Seeing Beyond the Place: Case Study on Angel Island Immigration Station

8/8/2019 Seeing Beyond the Place: Case Study on Angel Island Immigration Station

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Seeing Beyond the Place: Case Study on Angel Island Immigration Station

US/ICOMOS International Symposium on Heritage Interpretation, 2005

Daniel Quan, Interpretive Designer, Daniel Quan Design, Oakland, California, USA

Stephen J. Farneth, FAIA, Preservation Architect, Architectural Resources Group, San

Francisco, California, USA

1. Introduction to the Place

Nestled in a picturesque island cove, the collection of two-story buildings that make up

Angel Island Immigration Station appear ordinary and undistinguished. However, hidden

deep beneath its physical veneer rests a significant and little-known chapter in UnitedStates immigration history. It is an intriguing story that takes U.S. immigration laws,

foreign policy, economics and upheaval in Asia and focuses them on one tiny port of

entry located in San Francisco Bay.

The challenge in preserving and restoring this National Landmark immigration site is tomake the story come to life. We must look beyond the mundane visual appearance and

carefully balance aspects of conservation and interpretation. Our goal is to enhanceinterpretation of the site and create a draw, without sacrificing respect for the historic

structures and cultural landscape.

This place is called an island of immortals,

When, in fact, this mountain wilderness is a prison,

Once you see the open net, why throw yourself in?It is only because of empty pockets I can do nothing else.

Author Unknown

The low building with three beams merely shelters the body.

It is unbearable to relate the stories accumulated on the Island slopes.Wait till the day I become successful and fulfill my wish!

I will not speak of love when I level the immigration station!By One from Taishan

These poems are carved on the wooden walls of the Detention Barracks at the Angel

Island Immigration Station. They were written by Chinese immigrants who were

detained between 1910 and 1940. The immigrants voices have been captured in timeand place, and serve as a physical and emotional testament that resonates with all

Americans who share a history of immigration. The poems are the link between the ruin-

like setting and the visitor experience.

Our task has been to capture the emotional resonance of the immigration station, using

the visitors imagination. As the interpretive designer and architect for the restoration

project, we approached our work collaboratively, thus integrating the interpretiveplanning with conservation. This method has enabled us to look beyond the physical

limitations of the site and to explore creative solutions.


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Seeing Beyond the Place: Angel Island Immigration Station


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History of the Place

Angel Island is located on the edge of San Francisco Bay and is home to the former U. S.

Immigration Station. Commonly referred to as the Ellis Island of the West, the AngelIsland facility is a powerful symbol of the American immigration experience. The Angel

Island Immigration Station parallels its East Coast counterpart as a remote, island-basedimmigration facility in a metropolitan port city, though historically, the Angel Island

Immigration Station is smaller in scale, scope, and physical manifestation. While the

feelings associated with the Ellis Island facility tend to be more positive in terms of thebenefits and opportunities for immigrants, the Angel Island facility was marked by

discriminatory practices directed toward immigrants from the Pacific Rim. During the

Immigration Stations period of operation, the Chinese Exclusion Act (1882-1943) was in

effect, leading to interrogations, hearings, and appeals to the Secretary of Commerce andLabor in Washington D.C., all resulting in long waits for Asian immigrants, specifically

Chinese and Japanese. Immigrants from other countries such as Russia, Korea, and thePhilippines were also detained, but their numbers were smaller and their stays at AngelIsland were usually brief. As a principal port of entry to the United States, immigrants of

many nationalities passed through the Angel Island Immigration Station, namely Chinese,

Japanese, Korean, Filipino, Asian Indian, Mexican, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Southand Central American.

The design and operations of the Angel Island facility were modeled after Ellis Island.

