Immigration

2023 NYC Immigrant Heritage Week: Here's The History and How to Celebrate

This week marks the 19th year that New York City has celebrated a pinnacle moment in Ellis Island history

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The Supreme Court ruled a Trump-era immigration policy known as “Title 42” can stay in place for now, allowing border agents to turn away asylum seekers in most cases. It was set to expire Wednesday, which Mayor Eric Adams said would make the city’s migrant crisis worse due to a big influx of asylum seekers. NBC New York’s Melissa Russo reports.

What to Know

  • Immigrant Heritage Week honors the 115th anniversary of April 17, 1907. That date holds the record for the highest number of immigrants entering the United States through the immigration hub of Ellis Island.
  • Immigrants are still prevalent members of communities around the city, being home to more than 3-million foreign-born residents from over 200 countries.
  • If you’d like to get involved in activities, the MOIA has a variety of events listed on their website, featuring both in-person and virtual events that highlight cultures represented around the Big Apple.

This week is Immigrant Heritage Week in New York City.

It’s the 19th year of this tradition, with the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs (MOIA) first hosting the week in 2004.

Immigrant Heritage Week honors the 115th anniversary of April 17, 1907. That date holds the record for the highest number of immigrants entering the United States through the immigration hub of Ellis Island. That record stands at 11,000 people.

Over 12 million immigrants were processed on Ellis Island from 1892-1954. Until 1924, it was considered the country's largest and most active immigration hub.

Immigrants are still prevalent members of communities around NYC, which is home to more than 3 million foreign-born residents from over 200 countries.

If you’d like to get involved in activities, the MOIA has a variety of events listed on their website, featuring both in-person and virtual events that highlight cultures represented around the Big Apple.

The New York Public Library is teaming up for some of these events as well, hosting a “World Literature Festival'' to celebrate authors and literature from various cultures and languages. This initiative begins this week and lasts until the end of April.

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