Statue of Liberty TourI decided to take advantage of the warm, sunny spring break and go see the nearby Statue of Liberty. Last year, I prepared a 'Constitutional Day Poster' drawing contest with my students and child, and my daughter who was deeply moved by it wanted to visit there. Above all, as an immigrant, I wanted to tour here again, especially Alice Island. It felt as if coming to this place, the first land that immigrants coming to New York entered, would help me find clues to something I had not realized before. Ellis Island is an island at the mouth of the Hudson River. It is famous as a place where immigrants trying to enter the United States underwent immigration screening from January 1, 1892 to November 12, 1954. It is located in New York Harbor, just 0.8 kilometers north of Liberty Island, where the Statue of Liberty is located. The island is named after Samuel Ellis, a merchant and farmer who owned the island during the late 1700s. The U.S. government purchased the island in 1808. American icons such as the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island represent centuries of American history. It is no exaggeration to say that more than one-third of all Americans have someone whose ancestry passed through Ellis Island. Located near the port, the Alice Island Immigration Museum features many historical records of the millions of immigrants who aspired to start a new life in the Americas. America, the land of freedom, has been the dream destination of countless people from all over the world who left their hometowns for a better life. Around the 20th century, many immigrants who crossed the Atlantic Ocean and entered New York Harbor would have been lost in many thoughts while looking up at the Statue of Liberty. Those who set out with their own stories buried in their hearts must have dreamed of a big and beautiful life instead of poverty, despair, and the shackles of tradition. But there was a gate they had to pass through. It was the immigration office on Ellis Island. It is said that the issue of handling immigrants in the United States began to be discussed in earnest in 1847, when thousands of Irish people suffering from famine due to a severe potato crop failure flocked to New England and New York. Afterwards, as immigration gradually increased, an immigration office that could systematically manage it became necessary. The dishes that were used to briefly eat food by people who had to undergo screening to enter New York were on display. As an immigrant, I can somewhat understand how they felt about eating this food. There must have been a mixture of wonder and anxiety in their minds. This is probably how most immigrants feel when they first set foot in an unknown land. After suffering from seasickness for several days, they finally arrived in the land of dreams, but had to wait again for the final judge's decision at this temporary stop. While they were waiting, they drew pictures of the ships they had boarded. I could feel more intense energy in the picture of the ship on this wall than any other work of art. The Statue of Liberty has served as a beacon of direction and hope for countless immigrants since 1886. The statue was created by two Frenchmen: painter and sculptor Frédéric-Auguste Bartholdi and Alexandre Gustave Eiffel, an expert metal engineer and later creator of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. The torch held in the right hand symbolizes illuminating the light of reason throughout the world. In addition, the Statue of Liberty stands on a broken chain, a method chosen by Bartholdi instead of wearing the Phrygian hat that traditionally symbolizes 'liberation from slavery'. I was lucky enough to meet someone with bright and beautiful energy and was able to take a family photo with a wonderful composition. He was doing construction work nearby and offered to take our picture. Then, he took a picture of the Statue of Liberty, almost lying down, so that the entire Statue of Liberty and my family were in one angle. The construction helmet came off for a moment while I was taking pictures while lying down. Our family was deeply touched by his kindness and brightness. And I think this energy is what is making America what it is today. These are people who love their work, are kind to strangers, and live positively every day with deep passion and sincerity. I don't know the name, but I want to express my gratitude once again. The Statue of Liberty looks like a sculpture, but inside, there are stairs and an elevator. Auguste Bartoli's memory of his mother. It is said to have been sculpted from her model. Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi was a genius sculptor and architect born in Colmar, and Bartholdi's representative work is the Statue of Liberty that stands at the entrance to New York. Below is a photo of the birthplace of a genius architect in Colmar that I visited in 2013 before moving to the United States from my time living in Germany. In a city I happened to visit, I came across the Statue of Liberty, symbolizing New York, where I would move to. This was very impressive to me. The bronze sculpture supporting the sphere in the center of the museum yard is also his work. The title of this work, which was displayed at the Paris Salon, is ‘The Great People who Support the Earth’. The three statues holding the earth each have scales, a sword, a shield, and a hammer, representing justice, patriotism, and labor as a trinity. It is a wonderful work that captures the thoughts and soul of Bartholdi's heart. It was the moment when the Statue of Liberty, which I discovered in a small, beautiful French city called Colmar, which I happened to visit in the past, overlapped with the current Statue of Liberty in New York. As if my life itself had been planned in advance, we left Germany and came to the United States as if it were fate. And when I was suffering from a slump and put down my brush for a while, I met the Angel of the Statue of Liberty and gained the strength to get up again. Can I, too, become an artist like the angel who took our picture today, delivering bright energy to someone else and leaving that energy behind in a painting? I think I want to become that kind of painter. And this will be why I came to New York.
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