Podcast: Gateway Galveston

For generations, the United States has welcomed immigrants from around the world. With Ellis Island in New York, Angel Island in California, and right here in Texas, the Port of Galveston.
These ports served as major gateways for those seeking a new life in America. The Port of Galveston has been a beacon of hope for thousands of people, offering them a chance to escape oppression, war, and persecution.

Throughout this island's long history, tens of thousands of people have arrived at the Port of Galveston, each with a unique story of resilience and determination to build a better life for themselves, their children, and future generations. As one of the most significant immigration ports in the United States, the sheer volume of immigrants was bound to leave a lasting impact on Galveston Island. As one of the most diverse places in the country, Texas owes much of its rich culture to the immigrants who arrived from around the world.

Though Ellis Island is often highlighted in immigration narratives. Galveston played a crucial role as the Ellis Island of the West. From the 1830s to the 1940s, Galveston served as a gateway to a majority of these immigrants arriving by ship. Many of these first-generation Americans chose to make this island their home, leaving behind a rich blend of cultures that still influence the island. These diverse cultures can be found in Galveston streets, buildings, and traditions.

Ever since Galveston was established in 1839, it has played an essential role as a port of entry to Texas. German immigrants famously flooded into Texas beginning in 1840, with a majority entering through Galveston after a three-month voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. After the Civil War ended in 1865. Germans became the largest ethnic group to immigrate through Galveston, and many decided to make the island their home on the streets of Galveston.

In the late 18 hundreds, it was common to hear just as much German spoken as English. In 1876, a group of German businessmen established the Garten Verein Social Club. It was initially established for the immigrant population of Galveston, but others could apply for membership. Throughout most of the eighteen hundreds, individual states were charged with regulating immigration.

However, in 1891, the federal government began to oversee immigration in the hope of streamlining the process throughout the entire country. Major cities in the Northeast were struggling to keep up with the huge number of people entering the country, seeking a new life. Rampant poverty and overcrowded conditions were becoming a significant problem and leading to disease outbreaks such as yellow fever.

In Galveston, to curtail these outbreaks. A new immigration and quarantine station was built on Pelican Island in 1906, considering it was separated from Galveston by about a quarter mile. But due to hurricanes and funding issues, it didn't become operational until 1913. So, smaller quarantine stations were set up near the Port of Galveston.

Immigrants would wait in quarantine stations for a couple of weeks to verify they weren't bringing any diseases into the country. If you can imagine the strand around the time these ships would've arrived, you would've heard a cacophony of languages and watched immigrants experience their first moments in Texas and America. According to the Texas State Historical

Association, between 1906 and 1914, nearly 50,000 immigrants arrived at Galveston, including Bohemians, Czechs, Galatians, Austrians, Romanians, Swiss, English Poles, Italians, and Dutch. This influx of immigrants earned Galveston the nickname Ellis Island of the West.

Additionally, this period brought over 10,000 Jewish immigrants through Galveston as they fled persecution in Russia and Europe to curb population issues and avoid rising American antisemitism and immigration assistance. The plan was implemented by several Jewish organizations across the United States. By 1906, Galveston had a well-established Jewish community.

Quickly answered the call to aid. Rabbi Henry Cohen was an immigrant himself from Britain and the leader of the Bena Israel congregation right here on the island. He worked with others throughout the community and country to organize and assist the people flooding in. This operation brought Jewish immigrants to the American Southwest to avoid the overpopulated northeastern cities. This became known as the Galveston movement. And these groups worked to bring Jewish immigrants through Texas to build their new lives. Rabbi Henry Cohen played a pivotal role in aiding Jewish immigrants during the Galveston movement. He personally met ships at the docks, guiding newcomers through the arrival process and helping them settle in the interior. He often used his own funds to provide necessities for destitute arrivals.


Another significant group brought their culture and food to the island around the turn of the 20th century. Most Italian immigration to Galveston happened between 1896 and 1920. By 1906, people of Italian heritage owned half of all grocery stores and a quarter of all confectionary and shoemakers. So, there's no wonder the island has such great Italian food available today. The inaugural Columbus Day celebration in 1912 underscored the burgeoning Italian influence in Galveston.

Even though many of these people were simply passing through Galveston, many immigrants made their home on the island. Census data from 1910 reports that 27% of Galveston's population were foreign-born. A stark contrast from the average 9% foreign-born throughout Texas,

Throughout many large cities, especially on the east and west coast. You can find neighborhoods with high concentrations of certain ethnicities built by generations of immigration and settlement by a specific group. These are called ethnic enclaves. A few examples are Chinatown and New York, the Cuban community in Miami, or Korean enclaves in California. Well, why doesn't Galveston have any large, distinct pockets of immigrant communities? There are a couple of reasons. First, Galveston is just very small in geography and population. Most of the development on the island was planned and developed very intentionally early in the city's history, and it didn't allow for a lot of growth in population during the peak immigration years. Second, Galveston was widely considered as a place that people moved through on their way to the interior of Texas and the greater United States. In fact, there were several organizations on the island dedicated to assisting immigrants in navigating some of the basics of the railway system and providing financial support to those arriving destitute. Essentially, there just wasn't a lot of opportunity, reason, or intention to keep many immigrants here long-term. So, these ethnic enclaves never developed on the same scale.

Around 1914, at the beginning of World War I. The immigration flow throughout the United States was greatly impacted, and eventually, fewer people entered the country by boat overall. However, Galveston continued welcoming immigrants from around the world for the next few decades, but those numbers steadily declined until 1948, when the last immigrant arrived by boat.

The decline in immigration through Galveston throughout the 20th century can be attributed to several factors. Including the rise of air travel, changes in immigration policies, and the decline of the Port of Galveston's significance in the global shipping industry as the Port of Houston became the major shipping port along the Texas coast, but the immigration and quarantine station stood on Pelican Island until 1972.

It was demolished to make way for Seawolf Park, a fishing destination and military memorial museum. This station may have been demolished. But there are plenty of reminders of Galveston's history as a major immigration port. You can see the influence through Galveston's architecture, churches, food festivals, and, most importantly, its people. Many religions, ideas, and sentiments have shaped Galveston Island and Texas, making us into what we are today.

Galveston was the first piece of America they experienced before starting their new life. Galveston has been, and is, an international and multicultural city throughout its time as a major immigration gateway. Over 200,000 immigrants arrived at the port of Galveston, and Galveston is known throughout history as a gateway to the United States.