Last weekend, Alex and I took the ferry to Angel Island, the largest island in the San Francisco Bay.  Angel Island has a deep history and is known as the "Ellis Island of the West".  The Immigration Station on the island was built in order to process an anticipated flood of European immigrants entering the United States during World War I; however, the facility instead served as a detention center for approximately 175,000 Chinese immigrants who came to America between 1910 and 1940.  These immigrants were held on the island for weeks, months, and even years while awaiting approval on their applications.  In contrast, immigrants passing through Ellis Island were processed within hours or days.  While walking around, you can still see buildings and outposts from this time.