-394.indd 347
s’interroger sur la manière dont se construit et se transmet un héri-
tage collectif. Les commémorations traduisent un besoin d’élaborer
et d’exprimer des mémoires individuelles et collectives. La multipli-
cation des lieux de mémoire pose la question de la relation complexe
entre histoire et mémoires. La mémoire d’un individu ou d’un peuple
trouve son reflet dans le patrimoine ; héritage dont l’évolution dans
le temps témoigne de la relation que chaque peuple entretient avec
son passé et, par extension, la manière dont il se projette dans l’avenir.
À travers la notion d’héritage, les histoires individuelles se confondent
avec le destin collectif ; ces points de rencontre et de tension entre
les histoires personnelles et l’histoire sont à l’origine de nombreux
récits (du témoignage au roman historique).
Mots-clés en lien avec l’unité : espaces frontaliers /
mémoriaux / traces de l’histoire / histoire officielle /
devoir de mémoire / quartier historique
EXTRAIT DU PROGRAMME DE LLCER
ANGLAIS, LITTERATURE (B.O.)
Cette unité convient parfaitement à la spécialité LLCER littérature,
et son étude dans ce cadre permettra sans nul doute de sublimer
l’angle littéraire proposé. On pourra par exemple mettre l’accent
sur des documents exigeants tels que le poème « The New Colossus »
à l’entrée du chapitre, en focalisant l’attention des élèves sur le style
employé par l’auteure afin de personnaliser la statue.
L’unité s’inscrit dans les trois thématiques de Terminale LLCER
littéraire :
– La thématique « Arts et débats d’idées » peut être traitée avec
les poèmes laissés par les migrants, véritables œuvres littéraires
qui sont sources de débats, et symboles d’un traitement toujours
controversé de l’immigration aux États-Unis.
Axe d’étude 1 : « Art et contestation »
– La thématique « Expression et construction de soi » pourra
être étudiée grâce à l’expression des émotions dans les divers
témoignages du chapitre.
Axe d’étude 1 : « L’expression des émotions »
– La thématique « Voyages, territoires, frontières » sera abor-
dée grâce aux thématiques de la migration, du rapport à la fron-
tière, et de l’héritage culturel.
Axe d’étude 3 : « Migration et exil »
EXTRAIT DU PROGRAMME DE LLCER
ANGLAIS, MONDE CONTEMPORAIN (B.O.)
Thématique 1 : « Faire société »
Axe d’étude 1 : Unité et pluralité
Thématique 3 : « Relation au monde »
Axe d’étude 3 : Héritage commun et diversité
Unit 24 347
22/09/2020 13:07
 DIFFÉRENCIATION
Avec une classe de niveau fragile, on pourra choisir de ne garder
par exemple que la thématique de la migration asiatique (double
page 3 et page 4 , p. 270-272), moins connue des élèves.
Chaque double page peut en effet constituer un mini-chapitre
indépendant. Notons toutefois que le document 2 (« Immigra-
tion waves ») de la double page d’ouverture 1 paraît essentiel
pour aborder la suite, et devra être conservé en introduction.
Une autre possibilité serait d’associer la double page d’ouver-
ture 1 et la double page 2 , puisqu’elles traitent toutes deux
de l’arrivée des migrants dans la baie de l’Hudson River à New
York, avec notamment les symboles de la Statue de la Liberté
et d’Ellis Island.
Pour un traitement moins approfondi de toutes les thématiques
avec une classe fragile, on préconisera de conserver le docu-
ment 2 (« Immigration waves ») de la double page d’ouverture
1 , qui introduit parfaitement les deux sites étudiés par la suite,
avec l’arrivée migratoire par les côtes est et ouest.
En double page 2 , on s’intéressera au document 2 (la vidéo
« Ellis Island Museum »), riche et très visuel, ce qui aidera les
élèves dans leur compréhension orale. Afin de conserver l’angle
poétique et littéraire du chapitre, on pourra ensuite étudier en
classe entière dans le document 3 (les poèmes « Immigrants’
voices ») le poème n° 1 d’Andrea Hollander, plus abordable que
le deuxième.
En double page 3 , on pourra aborder le texte du document 1,
très factuel et facile d’accès, pour le mettre en relation avec le
dernier poème en page 4 .
image d’ouverture 266
Présentation du document
The picture shows an immigrant family arriving in
America in the 1920s. They are looking across New York
Harbor at the Statue of Liberty which is represented
as a symbol of hope. The picture is a symbolic represen-
tation of the arrival of immigrants at Ellis Island.
Mise en œuvre
Projeter l’image au tableau et faire travailler les élèves par
groupes. Les plus fragiles travailleront sur l’explicite, les cou-
leurs. Les élèves plus à l’aise s’attacheront à repérer l’implicite :
les espoirs, le dos tourné au passé, les jeux de lumières. La mise
en commun se fera idéalement en donnant la parole au maxi-
mum d’élèves en encourageant l’interaction orale.
Production possible
This picture which looks like a watercolour is an actual colour-
ised photograph. In the foreground we can see a couple and
their child, who is tucked between them in a gesture of pro-
tection. We can imagine them fresh off the boat, dreaming,
expecting a better future. The clothes indicate that the scene
is set in the beginning of the 20 th century and that they are
working people, this is noticeable from the simplicity of their
clothes, the man’s hat, the woman’s white headscarf. These
three people are facing the Statue of Liberty, facing their future,
hands to his sides for the man (a gesture of resolve or a symbol
of his new departure from scratch), hand over the eyes for the
child so as to better contemplate his future, and hands in front
of her for the woman as a begging gesture. The artist chose to
348 Unit 24
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_347-394.indd 348
show their backs with dark colours, as if to emphasise the fact
that they are leaving their old life behind, whereas the statue
in the background is bathed in a pool of light, thus comparing
America to the promised land. It seems they are experiencing
a strong emotion of loss and fear somehow. The biggest indi-
cator of the situation is in the barely noticeable background,
Miss Liberty. The Statue of Liberty is highly symbolic. It symbol-
ises the waves of migrants crossing the oceans to settle in the
Promised Land. These three characters stand for the 14 million
people and more, who left their native country, often their native
language, their family. They stand for the fear of the unknown,
the loss of control over their lives. But they also symbolise hope,
hope for a better and greater future, hope for wealth, the end
of famine, diseases and an untimely death.
BEFORE CLASS! VIDEO N°44 266
Présentation du document
Cette vidéo a été tournée par la Liberty Ellis Island Foundation
dans le but de promouvoir Ellis Island et ses monuments et de
rendre hommage aux millions d’immigrants et leurs familles
venus d’Europe. Elle peut être utilisée et exploitée dans le cadre
de la classe inversée, favorisant la médiation entre élèves.
La vidéo est accessible au clic dans le manuel numérique élève
et enseignant, ou au flash sur la page. Comme pour tous les
documents à destination des élèves, elle est aussi disponible
sur le site compagnon de la méthode.
Bien que le visionnage de la vidéo Before class! ne soit pas
une étape nécessaire à l’étude de l’unité, elle permettra notam-
ment aux élèves une entrée ludique, simple et ancrée dans la
réalité.
Script VIDEO N°44
The American Immigrant Wall of Honor at Ellis Island.
A monument for every immigrant who had a dream.
A celebration of who we are and where we came from.
With over 700,000 names that represent over 700,000
stories it is the only place in the United States where an
individual can honor their family experience at one of our
most important national monuments.
The American Immigrant Wall of Honor.
Honor your family’s story today.
With only a limited amount of space left, inscribe your name
in history.
On choisira de distribuer le Cultural fact ci-après à l’issue du
travail sur la vidéo Before class! afin de fournir aux élèves
les éléments indispensables à la compréhension des éléments
culturels liés à la thématique.
Cultural fact
12 million immigrants entered America through Ellis
Island. This museum is dedicated to telling their stories.
Visitors can discover this museum thanks to an audio
tour abounding with over 120 hours of explanations on
Ellis Island’s role in immigration history, but also on immi-
gration to the USA between the 1550s and today. Con-
cerning the period, quite a number of memorabilia are
on display: photographs, trunks, shoes, clothes, etc.
The American Immigrant Wall of Honor is a permanent
exhibit of individual or family names featured at Ellis
22/09/2020 13:07