The immigration station architect, Walter J. Mathews, traveled to New York and utilized

both visual and technical information. From the beginning, the condition of theImmigration Station buildings were mired in complications related to site, topography,

climate, drainage, and transportation of materials to and from the island. The decision toconstruct the buildings in wood was unusual, considering that the original wood-frame

Ellis Island buildings had burned in a fire in 1897. The first phase of construction at theImmigration Station was completed in 1908. The facility initially consisted of five

elements: the Administration Building, the Detention Barracks, the Power House, the

Wharf, and the Hospital. Over the years, other structures were added, including staffcottages designed by noted California architect Julia Morgan.

During the Immigration Station's operation, ferry boats brought immigrants and returningChinese natives to a large wharf at China Cove. They stored their luggage in the Baggage

Shed, and walked up the front steps and through the formal doors of the Administration

Building, where immigration processing began. The Wharf is gone now and mostvisitors come by ferry to Ayala Cove, walk, bike or take a shuttle for about a mile alongPerimeter Road and then enter at the rear of the Station. Prospective immigrants who

were not quickly cleared for entry into the U.S., were usually directed up the Covered

Stair to the Detention Barracks, where they lived until a determination was made in theircase. The detainees would descend the Covered Stair to eat meals in the dining rooms of

the Administration Building or to plead their cases.


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The facility was in operation from 1910 until 1940; however, it is interesting to note that

within ten years of opening, the government was ready to abandon the facility and

searching for another site in San Francisco. When the Administration building burned to

the ground in August 1940, the government chose to find temporary housing forimmigrations within San Francisco and to formally close the Angel Island facility in

November 1940.

After use as an immigration station, the facility served the military as a Prisoner of War

camp and as housing for American soldiers from 1941 until 1946. Thus, another wave ofpeople, foreign and American, passed through the buildings.

Following World War II, Angel Island was declared by the Army to be surplus real

property. During a long period of neglect, from roughly 1946 through the 1960s, theImmigration Station buildings were abandoned, suffering neglect, vandalism, and decay.

In 1963 California State Parks received the title to the Immigration Station. By 1970, thebuildings faced demolition, but interest in the Immigration Station was revived upon there-discovery of poems on the Barracks walls by a State Park Ranger. Though the

buildings were in quite poor condition, their historic value was apparent and spurred

interest within the Asian-American community. This was especially true for offspring ofdetainees, some of whom were instrumental in the formation of the Angel Island

Immigration Station Historic Advisory Committee, which began to study and documentthe site, publicize the findings and solicit funds for restoration, and which resulted in the

formation of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, a non-profit organization

that is presently leading the restoration and interpretation effort.

Of the five structures that comprised the original Immigration Station, three are stillstanding: the Hospital, the Detention Barracks, and the Power House. The footprint of

the former Administration Building is still visible. Of the remaining structures, theDetention Barracks is the most significant. Men, women and children of many different

nationalities were detained in this building, although Chinese and Japanese immigrants

formed the vast majority. Women and children were later moved from the DetentionBarracks and housed on the second floor of the Administration Building. While

immigrant groups were usually processed in a few days, Chinese immigrants were

scrutinized more closely. Typically, they were detained for three to five weeks, andoccasionally up to several months, while interrogation sessions and review procedures

determined whether they were qualified to enter the U.S.

Detained Chinese immigrants shared their personal stories, thoughts and emotions bycarving eloquent poems on the wooden walls of the Detention Barracks. Their voices

have been captured in time and place, and serve as a physical and emotional testament

that resonates with all Americans who share a history of immigration.


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2. Significance and Meaning of the Place

The U.S, exclusion laws had a direct effect on the immigration experience of most

Chinese and some Japanese immigrants. Today, the immigration station holds specialsignificance to many of these former detainees at Angel Island. Their numbers are

rapidly decreasing as this population advances in age, but for the outspoken minoritywilling to discuss it, the immigration station was a place of remembrancea place where

one journey ended and a new one began. Memories were bittersweet, as the actual

immigration experience was everything from inconvenient to painful and frightening, butwas balanced by the specter of opportunity and hope for the future. Many immigrants

have been reluctant to talk about their experience, partly because of painful memories,

partly from embarrassment, and partly through fear of government investigation into their

legal status.

