Ellis Island, the Island of Tense Waiting
For adults detained in the dormitory, the experience was excruciatingly dull. When Ellis Island historians asked German immigrant Joseph Haas what he did for the eleven days he was detained on the island, he responded , “Nothing. Just sit on the bench.” He explained that the windows stayed shut so people couldn’t see the harbor, and officials didn’t allow detainees to go outside, possibly out of fear they’d run away. At night, officials yelled out “Sleep, schlafen,” and other words to say it was time for the detainees to go to bed. Haas remembers the blankets (no pillows) thrown at them at bedtime. Detainees had to stay in the dormitories until morning. Haas claims dorm staff poked the men with metal rods in the morning to wake them up. The men were then quickly into the dining hall for breakfast, a high point of the day.