Island in New York Harbor. It is the only place in the
United States where an individual can honour his or her
family heritage at a National Monument. Currently
inscribed with over 700,000 names, the Wall is situated
just outside the Great Hall at Ellis Island and overlooks
the Lower Manhattan skyline. There are only five unwrit-
ten panels left on the American Immigrant Wall of Honor.
The American Family Immigration History Center is an
exciting interactive area, where you can access the pas-
senger records of the ships that landed almost 65 million
immigrants, crew members and other travellers at the
Port of New York and Ellis Island from 1820 to 1957.
The museum website:
https://libertyellisfoundation.org/immigration-museum
Mise en œuvre et production possible
En début de cours, on pourra demander aux élèves : Remember
the video you watched on Ellis Island. What struck you the most?
Laisser parler les élèves, puis regarder une fois la vidéo en
classe avant d’éventuellement passer à la trace écrite. Le fait
de commencer par évoquer le contenu de la vidéo avant de la
regarder permet aux élèves en difficulté et qui n’auraient pas
fait le travail à la maison, ou qui n’auraient pas pu visionner le
document vidéo chez eux, de mieux le comprendre.
→ Nowadays, Ellis Island is a peaceful location where only the
buildings and the monuments listing the names of the migrants
remind the visitors of the bustling activity and doomed atmos-
phere of this place in the 19 th century.
267 1 The Promised Land
Cette page a pour but d’illustrer comment, et pourquoi, l’Amé-
rique a pu être source d’espoir pour les migrants du monde
entier, notamment à travers le symbole de la Statue de la Liberté.
On découvrira les différents points d’entrée sur le territoire afin
de comprendre pourquoi l’Amérique a été une véritable terre
d’accueil pour des millions de migrants.
1 "The New Colossus"
267
Présentation du document
This poem was written by Emma Lazarus, a poet and
translator, in 1883. She was commissioned to write a
poem to help raise funds for the pedestal of the Statue
of Liberty. It has become a symbol because it is now
mounted on a bronze plaque inside the Statue. It is
famous for its personification of the statue as a welcom-
ing mother for all migrants.
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_347-394.indd 349
Mise en œuvre
Avant d’étudier le poème, il est essentiel de faire rappeler par
les élèves ce qu’ils connaissent des mouvements migratoires
vers les États-Unis. Pour beaucoup, seuls les Irlandais et les
Anglais « crossed the pond ». Il s’agira de les guider en projetant
éventuellement une carte de l’Europe.
Avant la lecture, à l’aide la question A, on demandera d’abord
aux élèves d’établir un lien entre le titre et l’image d’illustration,
afin que les élèves associent « Colossus » et « Statue », et
puissent mieux saisir la métaphore filée tout au long du texte.
Cela permettra aussi d’anticiper la personnification.
Les élèves se focaliseront d’abord sur tous les attributs de la
statue dans le texte, les noms et adjectifs qui lui sont associés,
à l’aide notamment des adjectifs possessifs (« her ») et des
pronoms sujets (« she »).
Réponses aux questions
A. Cette question sera l’occasion de travailler les expressions
de la comparaison : while, whereas, like, unlike, etc.
→ The Colossus of Rhodes was one of the seven wonders of
Antiquity.
→ The Colossus of Rhodes was a warrior whereas/while Miss
Liberty is a welcoming figure.
→ The Colossus of Rhodes was manly whereas Miss Liberty is
a motherly figure.
→ Unlike the Colossus of Rhodes who discouraged people from
entering Rhodes harbour, Miss Liberty welcomes the
migrants.
Si les élèves n’auront sans doute aucune difficulté à faire le lien
entre un colosse et la Statue de la Liberté, on pourra néanmoins
les guider en projetant une carte de Rhodes et une représen-
tation du colosse. Les liens ci-après pourront être utilisés :
www.ancient.eu/uploads/images/1115.jpg?v=1485680393
www.wonders-of-the-world.net/Seven/Colossus-of-Rhodes.php
Les informations ci-après pourront être fournies aux élèves. Le
document vidéo complémentaire dont le lien est donné pourra
aisément être travaillé en classe inversée. Selon leur niveau, les
élèves peuvent choisir d’afficher ou non les sous-titres.
The Colossus of Rhodes was a statue of the Greek
sun god Helios. It is famous for being one of the Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World. It used to mark the
entrance to the harbour of Rhodes and welcome sailors,
much like the Statue of Liberty in America. It was
destroyed by an earthquake in 226 BC.
Find more information about the link between the
Colossus and the Statue of Liberty here:
www.britannica.com/video/179974/
Overview-Colossus-of-Rhodes
B. The Statue of Liberty is called “a mighty woman” and
“Mother of Exiles” to show she is welcoming the migrants in
a powerful country, taking care of them as a mother would.
Unit 24 349
22/09/2020 13:07
 C. Remarque : Les élèves pourront travailler en groupes après
un temps individuel à l’aide de la Worksheet n°46 , afin d’échan-
ger leurs avis et aller plus loin puisque le texte est ambitieux.
4. Go Further. Focus on the allusions to the light. What
strikes you about the evolution of these terms in the text?
“torch”, “flame”, “lightning”, “lamp”, “golden”
“Sunset gate” line 3 vs “Golden door” line 14
From a beacon in the hardship of life to the dream of the
Land of Plenty.
Miss Liberty is a beacon in the darkness and poverty of the
migrants’ lives. She is a source of hope. This makes this poem
both optimistic and positive.

Worksheet disponible sur le site compagnon enseignant
(en version PDF et en version personnalisable) :
D. Have your say. Avec cette question, les élèves vont travailler
l’expression de l’opinion et de la cause. L’idée est d’apprendre
à justifier une idée afin de préparer un oral dans le cadre des
évaluations communes du baccalauréat. On pourra donner
au tableau quelques expressions pour aider les élèves (« In my
opinion », « To my mind », « I would argue that… », « As far as
I’m concerned »).
→ As for me, this poem is both positive and optimistic because
it depicts a migrant’s journey from darkness and poverty, to the
“golden gates” of America, which is therefore depicted as a
land of bliss and opportunity, a land of plenty.