For the first generation of children of Angel Island immigrants, the station likewise holdsa special meaning. To them, Angel Island also symbolizes opportunity and hope, but atthe same time represents the sacrifice made by their parents in coming to a new country.

Remembering Angel Island thus commemorates their parents, and the site becomes a

place for families to get in touch with their roots in America. To second and thirdgeneration descendants however, feelings can be quite different. Awareness of family

genealogy, proximity to the site, and generational communication often determine themeaning or non-meaning of the immigration station. With each succeeding generation,

the meaning of the place becomes less obvious. Many have little knowledge of Angel

Island and do not feel connected to it in any way. For young people who haverediscovered their heritage, Angel Island has sometimes become a symbol of oppression

and rallying post for issues around institutional racism. The site is then seen as a catalystfor expressions of anger and protest, as though this generation is speaking for the silent

generation of previous immigrants.

It was theorized that perhaps 75% or more of the Chinese population in the entire United

States during the early1960s was composed of Angel Island immigrants or their directdescendants underscoring the significance of this one site to the history of the United

States. The majority of the Asian population in the United States today did not immigrate

through Angel Island and does not have any knowledge about or connection to its historyor significance. Outside of the San Francisco Bay Area, public education does not

discuss this chapter of history to any extent, if at all. Unlike the Ellis Island Immigration

Station, the general populace has little direct connection with this site. Thus for them, thesignificance of the site becomes a learned fact obtained through a visit to the island.

Historically, the significance of the immigration station diminished over time and was

lost to even those charged with its upkeep. During the 1970s, California State Parkplanners determined that the former immigration station site held no value and slated it

for demolition. A campground and other recreational facilities were planned for the site,

and razing of the wharf and administration building site occurred. Additionally, twelve


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Julia Morgan-designed cottages for station employees were burned down for a scene in

the feature film The Candidate. It was not until one park ranger, exploring the

Detention Barracks just before demolition, discovered the carved characters that

blanketed the interior walls of the building. After alerting members of the AsianAmerican community to this find, the true meaning of the carvings was uncovered. Not

only were the carvings found to be Chinese poetry, their translations revealed them to befirst person accounts of the detainee experience on Angel Island. This held extremely

high significance to the Asian American community and ultimately was recognized by

historians as highly significant to United States history. In a matter of a few years, theabandoned immigration site went from a place with no redeeming value to a cornerstone

in a chapter of the nations history. Its eventual nomination as a National Historic

Landmark validated the Angel Island Immigration Stations place in mainstream U.S.

history.

The story of the immigrant experience is a universal one that nearly every family in theUnited States has some connection to. Angel Island serves as a place to get in touch withthe common theme of journeys to a new land, and as a place to contemplate our national

policies and laws regulating who and how one is allowed to immigrate. In light of world

conditions after 9/11 and the concern over homeland security, issues surroundingimmigration policy have moved to the forefront in our collective consciousness. The

significance of the site to international visitors is not lost either, as in many countriesmass resettlement following war has caused innumerable conflicts over immigration. In

other countries, economics and the availability of cheap labor from abroad have also

resulted in immigration problems and internal strife. Viewed on the world stage, AngelIsland Immigration Station becomes all the more meaningful today as a reminder of the

past immigration policies in this country and the impact that it has had on our nationshistory and growth.

3. Potential of the Place

Interpreting Angel Island Immigration Station is a daunting challenge. The subject of

immigration does not outwardly sound appealing and the site would not tend to attract a

huge audience. As a recognized part of California history and as a site that fulfills stateeducational curriculum standards, it has been a popular field trip destination for Northern

California schools. Interestingly, the residual effect of the school visitation has been

family visitation, with children who have gone on field trips taking their parents back tothe island outside of the school venue. Over the years, potential supporters of therestoration project have been concerned about the overall appeal of the subject matter.

