Red Star Line

From 1850 until just after the First World War, millions of Europeans left for the United States to flee poverty and war. They all cherished the hope of a new and better life. The Belgian-American Red Star Line transported over 2 million Europeans from Antwerp to America during its 60-year existence. We visited the descendants of these Red Star Line passengers in America and brought with us the original sound recordings. Today, they will be hearing the tapes of their parents or grandparents `testimonies for the first time. Together we relive each migrant`s personal life story and find out why they saw no other way out but to leave behind their European home country.

The Red Star Line`s decision to use Antwerp as their European base was a major revolution for the city. By making large investments in the port, Antwerp was able to grown into one of the most important migration cities in the world. When the great wave of migration from Eastern Europe got underway, Antwerp was almost swamped with migrants. They came in large groups to an unfamiliar city. Many also spent some time hanging around in Antwerp before they could leave for America because they often had no money left to pay their Red Star Line ticket by the time they arrived. Some were also robbed of the only money they had by fraudulent ticket sellers. Many migrants took a joint sigh of relief at the sight of the Statue of Liberty. After this exhausting crossing, their American Dream was finally and tangibly close by. But that did not mean the end of the journey...

In the third instalment, 'The American Dream' can finally begin for these European fleeing a life of war and poverty. Yet the delirious joy after their first sight of the Statue of Liberty was short-lived for many: before they could set foot on the American shore, they had to undergo a grim medical examination on Ellis Island, the mythical gateway to New York. Under pressure from trade unions and the anti-immigration movement, the eligibility criteria to enter the US became even more stringent. Newcomers and their pasts were thoroughly investigated. Compulsory education and various other government initiatives succeeded in assimilating all these different nationalities into one nation. They would all contribute to the creation of modern America. A quote from one of the Ellis Island tapes sums it all up: This country was built by immigrants. This country is a country of immigrants. We are all immigrants...