PolishOrigins(TM) Forum

Bypass

Wally1049 — Sat Mar 24, 2018 4:46 pm

Author: Wally1049

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2018 4:46 pm

Meant to say all

By pass customs

Wally1049 — Sat Mar 24, 2018 4:44 pm

Author: Wally1049

Posted: Sat Mar 24, 2018 4:44 pm

Yes it is possible to by pass customs.This is how it was most likely done from what I found.Most families could only send one person.Usally they were between 18to 25Years old . They then would work and save money to bring over another family member. Instead of sending it over to the family;they would pay an agent of the shipping lines.This agent would make air arrangements to contact his overseas counterpart. Who would contact the family and make all necessary travel arrangements.When person came to US.;The US agent would then walk them off ship and send them to destination.This is what I found out through some of my research.

Re: Is it possible for some immigrants to bypass customs?

rsowa — Thu Jun 19, 2014 7:55 pm

Author: rsowa

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2014 7:55 pm

Michelle...after a lot of looking I eventually found what I thought was an ancestor that arrived in NY, but had traveled in first class, rather than steerage. They appeared on the passenger manifest, just like all the other passengers. But I think the process of their arrival was a lot different.

I can't remember where I read it, but apparently those traveling in first class were not required to go through the long lines. Instead, the customs officials would come aboard and interview them in their cabins...or something like that. Also, they probably weren't required to go through the medical screenings either. My guess is that if the immigrant had enough money, it probably made arrival a lot easier for them, but they still would need to be processed and documented.

Richard

Re: Is it possible for some immigrants to bypass customs?

EANWhitson — Thu Jun 19, 2014 6:13 pm

Author: EANWhitson

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2014 6:13 pm

Sounds like it started to happen, then the government stepped in to the picture to correct the corruption. You must remember that the government had "quotas" and didn't want a lot of immigrants taking over the jobs of others that were already citizens.

Some things never change.

http://books.google.com/books?id=OyL6JatN5KwC&pg=PA98&lpg=PA98&dq=wealthy+bypass+ellis+island&source=bl&ots=HVJsJcwvld&sig=3U_kJxq_ztAl-QwMvT63AMhXxS8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=Vm2jU_TUIsGGyATM6YDIDw&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=wealthy%20bypass%20ellis%20island&f=false

So your answer is sometimes, but mostly no.

Is it possible for some immigrants to bypass customs?

MichelleLeach53 — Thu Jun 19, 2014 11:22 am

Author: MichelleLeach53

Posted: Thu Jun 19, 2014 11:22 am

Hello all,
This is a probably a silly question. My best friend (who married a guy of polish descent) was told by his family that their ancestors "were so wealthy", that they didn't have to go through registration at Ellis Island. I'm not sure if they came through there or Baltimore, but it sounds like a bunch of hooey to me. Is this possible? I find it hard to believe, with the condtions in Galicia, that ANYBODY was wealthy, and that the U.S would allow that to happen. How would somebody, even IF they had money, get to bypass immigration? I did a paper on immigration to the U.S recently, and there were so many restrictive laws in effect up until 1926 or so, that I find that hard to believe. As a matter of fact, there was a law passed (right after my ggrandmother came over) in 1907 that specifically restricted immigrants of Eastern European descent.