2
http://113916.site.magnard.fr/ressources/1759
267
Immigration waves

Corrigés de la Worksheet n°46

Présentation du document
1. Fill in the table below as you read the poem p. 267. This map shows the various waves of migration to the
United States in the late 19 th century. As indicated by the
The names The Statue’s The words numbers of immigrants coming from each continent,
given physical about the
to the Statue characteristics American Europeans were the ones who travelled the most to
of Liberty continent America in the late 1800s.
List… “mighty “beacon- “sea-washed,
woman”/”she” hand”/”flame” sunset gates”
“Mother of “mild eyes” “air-bridged Mise en œuvre
Exiles” “silent lips” harbor” Il est possible de faire étudier cette carte sous la forme d’une
“golden door” transition entre la partie Ellis Island et la partie Angel Island.
Il sera important de faire réviser les nombres aux élèves, et de
Say Personification A solemn A land of leur faire remarquer le placement de la virgule.
what of the Statue and peaceful opportunity
strikes as a powerful attitude. (“golden”) On pourra projeter, afin d’aider à la compréhension des ques-
you and protective which is open to tions C et D, une image de melting pot :
about… mother for all The Statue the world.
seems to be a http://scrapsandsnippets-sadiewit.blogspot.com/2011/04/great-
migrants, much
like America (an source of hope, The idea of a american-melting-pot-part-1.html
allegory?) comfort and link stands out
peace. (“bridged”,
“gates”, Réponses aux questions
“door”…) A. The map shows various waves of migration to the United
States in the late 1800s.

2. Identify the difference between the Old Colossus and
the Statue of Liberty at the beginning.
She is a woman; she welcomes everyone who seeks refuge.
She is a beacon of enlightenment and acceptance, whereas
the Colossus seemed more aggressive and suspicious of
strangers, protecting the land rather than welcoming stran-
gers (“Conquering limbs astride from land to land”).
3. Focus on the Statue’s speech at the end (l. 10-14). Pick
out the images used to portray migrants.
They are poor / destitute, wretched / unfortunate, needy
people in need of a saviour: “huddled masses” – “tired” –
“tempest-tost” (alliteration of a hard and plosive sound
underlining the obstacles encountered by immigrants).
B. The Asian immigrants arrived at Angel Island, on the Western
Coast, whereas the Europeans landed at Ellis Island, on the
Eastern Coast. In the North, the border with Canada was
another entrance gate for Canadian citizens, while the Gulf
of Mexico was the place where Latin American immigrants
arrived/landed.
C. The immigrants came from all around the world: sometimes
from neighbouring countries such as Canada or Mexico, and
sometimes from faraway continents such as Asia or Europe.
That is why Americans refer to the “melting pot”, which consists
in a heterogeneous, yet harmonious society with a wealthy
future and the hope for a better life as a common goal.

