Association of Filipino Teachers In Eastern America, Inc.

We, the members of AFTEA, Inc., headed by our energetic chairman, Dr. Eufemia Patron, with supportive officers, board of directors, consultants, chapter officers, members/non-members and untiring supporters, would like to inform you that the Association of Filipino teachers in Eastern America, Inc. (AFTEA, Inc.) is based in New York City, the greatest city in the world historically. That being said, the statue really became a landmark in which many immigrants who entered through New York City saw it as a welcoming sight. Oral histories of immigrants record their feelings of exhilaration on first viewing the Statue of Liberty. One immigrant who arrived from Greece recalled, I saw the Statue of Liberty. And I said to myself, "Lady, you're such a beautiful! You opened your arms and you get all the foreigners here. Give me a chance to prove that I am worth it, to do something, to be someone in America." And always that statue was on my mind. Whereas, Ellis Island, in Upper New York Bay, was the gateway for over 12 million immigrants to the United States as the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892 until 1954. The island was greatly expanded with land reclamation between 1892 and 1934. In fact, it was made part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument in 1965, and has hosted a museum of immigration since 1990. Absolutely, the United States of America (USA), the beautiful country, where God Almighty always blesses her, is a country of immigrants whose hearts and minds are full of big and amazing American dreams!