Many expressed a desire not to tell a negative story, while others have made it a point to

take the gloves off when interpreting the sites history. A recent marketing study foundthat many potential donors to the project would be more apt to support the project if it

cast a wider net to include immigration to the Western United States as a whole rather

than to limit the story to only Chinese immigration through Angel Island.


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The subject of immigration is controversial and complex. The immigrant experience as

seen by one who was detained on the island was vastly different from one who was

directly admitted into the country. The viewpoint of the immigration officials and of the

staff would also be quite different. And the viewpoint of visitors today would be entirelydifferent based on the world context we live in today compared to the world context

between 1910 and 1940. Presentation and discussion of the exclusion laws anddiscriminatory immigration policies of the United States is a very touchy subject that up

until a few years ago would not have been tackled by a public agency.

The isolation of the site is also a challenge. The only way to reach Angel Island, even

though it sits in the middle of San Francisco Bay, is by scheduled ferry service. This

limits visitation to the island as well as the length of stay on the island. Furthermore, the

location of the immigration station site is over a mile from the ferry dock. Most visitorsmust walk this distance, although there is a tram service on the weekends. The

repercussion of this is that the length of stay at the immigration site itself is limited by theferry schedule and travel time to and from the dock. Interpretive programs, whetherguided or self-guided, must be short and concise to allow adequate transit time around the

island.

Another major hurdle is the perceived lack of high profile cultural artifacts associated

with the immigration station. The object collection is extremely small and does notcontain many significant items. Lack of proper conservation and display methods has

resulted in little material being shown at the site. On the other hand, the most significant

cultural resources are the carved poems and inscriptions on the barracks walls. Up untilnow, the poems have not been easily viewable due to the buildings conditions. Measures

to correct this situation and highlight the carvings on the walls will undoubtedly alleviatethe visitor perception that there is no there there.

The final interpretive challenge is that of looking beyond the physical surroundings of the

immigration station and touching the emotions of visitors. The immigration story holds

universal experiences and feelings that many immigrants have consciously orunconsciously had. Hardships such as war, extreme poverty, lack of employment or

opportunity, famine and natural disasters are all reasons for migration and immigration.

The ability for visitors to this site to feel some of these emotions and to process some ofthese same thoughts delivers a powerful message. At the same time, they can also be

some of the hardest messages to convey in interpretation.

4. Remains in the Place Today

The site today is part of the island that presently operates as Angel Island State Park. TheImmigration Station is virtually a ruin now. Trees are overgrown and block views.

Fallen leaves and litter cover paths and landscaping. Drainage and erosion problems

have damaged retaining walls and paving. Age and neglect obscure circulation patterns.


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Many historic roads and paths still exist but are overgrown, and paving and retaining

walls are damaged by erosion, age and tree growth. Paths and roads vary in their

steepness -some have gentle slopes however, many are very steep and several include

steps.

The steep slope of the site poses a great challenge to accessibility, and thus our firstconversations about the restoration project began with the premise that universal access

must guide all site planning decisions.

5. The Planning Process

Both of us came to work on this project through personal interest. Dan is a descendent ofan Angel Island detainee and has been involved with the Immigration Station Foundation

as a board member and a consultant. Steve met with colleagues from both state andfederal agencies about the preservation challenges associated with the site, and heparticipated in early workshops with volunteers and board members of the Angel Island

Immigration Station Foundation (AIISF). Since 1999, we have been actively involved in

visioning and planning workshops with community groups, California State Parks,National Park Service, and the AIISF. These sessions created an initial framework for

thinking about the Immigration Station. Subsequently, the AIISF organized a MasterPlanning process in 2003; the resulting Draft Master Plan now serves as the overall

guideline to the implementation of design and interpretive concepts for the site.

Simply stated, the overall planning objective for the site is to:

Conserve the remaining elements of the Immigration Station and use them tocreate a place of:

Education,Memory, and

Inspiration.

Within that overall objective for the site are a series of more specific goals and

objectives:

1) Conserve the remaining features of the site and use those features to tell the

story of the immigration experience at Angel Island, especially the Detention

Barracks and Poems.