350 Unit 24

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 D. The figures show that the great majority of immigrants came
from Europe. It is worth noting that the situation has changed
today, because most migrants come from Latin America, which
was not the case at the time.
E. Go further. A lot of immigrants came to America for eco-
nomic reasons. Most newcomers had left their native countries
because of massive economic crises, or some political and reli-
gious turmoil.
For example, the Irish immigrants fled the Great Famine while
the Jewish immigrants came to America to escape from religious
persecution.
America was above all a land of prosperity and opportunity.
A lot of migrants were driven by the simple wish to make money,
thanks to the gold rush for instance, or the rapid industrialisa-
tion of the country.
Worksheet disponible sur le site compagnon enseignant
(en version PDF et en version personnalisable) :
http://113916.site.magnard.fr/ressources/1759
Corrigés de la Worksheet n°47
Read the text below to answer the question and go
further.
Focus on the reasons why immigrants fled their countries
and the reasons why America symbolised a new hope for
them. Pick out some examples for your oral account to
the class.
America experienced another wave of immigration between
1815 and 1865. Most of the immigrants came from Western
Europe, especially Ireland, which had been struck by a
massive famine. Between 1820 and 1930, the United States
welcomed some 4.5 million Irish immigrants who settled along
the East Coast, in search of better living conditions , far from
their poverty-stricken homeland.
A significant number of 5 million German immigrants
travelled to America in the 19 th century. They settled in cities
such as Milwaukee, St. Louis or Cincinnati, and bought farms
in the Midwest. On the West Coast, California received a lot
of Asian immigrants who were drawn to California mostly
because of the 19 th century Gold Rush .
At the turn of the century, between 1880 and 1920, some
20 million immigrants settled in America. Most were lured by
the rapid industrial revolution of the country which created
a lot of opportunities. Most newcomers then came from the
Central, Eastern and Southern parts of Europe such as Italy.
A significant number of Jews fled the religious persecution
of Europe. 2 million of them entered the country in 40 years.
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_347-394.indd 351
268-269 2 Ellis Island
1 A rough journey
to the Land of the Free
268
Mise en œuvre
Ce texte ne présente aucune difficulté majeure. Il peut être
intéressant de faire travailler les élèves par groupes, chaque
groupe se focalisant sur une question. La mise en commun se
fera par le médiateur du groupe, qui pourra être un élève plus
fragile à l’oral afin de l’entraîner à l’expression orale en continu
dans un contexte plus rassurant.
L’image d’illustration (tirée du film Golden Door, 2006) pourra
être exploitée avant la lecture du texte, afin de mettre en rela-
tion le titre de l’activité (« rough journey »), ou la problématique
de la double page (« the Isle of Tears »), avec le contenu de
l’image. On demandera par exemple aux élèves « What strikes
you about the treatment of the immigrants? », afin d’anticiper
l’idée d’inspection médicale, ou d’autorité gouvernementale
avec la présence des policiers sur la gauche.
Les informations ci-après pourront être fournies aux élèves.
Cultural fact
Find more information about:
– How the migrants were processed at Ellis island:
www.gjenvick.com/Immigration/EllisIsland/1905-02-How-
ImmigrantsAreInspected.html
www.history.com/news/
immigrants-ellis-island-short-processing-time
– The medical examination:
www.libraries.rutgers.edu/news/
ellis-island-and-he-6-second-medical-exam
– The immigration process at Ellis Island + the migrants’
journey:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDNKHWzQiz8
Réponses aux questions
A. The passengers were treated differently according to their
tickets. On board, steerage and third-class travelled in pitiful
and unsanitary conditions compared to first- and second-class
passengers who had much more comfortable conditions.
Arriving in New York, steerage and third-class passengers had
to go through the Ellis Island inspection to undergo a thorough
Unit 24 351
22/09/2020 13:07
 examination, because they were more likely to have legal or
health problems (disabilities, diseases…) whereas first- and
second-class passengers were not sent through Ellis Island
unless they had a particular problem.
B. On board, the living conditions varied depending on social
classes. The poorer passengers, steerage and third-class spent
their overseas journey in horrible conditions. They were at the
bottom of the boat, sleeping in very modest bunks and being
seasick for the whole journey. Unlike steerage passengers, the
wealthier passengers, first and second class, would retire to
better parts of the boat and have more space. Their journey
was a lot more enjoyable, and they did not even have to go
through inspection when they arrived in America.
C. The immigrants who were considered as a “burden to the
state” were most likely to be steerage and third-class passen-
gers. Indeed, because of their lack of money, they would not
have been able to afford medical treatment or they simply had
legal difficulties. When they arrived, the country had to take
care of these problems and that is why they were considered
as a burden.
D. Go further. The inspection process must have been very
stressful for the immigrants. They would arrive after a very long
journey and have to wait numerous hours to go through the
Ellis Island process. It must have been even more strenuous for
the immigrants who had to undergo a transfer to a hospital
(where they might pass away due to the big number of patients).
After standing in lines for hours, immigrants were
examined by two doctors who checked for lameness, deformity,
defective eyesight, artificial limbs, diseases, anemia, loss of eyes,
loss of fingers, low stature… If you passed the inspection pro-
cess, it certainly was a relief but also starting afresh in a new
country must have been very difficult.
2
268
Ellis Island Museum
Présentation du document
This video is about the medical and legal process that
immigrants had to undergo when they disembarked
on Ellis Island. The building where the examinations
and process took place is presented by Peter Urban, a
National Park Service Ranger, who takes us on a tour of
the premises.
Script VIDEO N°45
The Ellis Island Immigration Museum was an inspection
station for 12 to 13 million people that came through New
York into America in the time period of 1892 to roughly
the mid-1920s. About five to six thousand people a day
would come through this building to be processed both
medically and legally before they were allowed to enter
America to begin their life in the United States.
My name is Peter Urban. I am a National Park Service
ranger for the division of interpretation here at the Ellis
Island Immigration Museum in New York Harbor.
I’ve been working here for 26 years trying as best I can
to tell the story of the people who came through this
building as part of the greatest wave of human migration
in history.
We have many different exhibit areas, up here on the
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9782210112803_HTR_LDP_347-394.indd 352
second floor, we really tell the story of the immigration
of the late 19 th and early 20 th centuries. This room, the
Great Hall, was really the heart and soul of Ellis Island.
Every person who was processed had to come through
this room to be medically processed, which is down the
hall at the stairs, and eventually here to be legally
processed.
“Through America’s gate” takes you through the process-
ing here at Ellis Island step by step: legal, medical, you
get to see the tests that were given to immigrants both
medically as well as those that were meant to determine
mental capabilities.
We have a restored dormitory room in the original dor-
mitories that were here, they were on our balconies and
we have one room that has been restored to show you
what those rooms would have looked like.
Perhaps one of the most evocative exhibits here is called
“Treasures from home”, which is a collection of personal
items, religious, clothing that were brought here by immi-
grants that have been donated to us by their
descendants.
Also downstairs is an exhibit called “New eras of immi-
gration”, which talks about immigration from 1945 to
present day. It’s a great exhibit because it does discuss
the topic of immigration in a very even-handed way. It
discusses many of the difficulties of immigration, many
of the benefits, the push-and-pull factors that bring peo-
ple here and why they would leave their countries back
where they came from.
Many people are coming looking for copies of their ances-
tors’ manifest page, like the one I’m holding up right now,
and this happens to be my grandfather’s. And on this
record, they can learn many things about their ancestor,
because these were questions that were answered by
their ancestor when they boarded the ship. They were
used here at the desk to determine if the person had the
legal right to land. So for many, it’s trying to find those
records, trying to find something about Great-Grandma
or Grandpa, and to take that with them as they go home.
In a lot of ways, it is a real shrine to the American Dream,
because so many people who are coming here are seeing
where their ancestor really made a very important choice,
to leave everything they knew behind and to start a new
life in this country. It’s a story that is an ongoing story for
us as a culture: immigration is where we started, immi-
gration does continue today and we hope that their expe-
rience here as visitors will bring that home to them, that
the story of immigration is an essential part of who we
are as Americans, and it continues to be the story that we
emphasize and tell the most.
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions
Après un premier visionnage, on dessinera au tableau quatre
colonnes portant chacune l’un des mots-clés de la question A.
Demander à un élève un peu en difficulté de venir compléter
d’un mot ou groupe de mots l’une des colonnes. Puis il passe
le feutre à l’un(e) de ses camarades, etc. Lorsque plus personne
n’a de réponses à apporter, passer la vidéo et faire compléter/
corriger.
A. 12 million immigrants were processed through Ellis Island,
stepping out of second- or third-class decks after a cramped
two-week voyage. They came to fuel the American industrial
revolution because most of them were unemployed / had suf-
fered unemployment in their native countries.
22/09/2020 13:07
 The Great Hall can be visited, it is the place where every immi-
grant had to go to be processed, both medically and legally.
There is also a restored dormitory room.
Some of their trunks, bags, shoes, clothes and family photos
are on display in the museum for their memory never to fade.
Since 40% of Americans have at least one relative who came
to the United States through Ellis Island, they are eager to
browse the database to find their ancestors’ names.
These courageous immigrants left their homes, their countries,
everything they knew, to be able to start over and have a better
life in a new country they knew very little about.

B. Go further. We need such museums because it is important

to keep the memory of these immigrants alive in a place dedi-
cated to them. Since America was built by immigrants, it is a way
to honour and pay tribute to the founders of this nation. It is
also a way of reminding Americans of the challenges and diffi-
culties of immigration, which has become a burning issue today.

3 Immigrants’ voices
269

Mise en œuvre
Si le manuel propose de diviser la classe en deux pour un travail
de groupe sur les deux poèmes en parallèle, on peut choisir en
alternative l’étude seule du poème n°1 d’Andrea Hollander,
pour un parcours plus rapide de l’unité, ou avec une classe au
profil moins littéraire telle qu’une classe technologique. Dans
ce type de classe tout particulièrement, l’aide du fichier
MP3 n°119 sera la bienvenue, la lecture animée étant por-
teuse de sens. On pourra donc demander aux élèves de lire et
écouter, afin de relever les mots accentués qui pourraient être
porteurs de sens et aider aux repérages de base : who/where/
what (eg: « Sadie », « twelve », « wrote », « letter », « two coun-
tries », « father », « mother »…).
Worksheet disponible sur le site compagnon enseignant
Le poème n°2 est plus ambitieux. Joseph Bruchac y accentue
(en version PDF et en version personnalisable) :
cette identité conflituelle puisqu’il met l’accent sur l’abandon,
http://113916.site.magnard.fr/ressources/1759
l’anéantissement d’une civilisation par l’immigration. Il sera tout
à fait intéressant de l’étudier avec une classe plus solide, notam-
ment en cours de LLCER. Corrigés de la Worksheet n°48
Si le travail est fait en groupes sur les 2 poèmes, on proposera
Group A p. 269 – Poem #1
d’abord aux élèves de relever les éléments composant le cadre
de chaque texte (characters, places, actions), avec l’aide des 1. First, focus on the short introduction and pick out the
fichiers MP3 en complément. Ils pourront avoir un moment following elements.
d’échange sur ces éléments de base, avant d’approfondir sur Who? → officials + Jewish immigrants
le texte. La Worksheet n°48 propose des pistes pour aider à la
What? → the journey from Holland to America/the treatment
compréhension de ces deux documents, et aller plus loin dans
of the migrants
l’analyse. Si nécessaire, on indiquera ce micro-résumé des
Where? → from Holland (Rotterdam) to America
poèmes aux élèves en difficulté :
– Poem #1 tells the story of a young migrant girl. 2. Read the poem. Fill in the main character’s portrait with
elements from the text.
– Poem #2 depicts the feelings of a descendant of a migrant.
Name: Sadie Family relationships: Father and mother
Age: 12 years old Country of origin: Holland

