A Brief Turbulent History Of Angel Island State Park

Tourists who make the trek to Angel Island are rewarded with unbeatable views of the San Francisco Bay, the city, and pristine nature. But the island’s natural beauty sharply contrasts its tumultuous history as an immigration station where an estimated one million migrants were processed, and often detained.
Angel Island has been inhabited by humans for three thousand years when Coast Miwok Indians hunted and fished on the island. The Miwok lived in what is considered Marin County today and used boats made of tule reeds to reach the island. They established camps in Ayala Cove, Camp Reynolds, Fort McDowell, and what later became the Immigration Station.

But Angel Island’s brush with Western Civilization began in the 1700s with Juan Manuel de Ayala, a Spanish explorer. As the captain of the San Carlos, Ayala was the first to sail into the San Francisco Bay, where he anchored at what is now Ayala Cove. During his explorations, he discovered and named both Angel Island and Alcatraz, and charted the first map of Angel Island’s harbor.

Angel Island’s Ayala Cove, named after the Spanish explorer who discovered it, Juan Manuel de Ayala

The island was likely uninhabited during the beginning of the 19th century, as the Miwok had been driven out. In 1863, mounting threats from the Confederacy led the U.S. to build Camp Reynolds on the island, which became an infantry camp after the war. In 1899, the U.S. Army built Fort McDowell, a quarantine station on the east end of the island, and subsequently, the military presence on the island increased drastically. Over the course of the two world wars, it was used as a temporary detention center for prisoners of war. During the 1920s and 1930s, it served as a discharge center for over 40,000 U.S. troops per year, more than any other U.S. military post at the time due to its proximity to the Pacific. The Army closed Fort McDowell in 1946.

Fort McDowell as it stands today on the east side of the island

In order to get around the Chinese Exclusion Act, which only permitted merchants, diplomats, students, clergy, and teachers from China into the U.S., Chinese immigrants often bought fake identities. The 1906 earthquake made that a lot easier, destroying many public records. What emerged was the concept of ‘paper sons’ or ‘paper daughters’ – Chinese immigrants claimed to be citizens, and without papers to prove otherwise, they were granted citizenship. Those seeking to immigrate would pay to pretend to be their child and, thus, be granted citizenship.

Poems written by a Chinese detainee lining the walls at the U.S. Immigration Station

But the Board of Special Inquiry quickly caught on and cracked down on this practice during interrogations. Investigators would ask applicants minute details about their family history, their village, etc., and family members would be asked to corroborate the answers. Any deviation could mean deportation for the applicant and potentially the family.

In 1940, a fire in the Administration Building caused the government to abandon the immigration station. In 1963, Angel Island became a state park, and the immigration station is now a museum, serving as a tribute to those who suffered within its walls.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

Culture Trips are deeply immersive 5 to 16 days itineraries, that combine authentic local experiences, exciting activities and 4-5* accommodation to look forward to at the end of each day. Our Rail Trips are our most planet-friendly itineraries that invite you to take the scenic route, relax whilst getting under the skin of a destination. Our Private Trips are fully tailored itineraries, curated by our Travel Experts specifically for you, your friends or your family.

We know that many of you worry about the environmental impact of travel and are looking for ways of expanding horizons in ways that do minimal harm - and may even bring benefits. We are committed to go as far as possible in curating our trips with care for the planet. That is why all of our trips are flightless in destination, fully carbon offset - and we have ambitious plans to be net zero in the very near future.