2) Consider very limited reconstruction/restoration of missing features. Only

those features whose reconstruction may add important information to the

interpretation of the site will be restored or reconstructed. (Pier andconnecting stair between Barracks and Administrative Footprint.)


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3) Use the areas of open space created by major missing elements (such as the

Admin. Building) as an opportunity to expand beyond the literal interpretation

of what exists through a program of landscape design, interpretive design, and

art and sculpture, addressing the themes of immigration.

4) Rehabilitate the remaining structures of lesser significance to accommodatethe educational activities, visitor orientation and visitor comfort.

6. Place-Making: Conservation Master Plan and Interpretive Plan

Conservation planning and interpretive planning for this project, by definition, are

completely interrelated activities. In presenting the plans for conservation andinterpretation for the AIISF, we will first briefly describe the overall physical master plan

for the site and then describe the integrated interpretation plan.

A. Conservation Master Plan

1) Arrival: The original pier will be reconstructed to allow for ferry access to the siteand to reestablish the true arrival mode and path of the immigrant. There will

ultimately be two points of arrival to the site, by ferry to the reconstructed pier, or byshuttle, foot, or bicycle from the other locations at Angel Island State Park. Visitors

arriving from either entry will be directed to the foot of the Pier.

2) Visitor Contact, Comfort and Orientation: The Power House will be rehabilitated for

visitor contact (ranger, information) self-guided tour information, visitor siteorientation, and restroom and bookstore facilities.

3) Administration Building: The Administration Building, once the imposing heart of

the Immigration Station, burned to the ground in 1940. Rather than reconstruct the

structure or fragments of the structure, the remaining foundation footprint of thebuilding will be conserved and developed in an abstracted representation of the floor

plan. Through pathways and paving materials, the visitor will be led through an ever-

ascending series of rooms. These rooms will physically and metaphoricallyrepresent the difficulty of immigration. The path will lead to the entrance to the

Detention Barracks stairway. In addition to exploring the form of the Administration

Building, the elevations of the various outdoor rooms will allow for an accessibilitypath to the Detention Barracks.


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4) Detention Barracks: Although the Detention Barracks still exists, the carved stairway

that connected it to the Administration Building is missing. The stair will be

reconstructed in order to link the visitor path to the Barracks Building. The buildingitself will be conserved with very few alterations, only as required to support the

visitor interpretation, conservation of finishes and poems, and the need foraccessibility.

5) Hospital Building: The Hospital Building will be rehabilitated to serve as aneducation center for the site. Its functions will include flexible exhibit space,

conference and meeting areas, library, and administrative uses. It will be available to

visitors but is not part of the primary visitor path.

6) Additional Outbuildings: There are a number of lesser buildings located on the site,

which will serve new functions within the overall plan.

Mule Barn: This small structure will serve as a visitor comfort and orientationcenter for visitors to Angel Island who may not be going down to the Immigration

Station.

North and South Barracks: Built in 1942 as military temporary barracks, these

structures will be rehabilitated to serve as overnight lodging for group stays.

POW Mess Hall: Constructed in 1941 as part of the POW period of the

Immigration Station. It will be rehabilitated for use as a group assembly andmeeting room.

7) Overall Site Conservation: The site contains many remnants of buildings,infrastructure and landscape. Original circulation paths throughout the site will be

cleared and restored to allow visitors to understand and access all of the areas of thesite. Missing features, such as the employee cottages, structures and landscape

elements, will not be restored but will be conserved in-situ and interpreted. Planting

will be evaluated and rehabilitated throughout to be consistent with the landscapeintentions of the AIIS during its period of significance. Modifications to this

approach will be made as necessary for maintenance, cost, or safety considerations.

B. Interpretive Plan

The overall content goals for the immigration station were to illuminate the history of theimmigration station and the story of Chinese immigration within the historical context of

West Coast immigration and immigration policy in the United States. The general goal

for delivering this content was through immersion in an immigrant experience whilevisiting the site.