3. Focus on the description of the “two countries”.

a. List the words associated with America.
“had saved them”, “in with the good”, leavened bread”
b. List the words associated with Holland.
“out with the bad”
c. Draw your conclusions.
The character fled a sterile country which can be opposed
to the abundance, joyful hopes of America’s “leavened
bread”

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 4. Focus on the character’s relationship with her new
name: “Hollander”. What strikes you about the words and
image she uses?
“like a bride to be”, “wondering who she would become with
a name like that”
It suggests a new baptism, a symbolical wedding to this new
country.
The words “name” and “wrote” are repeated 3 times, as if
to insist on the difficult process of assimilation imposed upon
the immigrants
“wondering who she would become” vs “where she could
become it”.
The girl insists on the loss of her identity, she becomes an
object of America (“it”) rather than a Dutch girl in America.
Group B p. 269 – Poem #2
1. Read the poem. Identify the following elements.
The characters Their roles in the story
of immigration
4. Study the narrator’s tone to convey his message about
immigration.
He uses the power of suggestion, and images (eg: “the tall
woman, green […like the] forests” of the natives…), as if to
show what was subtly hidden behind the veil.
What is unsaid becomes more powerful, more moving. The
lands were stolen from the Natives who were grounded in
their territories and their humanity: “followed the […] Moon,
knowledge of the seasons in their veins.”
B. La réponse peut être subjective, on acceptera plusieurs
opinions si elles sont justifiées par des citations. Cela permet-
tra de mener à un débat qui mobilisera les expressions de
l’opinion.
→ I would argue that both poems deal with nostalgia, aban-
donment, being ostracised.
→ To me, the second poem shows mixed emotions because
the narrator’s sense of pride is opposed to a feeling of shame
and guilt.

4
a.“two Slovak children” the narrator’s grandparents
who arrived at Ellis Island Write a 269
diary entry
b. “the tall woman” of the the Statue of Liberty
island welcoming migrants
c. “those who’d worked a the Native Americans who Mise en œuvre
thousand years yet never were the victims of immigration
owned…” Ce Your turn! pourra être fait par groupes de trois dans
des classes technologiques qui ont parfois du mal à rédiger.
d. “millions of others” other waves of immigrants Il faudra rappeler que les encadrés HELP! doivent aider les
e. “I” the grandson of immigrants élèves à rédiger ou à produire à l’oral. Avec une classe plus
(“I, too, come to this island”, faible, le témoignage pourra être préparé en premier lieu sous
“my blood”) la forme d’un plan avec des mots-clés (quelles actions, quels
The places/monuments Their relationship moments du voyage, quelles rencontres / découvertes, quels
with immigration sentiments ?) afin que la rédaction finale soit mieux organisée
et moins difficile.
a. Ellis Island the place used to process
immigrants Pour guider les élèves, le professeur pourra rappeler les élé-
ments nécessaires du journal intime (date, phrase d’accroche
b. “the tall woman” the Statue of Liberty
« Dear diary », l’expression de sentiments intimes…). On pourra,
c. “the Old Empires of Europe” the European settlers who avec une classe plus avancée, proposer de rédiger 2 ou 3 entrées
colonised America afin d’ajouter de la profondeur à l’expérience du migrant, avec
d. “native lands”/”lands the land stolen from the natives des ellipses si nécessaire.
invaded”
Productions possibles :
2. Focus on Ellis Island and pick out references to the → February 16 th, 1907
treatment of immigrants.
Dear diary,
“quarantine”, “leaving the sickness” = The immigrants
underwent medical examinations and kept in quarantine in I had an awful night, the woman sleeping in the bunk bed
order to protect the US from diseases. beneath me was snoring, the ship was pitching and careening.
I was close to falling off my bunk.
3. Focus on the narrator’s opinion about his heritage. What
This morning I was awakened by a not so pleasant surprise. My
strikes you about his representation of immigration?
feet were wet, and extremely cold, I have no idea what might
He is both proud (“my blood loves this memory”) and asha- have caused it. I believe that the woman underneath is behind
med of being the grandson of immigrants because he cannot all of my misery. I clearly recall that our relationship started quite
forget the treatment of the Natives. Eg: “when the earth badly… I had just boarded, back in the Netherlands. Dad had
became owned” = spoliation of Native Americans’ lands. not shown up for my departure and I was already feeling home-
He insists on the different notions of property: the native land sick. The smell down in steerage was dreadful so I put my bag
was invaded when the earth became owned by Europeans. on the floor and quite frantically headed to the bathroom, but
The anaphora of “land” underlines the problem which at no avail as this woman wouldn’t let me in.
resulted from the encounter between the immigrants and Today is a big day, I overheard someone yesterday saying that
the Natives. we were close to America, and soon we will be able to see the
The narrator questions the legitimacy of the immigrants. coast from afar. I am quite excited; I have been waiting for this
The immigrants’ pursuit of happiness is at the expense of moment as long as I can recall.
the legitimate ‘owners’ of the land.

