March 29,1901

Dearest mother,

I am going to write a little bit of this letter every time I have news and feel like telling you, because I don’t know when or if I will get to mail it.

Pietro and I have just arrived on the boat which, by the way, is huge!  The room, though, is very small and we have to share a bed.  I already miss you and Papa, but I know how hard we worked to get these tickets.  Right now, I am playing with the doll you gave me for my birthday. There are about one thousand kids living in the same boat as me, but some of them are richer and have more toys and fancy dresses. I do not like them. They look at brother and I like we are two dirty mice.  Changing the subject, I had my first meal on the boat today. I had pasta and bread which reminded me of Italy and all the good food we have there.

April 29, 1901

It has been a month already since we got on the boat.  Pietro and I have seen so many different things, like dolphins, whales and many other creatures.  Today, a tall man came aboard.  He had a long beard and a funny hat.  He started examining all of the rich kids and their parents. Just like them, the tall man looked at Pietro and I like dirt. I wanted to punch him!

May 1st, 1901

We finally arrived in America! Brother and I are in some place called Ellis Island, or something like that. There are people from many different cultures, but they all look just like me: alone and poor, but happy.  I met a new friend on the inspection line.  Her name is Maria and she is about my age.  We and Pietro started playing. Can you believe she has a doll just like mine and that she is from Italy just like me?

After one whole hour, a short man with white hair and a long beard started examining me. He wore a white coat, whiter than his beard.  He looked into my eyes and flipped my eyelid with a tool like the one I use to put buttons in dolly’s hair.  It was like the man was looking for something in my eyelid, and had just found that something.  The man started  yelling words I could not understand, but I knew it was bad.   In seconds, about ten men came and took me away from my own brother.  They were talking to me and asking me questions. I could not understand, but I knew one word. It was a word I hated and did not want to hear: trachoma.  Is it really happening? Am I going back home? Am I sick, Mama?

May 2nd, 1901

Now, I am in a dirty hospital, but it seems like I am going to be fine and will be able to start a new life far away from this place.  It has been twenty-four hours since I got to the hospital and I had to drink a lot of medicine, but I finally got out.  It turns out that I didn’t have trachoma. It was just a zit close to my eyelid. These people make such a big deal over a little zit!  However, my journey is not over yet, Mother. I still have to go through a line and it will probably take about three hours until I get to the inspector.

I finally got to the inspector and he looked familiar. He was much taller than me, had a long beard and a funny hat.  He was the same one I saw on the boat and he was still looking at me like I was garbage. It is really not easy being a third class passenger.  Mr. Funny Hat, thats what I call him, started asking me several questions, like how old are you, what is your name,  who payed for your trip, have you ever been involved in a crime, where are you from, and several others. I was very tired when I finally heard the words that sounded like the most beautiful angels singing for me :“you can go now”. I looked forward and saw the gates shining brighter than the sunlight. Freedom surrounded me, opportunity was ahead , and Lady Liberty was smiling in my sparkling blue eyes. I had never felt happier in my whole life. Thanks Mama, so much, for the many chances, adventures and love you gave me.  I will get a job and bring you here.  I promise, Mama. I promise!

Truly, your dear daughter,

Ana

P.S.: I changed my name. You can call me Annie.