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Creating the Arrival Sequence

To maximize the effectiveness of the visitor experience, it was essential to be able to

physically walk visitors through the arrival and processing sequence of the immigrants.Originally, new arrivals came ashore from a ferry at a wharf in the bay and were walked

directly into an Administration Building for intake processing and physical examinations.From there, those detained were led to the Detention Barracks or to the hospital (if found

to have a communicable disease). Immigrants spent their time in the Detention Barracks,

the Recreation yard, or in the Mess Hall. Detainees idled the days away in confinementwhile awaiting hearings or appeals.

Because the wharf and Administration Building are no longer extant, the creation of a

meaningful immersive arrival experience could not rely on historical site features butrather on symbols or representation of them. The closest point to the original wharfs

location at the shoreline was defined as the start point of the arrival sequence. Concretepaving simulating the width of the pier is scored and patterned to suggest the old woodenwharf. The original bronze fog signal bell that once sat on the wharf is again displayed

here. Interpretive elements incised into the paving include a mixture of different shoe

prints suggesting the types of people who passed through the station. The prints aredirected both inward and outward, proportionally representing those who arrived and

those who were allowed entry to the country. A world map inset into the paving showsthe routes of immigrants to San Francisco and their relative numbers in the 20

thcentury.

The arrival sequence continues with a landscape design interpreting the AdministrationBuilding. A series of flat landscaped terraces was created to suggest the stepped floor

plan of the original building as it rose in elevation to meet the Detention Barracks.Demarcation of the footprint of the building, along with major functional spaces within

the building, provides a walking sequence that follows the intake processing of theimmigrants. At key locations on each terrace are interpretive elements that recount the

processes occurring there and relate the viewpoints and feelings of the immigrants. At

the location of the main processing hall, imprinted paving elements display selectedpoetry and words or inscriptions evocative of the feelings that new immigrants would

share (e.g. confusion, frustration, anger, fear, hope, opportunity). Nearby, a major

sculptural element is planned that will further strengthen the emotional forces at play fornew immigrants.

Interpreting ProcessesAt the location where hearing rooms once existed, an interpretive sculpture will highlightthe hearing process. A granite table and chairs will be set, with each chair representing

the key people present at a hearing: the detainee, immigration officer, interpreter,

transcriber, and guard. Embedded in the table in front of each chair will be documentspertaining to each: detainee identification card, interrogation questions, a typed

transcript, and employee identification. Visitors can sit in each chair to study the different

documents from the viewpoint of each person in the interrogation.


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The integration of two and three-dimensional interpretive elements into the landscape

continues on each of the terraces as visitors follow the processing sequence of the

immigrants. Several more sculptural elements are planned for locations on these terracesthat will be added over time. It is hoped that each can be commissioned by different

artists to interpret the universal immigrant experience.

Responding to the Power of the Written Word

When visitors reach the top terrace representing the Mess Hall, they find a re-creation ofa covered stairway leading to the Detention Barrack. This was the one key element

missing from the site that was deemed necessary to accurately portray the entrance to the

main holding facility. Ascending the steps, visitors are invited to take a guided tour of

the Detention Barracks.

The Detention Barrack is the key resource of the immigration station site.The carved poetry and inscriptions on its walls are filled with the thoughts and emotionsof the immigrants (and later P.O.W.s from World War II) and is told from their

perspective, offering rare first person accounts of their experiences as well as

commentary on the world context at the time the inscriptions were written. The methodin which the poetry was carved, the subsequent campaigns of overpainting, and the years

of weathering and dirt created fragile condition s for the resource. Stabilization andconservation of the walls and photographic documentation of all poetry and inscriptions

was essential prior to any interpretive or architectural planning. Consideration for

stripping paint from walls to reveal the poetry was integrated into the interpretiveplanning to determine the most valuable or interesting areas that might be revealed, and

to determine a priority or sequence for their viewing.