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 → February 20th, 1907
Dear diary,
We are arriving, and as I am writing I am standing on the deck.
Someone said that we have to get through customs. The Rev-
erend back home didn’t say anything about this, and I am getting
scared. What if they send me back home? Mom would be so
displeased and dad would be mad at me.
→ February 21st, 1907
Dear diary,
Yesterday we got off the ship, and we were directed to customs.
The building smelled of dirt and urine, people smelled terrible
and I had heard babies crying all night long. I tried to sleep
crouched on my bag, but I was so scared for my safety that
I barely closed an eye.
America is strange, the people are strange. I barely got through
customs. The officer was scary, and the nurse not so nice. I got
asked so many times what I was in America for, that I lost count.
They told me that finding a job would be a challenge and that
I would only be offered arduous positions. Finally, the nurse’s
last words to me were: “America might not be what you
expected…”
Angel Island, the
3
270-271
Ellis Island of the West
1 A testimony
270
Présentation du document
The excerpt is to be understood as a testimony from a
Chinese immigrant who relates his experience as he is
about to enter the American territory and has to pass
through Angel Island Station to undergo examinations.
It can be seen as an eye-witness account of the way
Asian immigrants were treated by American officials
in 1911.
The photograph illustrates the hearings which were held
by American officials in order to test each immigrant’s
ability to live on the American soil. These hearings are
mentioned by the narrator in the text.
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_347-394.indd 355
Mise en œuvre
Ellis Island est très connue des élèves mais ce n’est pas toujours
le cas d’Angel Island. Si la carte des vagues d’immigration p. 267
n’a pas été travaillée, il sera indispensable de la projeter pour
cette activité. Les élèves comprendront rapidement la similitude
entre les deux vagues de migrations, en particulier en ce qui
concerne les conditions de voyage et l’interrogatoire à leur
arrivée.
Avant de lire le texte, on s’intéressera à la photographie en
partant des réactions des élèves (« What strikes you? »). On
attirera notamment leur regard sur le contraste flagrant entre
ce garçon asiatique entouré de trois représentants officiels amé-
ricains, afin d’anticiper sur le traitement des migrants à Angel
Island (« Can you see any striking contrast in the picture? »).
L’encadré ci-dessous apporte un éclairage supplémentaire sur
le centre de traitement de l’immigration installé à Angel Island.
Il pourra être donné en complément aux élèves, par exemple
dans une classe de spécialité LLCER Monde contemporain.
Under the presidency of William Taft, the 27 th American
President, the Angel Island Immigration Center was
opened. It was used from 1910 to 1940 as a prison for
mostly Chinese migrants but also for Asian migrants in
general. There is no record as such as it seems the
records were destroyed by a fire in 1940, but quite a lot
of Chinese immigrants are convinced the United States
did not want to keep proof of what had been done.
It has to be remembered that in the late 1800s there was
an economic depression in the United States, not every-
body ate their fill and former migrants thought badly
of these newcomers and blamed them for the problems
they faced.
Le texte pourra être exploité d’abord de manière individuelle,
en passant par les repérages nécessaires à la compréhension
du cadre (who / where / what / when), puis par une préparation
des questions qui pourra ensuite être approfondie lors d’une
phase d’échange en groupes.
Réponses aux questions
A. The narrator paid for his journey (“passage”) to the United
States, but he also paid a special fee to a “paper father” in
America to be allowed into the country.
B. A paper father is an American citizen who helps an immigrant
to be allowed into the country in exchange for a sum of money.
Paper fathers are not related to the immigrants they help, they
just pretend to be part of the same family in order to bypass
the law.
C. “US guards in this station keep us from running off”, “[we]
were poked by an angry-faced white man”, “the guards do not
like us”, “their hard eyes and tight mouths”…
The guards’ attitude reflected America’s immigration policy.
Americans were suspicious of strangers, which is why there were
so many examinations, hearings and regulations before being
allowed into the country.
D. The young Chinese man feels trapped, in jail. He feels the
hate of his guardians and rightfully does not understand their
behaviour.
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 2
270
The Chinese Exclusion Act
Présentation du document
This video tells the story of a Chinese immigrant named
Saum Song Bo who was asked to participate in a
fund-raising campaign for the building of the Statue of
Liberty’s pedestal in the 1880s. He expresses the para-
dox of being asked to give money for a symbol of liberty
in America while he and all the other Chinese immigrants
are not treated as American citizens. In this oral account,
inspired by a letter the man wrote at the time, the man
questions the notion of “citizenship” which is denied to
Asian Americans.
In the second part of the video we are told about the
Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, the law explaining Saum
Song Bo’s letter.
Mise en œuvre
Pour une meilleure compréhension du script, le document vidéo
pourra être travaillé en premier, en classe inversée. La seconde
partie de la vidéo est globalement plus facile à comprendre que
la première puisqu’elle ne fait référence qu’à de l’explicite.
Dans chaque groupe, les tâches pourront être distribuées :
the narrator - his feelings - the Statue of Liberty.
A. Part 1: Repérages possibles = The young man is a scholar.
At that time, going to university was an impressive achievement,
even more so when English was not your first language.
Even though he has proved his value, he is singled out, has no
means of becoming an American national so he is disillusioned,
frustrated and downhearted. His letter is tinged with irony but
not cynicism. Irony because he has been asked to give money
to help to build the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty, remem-
brance of European immigrants… but what about himself and
his fellow countrymen? So much money seems to be dedicated
to Miss Liberty while they will remain pariahs/outcasts.
Part 2: Repérages possibles = Enacted on May 6 th, 1882. Made
it illegal for Chinese workers to come to America and for Chinese
people living in the USA to ever become American citizens.
Remain in force for more than 60 years.
B. Les 2 groupes pourraient partager les repérages ci-dessus
par l’intermédiaire de médiateurs interposés qui rendront
compte à la classe des conclusions de leur groupe. On peut
imaginer que chaque rapporteur apporte une information com-
plémentaire, donne son opinion ou corrige un élément, afin de
faire participer tous les groupes.
Cultural Fact
The Chinese Exclusion Act, or Immigration Act, denied
Chinese immigrants the right to enter the United States.
It is best known for being the first piece of legislation to
target and discriminate against a specific ethnicity, with
a view to regulating immigration.
The legislation was a turning point in the history of the
United States because the country suddenly stopped
welcoming immigrants without regulations.
356 Unit 24
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_347-394.indd 356
Remarque : Certains élèves feront rapidement une corrélation
avec Donald Trump et l’immigration mexicaine et d’Amérique
du Sud, d’autant plus qu’ils étudient souvent ce point en cours
d’espagnol. Ce pourrait être l’occasion d’effectuer un travail
en transdisciplinarité avec le/la collègue d’espagnol sur la fron-
tière entre le Mexique et les États-Unis et le traitement des
migrants. Voir à ce sujet l’unité 1 de Hit the Road! 1re (« Walls
apart »).
Script VIDEO N°46
Part 1
On June 30 th 1885 as the fund raising campaign for the
pedestal of the Statue of Liberty finally began to pick up
speed, a letter appeared in the pages of the New York
Sun written by a young Chinese immigrant and recent
college graduate named Saum Song Bo who came to
America years earlier and dreamt of becoming a lawyer.
“Sir. A paper was presented to me yesterday for subscrip-
tion among my countrymen toward the Pedestal Fund of
the Statue of Liberty.
My countrymen and myself are honoured in thus being
appealed to as citizens in the cause of liberty.
But the word liberty makes me think of the fact that this
country is the land of liberty for all men of all nations
except the Chinese.
That statue represents Liberty holding a torch which lights
the passage of those of all nations who come into this
country. But are the Chinese allowed to come? Are the
Chinese here allowed to enjoy liberty as men of all other
nationalities enjoy it? Free from the insults, abuse, assaults,
wrongs and injuries from which men of other nationalities
are free? By the law of this nation, a Chinaman cannot
become a citizen. Whether this statute against the Chinese
or the Statue of Liberty will be the more lasting monu-
ments to tell future ages of the liberty and greatness of
this country will be known only to future generations.”
Saum Song Bo.
Part 2
The solitary arm of the unfinished Statue of Liberty had
languished on Madison Square in New York for more than
five years when on May 6 th, 1882 on the eve of the great-
est wave of immigration in American history, President
Chester A. Arthur signed into law an extraordinary piece
of federal legislation.
It was called the Chinese Exclusion Act and it was unlike
any law enacted since the founding of the Republic.
Singling out as never before a specific race and nationality
for exclusion it made it illegal for Chinese workers to come
to America and for Chinese nationals already here ever
to become citizens of the United States.
Fueled by deep-seeded tensions over race and class and
national identity that had been festering since the found-
ing of the Republic, it was the first in a long line of acts
targeting the Chinese for exclusion and it would remain
in force for more than 60 years.
It continues to shape the debate about what it means to
be an American to this day.
Possibilité de trace écrite à la fin de ces deux activités :
The young Chinese came to the USA in unsanitary conditions
too, among huddled masses and seasick passengers.
The Chinese Exclusion Act stopped the vast majority of Chinese
immigrants from entering the USA. Therefore, when a young
man wished to migrate to the USA, he had to find a father paper.
22/09/2020 13:07
 4
Usually, it was an older man, already settled in the US, with
American citizenship who came from the same village as the
claimant, who could answer questions about the family, origins
of the so-called “father”. Of course, some money was handed
over to the father paper and the claimant had to pay back the
debt.
The Angel Island Center was set up by the American Presidency
so it could be confirmed that the American officials had full
support from the American government (“angry-faced white
man”, “poked”, “hard eyes and tight mouth“).
A poem carved 271
on the wall
This poem is taken from a book published by Stanford
University, dealing with the Chinese-American experi-
ence in the United States. It is a graphic novel which tells
the story of Chinese immigrants who were detained on
Angel Island for several years. A page from the graphic
novel is available for free on their website:
https://spicestore.stanford.edu/products/
angel-island-the-chinese-american-experience

