I 

108TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4469 

To authorize appropriations to the Secretary of the Interior for the restoration 

of the Angel Island Immigration Station in the State of California. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 20, 2004 

Ms. WOOLSEY (for herself, Mr. ABERCROMBIE, Mr. BECERRA, Mr. BERMAN, 

Ms. BORDALLO, Mr. CASE, Mr. CROWLEY, Mr. FARR, Mr. FILNER, Mr. 

GRIJALVA, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. HONDA, Ms. HOOLEY of Oregon, Mr. 

LANTOS, Ms. LEE, Ms. LOFGREN, Mr. MATSUI, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mrs. 

NAPOLITANO, Ms. PELOSI, Ms. ROYBAL-ALLARD, Mr. TOWNS, and Mr. 

WU) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Resources 

A BILL 

To authorize appropriations to the Secretary of the Interior 

for the restoration of the Angel Island Immigration Station in the State of California. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Angel Island Immigra5 tion Station Restoration and Preservation Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 The Congress makes the following findings: 
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1 (1) The Angel Island Immigration Station, also 

2 known as the Ellis Island of the West, is a National 

3 Historic Landmark. 

4 (2) Between 1910 and 1940, the Angel Island 

5 Immigration Station processed more than 1,000,000 

6 immigrants and emigrants from around the world. 

7 (3) The Angel Island Immigration Station con8 tributes greatly to our understanding of our Na9 tion’s rich and complex immigration history. 

10 (4) The Angel Island Immigration Station was 

11 built to enforce the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 

12 and subsequent immigration laws, which unfairly 

13 and severely restricted Asian immigration. 

14 (5) During their detention at the Angel Island 

15 Immigration Station, Chinese detainees carved 

16 poems into the walls of the detention barracks. More 

17 than 140 poems remain today, representing the 

18 unique voices of immigrants awaiting entry to this 

19 country. 

20 (6) More than 50,000 people, including 30,000 

21 schoolchildren, visit the Angel Island Immigration 

22 Station annually to learn more about the experience 

23 of immigrants who have traveled to our shores. 

24 (7) The restoration of the Angel Island Immi25 gration Station and the preservation of the writings 
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1 and drawings at the Angel Island Immigration Sta2 tion will ensure that future generations also have the 

3 benefit of experiencing and appreciating this great 

4 symbol of the perseverance of the immigrant spirit, 

5 and of the diversity of this great Nation. 

6 SEC. 3. RESTORATION. 

7 (a) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

8 are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of the 

9 Interior $15,000,000 for restoring the Angel Island Immi10 gration Station in the San Francisco Bay, in coordination 

11 with the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation 

12 and the California Department of Parks and Recreation. 

13 (b) PRIORITY.—(1) Except as provided in paragraph 

14 (2), the funds appropriated pursuant to this Act shall be 

15 used for the restoration of the Immigration Station Hos16 pital on Angel Island. 

17 (2) Any remaining funds in excess of the amount re18 quired to carry out paragraph (1) shall be used solely for 

19 the restoration of the Angel Island Immigration Station. 

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