The American Immigrant Wall of Honor

The American Immigrant Wall of Honor^® at Ellis Island is a moving tribute to all those who left their home to establish new roots in America. Whether they came by boat in the 1880s or by plane in the 1980s, every single immigrant has become part of American immigration history. This unique wall, part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument at Ellis Island was created by the nonprofit Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation as a way for descendants to honor the memory of their family, but also as a means to raise funds for continued preservation, restoration, and education of Ellis Island and the story of American immigration.

More than 650,000 names have been etched into steel plates that form a circular wall just outside the Great Hall of Ellis Islands main building. The views of New York Harbor, the New York City and Jersey City skylines, and the Statue of Liberty captivate all who stand near the wall. More than 150 ethnic groups are represented by the family names appearing on the wall. Each has their own unique story, but all share a common memory that has come to be known and preserved for future generations as the Ellis Island experience.

In April 2001, The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, working in conjunction with the National Park Service of the United States Department of the Interior, opened a major new extension of this museum that forever changed immigration research and made it possible — for the first time — for tens-of-millions of Americans to easily connect with their immigrant ancestors.

Add Your Family Name to the Wall of Honor
One unique aspect of the Wall of Honor is the ability for anyone to submit their name or the name of a family member to commemorate their place in American immigration history. By adding a name, you are not only honoring the memory of your ancestors, but you are also helping the nonprofit Foundation that works so hard to share the story of American immigration and preserve both the story and the physical reminders for future generations.

Please visit the official Wall of Honor Web site at: http://www.wallofhonor.org to add a name for the next phase of this special monument.