3 The lost poetry

271
Mise en œuvre et réponses aux questions

Il est à signaler que les poèmes inscrits sur les murs des bara- A. Il sera possible de faire écouter le poème livres fermés, afin
quements d’Angel Island n’ont été découverts qu’en 1970, de réfléchir aux sentiments exprimés ( MP3 n°121 ). Avec
soit près de 30 ans après leur fermeture. Si Alexander Weiss, le une classe plus fragile, on pourra présenter une série d’adjec-
ranger à l’origine de la découverte, n’avait pas été curieux, tifs et faire entourer ceux qui semblent le mieux convenir.
ils auraient pu complètement disparaître et avec eux, le témoi-
gnage de milliers de migrants qui souffrirent dans ces baraque- B. Pour la restitution, les colonnes au tableau permettront aux
ments. élèves plus fragiles d’inscrire ce qu’ils ont compris, ce qui les
mettra en confiance et leur permettra de produire à l’oral de
façon plus encadrée.
Réponses aux questions
A. In the 1970s, when Angel Island shacks were due to be demol- Freedom and Narrator’s feelings Living conditions
ished, a ranger discovered writings behind the painted walls. imprisonment
He took an interest in them and with the help of some research- Imprisoned, Anxious, sad mood, Sit quietly
ers, he helped to save the poems. depressed
My freedom Lack of water: bottle
withheld Boredom (day after constantly empty)
B. At first, researchers had problems understanding what it was day + days are long
+ nights are long) Pillow cold: no
because they were written in ‘unorthodox’ Chinese language. heating
Moreover, they were either carved in the wood or in the putty, My loneliness
some were written on top of more ancient ones. So, it took Sorrow
restorers a lot of time, skill and dexterity, to uncover, understand
and preserve them. More are still being discovered!
The narrator has a feeling of doom. He is disconcerted by a
Even though their translation tends to be a challenge, they are
situation he had never expected.
emotionally very powerful as they convey the hopes, fears and
frustrations of migrants who were penned up in these shacks C. He is yearning to finally set foot on mainland America and
for months. start a new life. He feels so miserable he contemplates going
back to China even if it means working in the fields, a very harsh
C. Have your say. perspective.
Cette question est l’occasion d’organiser un débat en classe et
d’entraîner les élèves à l’oral des évaluations communes, ou
bien encore au Grand Oral.
On pourra lister quelques expressions utiles liées à l’expression
de l’opinion, l’accord et le désaccord : 272 4 A Resilient Community
I would argue that, it can be argued that, I (dis)agree with,
Besides, However…
→ To understand the past, mankind has to know what hap-
pened, has to be aware of facts, to learn about the history of
peoples and countries. Memorials aim at remembering this
past. Yet, memorials are built by the knowledgeable ones,
the ones who want to remember and not by the ones who are
not educated, so the latter may not even be aware of these
memorials.
→ It can also be argued that humans never learn from their
mistakes. So, what’s the point in building memorials that will
have no or little effect on the future?
→ Nevertheless, if the Angel Island poems had been destroyed,
nobody would know about them and it would be a disgrace, it
would be a shame, an infamy. Sharing the feelings of the
migrants and their struggle is like sharing their lives; it is as if
they were still alive, whispering in our ears. It brings a connec-
tion between them and us, between the past and the present.
It may help us not to repeat the same mistakes.

