angel island is known as ellis island of the west. over a 30-year period, 1910 to 1940, angel island processed one million immigrants from around the world, with the majority coming from asia. today the angel island immigration station contributes greatly to our understanding of our nation's rich and complex immigration history by hosting more than 50,000 people, including 30,000 school children every single year. but because of their deterioration, many of the historic buildings are in danger of collapsing and in desperate need of repair. that's why along with speaker pelosi requested $1 million to rehabilitate the old angel island immigration hospital that can be used among other things as a museum to tell the story of imgation from asia to the united states. now, i doubt very much that anyone would come to this floor to strike funding for ellis island and argue that its preservation was wasteful government spending. but at the heart of the matter, angel island is just as important for those who crossed through its gates as ellis is

before making her way to virginia, this young woman had passed through ellis island, peering out from the boat at the mouth of the hudson river, she saw the statue of liberty. the most powerful symbol of freedom and opportunity america represents. all she wanted was chance, but never did she dare dream that her grandson would someday, this day, the this member of the u.s. congress standing before you. [applause] when i think of my grandmother, i reminded in its pure says that america is about looking forward. -- in its pure sense of america's about looking for. it is about persevering, to pass on something better for your children than you inherited. the narrative of this country's promise resides within us all. all of us here came from somewhere. we or our ancestors came to this country for the same reason -- for hope, opportunity, and a better life. this is the time that has always bound us as a nation. this is a tie that continually strengthens us as a people. above all, america is a nation of inclusion. a country nourished by its rich tradition of diversity and its tradition of im