By examining interpretive opportunities and conservation simultaneously, it was possibleto determine the interpretive path for the guided tour program as well as an area where a

self-guided tour could take place. Walls to be lit, areas to have paint stripped to reveal

carvings, and areas to place historic furnishings were all determined in the initial stage ofplanning. Considerations for routing of new electrical wiring and other infrastructure

improvements was likewise able to proceed in a more carefully planned manner once

conservation and interpretive direction were established.

Story lines for the guided tour are developed around the content of the inscriptions in

each room. For instance, different rooms held Japanese, Chinese, and Europeanimmigrants, while other rooms were designated for women and young children.Inscriptions differed in each room based on its major occupants, with poetry mostly

evident in rooms where Chinese men were detained. To follow the idea of providing an

immersive visitor experience, the story lines for each room are reinforced with historicfurnishings particular to the room occupants. Audio background tracks provide ambient

conversations in different languages, phonograph recordings, and general activity noise.

Visitors are allowed to walk between the multi-tiered bunk arrangements in the large


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dormitory rooms to further enhance the immersive qualities of the visit. In selected areas,

audio narration in English and Chinese will be offered for key poems. Throughout the

guided tour, docent-controlled lighting will highlight the poetry or inscriptions on the

walls. All lighting is designed with conservation in mind, with minimal heat generation;lower light levels and non-continuous lighting; and no ultraviolet radiation.

The guided barracks tour walks visitors through both floors of the building and includes a

loop through the outdoor recreation yard. Visitors will have experienced several different

room occupation experiences and will have seen and heard an array of different poemsand inscriptions. The tour ends in one of the large dormitory rooms on the first floor,

where a number of self-guided interpretive displays allow visitors to spend more time

listening to other narrated poems or exploring the basic structure of classical Chinese

poetry.

7. Conclusion: Lessons Learned

The Angel Island Immigration Station project has proven to be a successful collaboration

between heritage preservation and interpretation. We are already applying lessonslearned through this collaboration to a different project on which we are currently

working. We hope that these lessons inform and assist others in preserving heritage sites.

Interpreting Sites without a Full Richness of Historical Features or Major

Collections

While the physical fabric of a place may be relatively non-descript, the embodied

meaning and importance makes conservation of those non-descript features of equalimportance to conservation of a more imposing architectural monument. We sometimes

need to look beyond the obvious physical clues of our heritage sites in order to extracttheir maximum interpretive potential. Interpretive planning for a site goes far beyond

superimposing an array of didactic graphic panels on the landscape. Integrating

interpretation into a site can mean considering ways to move people through time andspace, or it can mean incorporating interpretive symbolism into landscape elements or

materials. It can also mean using artistic expression to draw out intangible characteristics

or qualities of an experience or place, to provoke thought and encourage personalinterpretation, and to illicit emotional response.

Role of Interpretation in PreservationInterpretation should not be an overlay added to preservation and conservation efforts,but rather an integral part of the planning process. Interpretative planning helps

determine the public program and visitor interaction with physical surroundings, and

helps pinpoint areas or objects that would be most relevant to visitors. Incorporation ofinterpretive planning into an overall planning and design process can lead to more

thoughtful applications of human and financial resources in the preservation of sites.


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Significance and Meaning

The highest significance of a site is often associated with those who had or have a direct

connection to it through a personal experience. This group often provides the primary

motivation to establish the status of a heritage site. The level of significance and itsmeaning changes over time and as people move farther away from these direct

connections. As designers, our understanding of the meaning of a place such as AIIS is atbest partial, based on our own experiences and learning. The challenge for the

interpretive planner, and ultimately for the preservationist, is to establish some sort of

personal connection or relevancy between the meaning of a heritage site and its visitors.At Angel Island Immigration Station, the universal theme of immigration, regardless of

country of origin or generation, strikes a resonant cord with nearly every family in

America. This universal theme carries over to an international audience as well,

magnifying its importance in our world context today.

Seeing Beyond the Place: Case Study on Angel Island Immigration Station

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