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Cultural Fact
In 1850 California became the 31 st American state.
Around the same time China was hit by a terrible famine
that sent thousands of Chinese citizens on roads of exile.
Quite a lot were drawn to California’s Gold Rush.
When the gold started to dwindle, they worked for the
Transcontinental Railroad. By 1870, 25% of Californian
workers were Chinese. When the Depression hit the
USA the level of unemployment drastically rose and an
anti-immigration sentiment surged.
This led to the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882 that sus-
pended Chinese immigration for 10 years. Only intellec-
tuals or wealthy Chinese citizens were allowed in the
country. For the ones already in the USA, they were
refused the right to American citizenship.
But since a child of an American citizen was allowed to
migrate to the USA, some Chinese young people
resorted to a “paper father” to ensure a safe passage to
California: they were “paper sons” and “paper daugh-
ters”. They falsified their papers claiming their parents
were in America. But the paper fathers wanted to be
paid. Since some young Chinese were too poor to pay
for more than the journey, they had to work for free,
sometimes for years. That’s how some Chinese girls
ended up in brothels, to pay back their paper fathers.
It was not until 1943 that the Exclusion Acts were
repealed with the signature of the Magnuson Act that
set an annual immigration quota and allowed Chinese
migrants to be granted American citizenship.
1
272
"Her Story"
Présentation des documents
The text is an excerpt from a collection of poems about
detained women at the Angel Island Immigration Sta-
tion. Some of the women wrote poems to describe the
experience of being detained on the island.
Teow Lim Goh is of Chinese descent and lives in Denver.
Islanders was her first book. She wants people to be
remembered and believes in never forgetting.
Visit her blog : https://teowlimgoh.com/blog/
The photograph shows one of America’s “China Towns”:
these districts first appeared on the West Coast in order
to facilitate the adaptation of Chinese immigrants to the
US culture.
Réponses aux questions
A. This young Chinese woman dreamt of a better life. She was
certainly promised marriage with a rich, affluent man in America,
or even to a gold-seeker: “lured by the promise of a rich man in
America.”
B. But she became a sex-slave. She was raped, sold to the
highest bidder. (“rich”, “sold”, “wages”, “highest bidder”).
Her working conditions were awful. She only had 10 days off
per year but since she had been sick, these days were denied
to her. Her debt had to be paid back. She certainly went through
the trauma of a clandestine abortion (“when the blood flows”).
She may have suffered all other kinds of medical impairments.
It tends to underline her suffering in her flesh. She had no rights,
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9782210112803_HTR_LDP_347-394.indd 358
no protection. She was a “fallen woman”, no longer pure, no
longer respected. She had become a prostitute, not by choice
but to pay her debt to her paper father. “when the mob came
marauding”: nobody protected her from an angry mob who
“sought revenge” in attacking Chinese migrants in China Town
in San Francisco. The mob turned very violent and many Chinese
were maimed or killed.
C. If the poet had not told her story, she would have sunk into
oblivion, she would have been totally forgotten. The condition
of immigrant women who had decided to leave their country
should not be forgotten. Sadly, we tend to consider them as
second-class migrants. Their conditions are worse because they
tend to be even more exploited than the men.
D. This picture of Chinatown clearly shows the popularity and
importance of Chinese culture in America. The Chinese immi-
grants’ enduring legacy is still thriving today: the picture shows
a district in the city of San Francisco bustling with activity
(restaurants, tours…), which is also a tourist attraction for a lot
of Americans and foreigners.
your project 272
For a naturalisation ceremony, write a poem expressing the
happiness and / or hardships of the immigrants. Then, read
it aloud.
Ce projet reprend l’angle de départ du chapitre, à savoir l’ex-
pression d’une expérience éventuellement traumatique par la
poésie. On proposera donc aux élèves de relire les poèmes de
l’unité afin de s’inspirer de leur style, et de l’atmosphère qui
s’en dégage. Il faudra déjà choisir un cadre géographique et
historique (Angel Island, Ellis Island, autre ?), et établir un por-
trait rapide du migrant (nom ? origines ? rêve américain ?), afin
de dessiner le plan du poème.
Pour les élèves en difficulté, il sera possible de donner une pre-
mière strophe afin de donner un cadre précis au poème et
d’inspirer les élèves dans leur recherche d’images et de rimes
poétiques. On pourrait par exemple garder la première strophe
de la production suivante pour guider les élèves :
“I’d heard about a Promised Land…”
As a child of the Middle Kingdom, I’d heard about a “Promised
Land” in my hometown…
A land of milk and honey, A land of bounty and beauty,
As the child of a poverty-stricken land, I would often dream of
turning my life around,
Leaving for such a haven of peace, Making myself a new promise.
But my expectations were soon to be confronted with a harsh
reality,
For the shores of Paradise were only to be reached through the
gates of Hell,
This Promised Land only held a promise of fear and immorality,
In America, I was merely the forsaken citizen of a new cell.
On peut imaginer que les productions des élèves feront l’objet
d’une exposition au CDI de l’établissement, accompagnée d’un
vote pour le plus beau texte. Cela sera l’occasion pour les élèves
de l’établissement de découvrir cet aspect de l’histoire améri-
caine. Un projet transdisciplinaire avec le professeur d’his-
toire-géographie est également envisageable, puisque les
problématiques migratoires sont souvent étudiées au lycée.
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 Exercice 3
Critères Non En cours Acquis
d’évaluation PE acquis d’acquisition A. She was told she could leave her belongings there.
L’élève respecte bien les B. They told him he must / had to prepare his trip meticulously.
consignes et traite de
l’expérience d’un migrant. C. Jenny told Paul the American Dream was the root of US
immigration.
L’élève réinvestit bien les
éléments culturels étudiés D. The teacher told his students the Chinese Exclusion Act had
dans l’unité. been a mistake.
E. He was told immigrants had written beautiful poetry about
La production finale
ressemble à un poème their predicament.
(efforts sur les rimes, le F. She said he had waited on Ellis Island for weeks.
rythme, les images…).

La langue riche lexicalement Exercice 4

permet les nuances.
Rich Poor Optimistic/ Dispirited/
La grammaire est correcte. Encouraging Depressed
La prononciation est correcte prosperous impoverished auspicious broken-hearted
et la lecture rythmée. wealthy poverty-stricken expectant disillusioned
destitute hopeful disgruntled
Voir aussi la grille d’évaluation critériée adossée au CECRL
(A1 → C1), p. 398 de ce Fichier. promising disappointed

Exercice 5
language lab 273 A. He said he knew nothing about the history of immigration.
B. She had told them they would be treated well.
C. The government had assured him everything had been prop-
erly planned.
D. They had been told they would find husbands in the U.S.
E. They had been promised they would find a job easily.

Exercice 6 → Interactive Test

Exercice 1
A. They had to do something about immigration.
B. She had to leave her family behind.
C. We had to prepare for the long voyage.
D. You had to go through the tedious selection process.
E. Immigrants had to be pretty strong-willed.
F. Chinese immigrants had to face deeply-rooted prejudices. PHONOLOGY
MP3 n°126

Exercice 2 /ju:/ /u:/

A. 2 B. 6 C. 1 D. 3 E. 4 F. 5 music, beauty, few, cube salute, assume, suitable,
consume, tune, student,
dune, new

Règle : En anglais américain, le son /j/ n’est pas prononcé avant

le son /u:/ quand la syllabe démarre par les sons consonnes
/l/, /s/, /t/, /d/, /r/, /ʃ/, /ʒ/ et /n/.

Unit 24 359

9782210112803_HTR_LDP_347-394.indd 359 22/09/2020 13:07

 Autres ressources numériques pour les élèves
(QR code/site compagnon)
Audio Words: Sonorisation des principaux termes de l’unité :
Unit’s Vocabulary: fiche de lexique.
Cette fiche existe sur le site en PDF et en Word, si vous souhaitez
la personnaliser.
360 Unit 24
9782210112803_HTR_LDP_347-394.indd 360
Picture
challenge 273
Le but de ce Picture challenge est de rebrasser le champ lexical
étudié tout au long de cette unité 24. Les mots et expressions
qui figurent dans la rubrique Spice up your vocabulary!
(voir ci-dessus) pourront servir de base aux phrases demandées.
Enfin, les mots et expressions des encadrés Help! pourront
également être utilisés.
La photo montre une fresque située à New York, signée de
l’artiste JR, intitulée « Ellis Island, a tribute ».
Production possible :
– The mural is here to remind Americans of the traumatic expe-
rience of immigration.
– It shows a group of migrants pressed up against each other,
as if they were treated like cattle.
– The mural pays tribute to all the victims of the Immigration
Station.
– The street artist wants to show that America was built thanks
to its immigrants.
– The immigrants who are represented in the mural probably
had to pass through Ellis Island, or Angel Island, before being
allowed into the country.
– This piece of art shows that leaving one’s homeland for the
unknown is never easy.
– This family was probably drawn to the United States to achieve
the American dream.
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