Races, Immigration: United States. New York. New York City. Immigrant Station: Regulation of Immigration at the Port of Entry. United States Immigrant Station, New York City: Barge Office; Immigrants leaving the Battery to go to their destinations in New York City. c. 1903

Editor: This photograph by J.H. Adams captures immigrants leaving the Barge Office in New York City. It feels crowded and a bit chaotic. What does this image tell us about the immigrant experience at that time? Curator: Well, it highlights the institutional framework around immigration. The Barge Office represents the formal processing of newcomers. The packed carts suggest a system struggling to cope with the sheer volume of people, turning individual stories into a mass event. Do you think this image encourages empathy or reinforces existing power dynamics? Editor: I hadn't thought about the power dynamics. Seeing them as a collective instead of individuals definitely changes my perspective. Thanks! Curator: It's important to consider how images like this shaped public perceptions and policies around immigration then, and how they continue to inform our understanding today.