JewishGen Talks: No, Your Ancestors’ Names Were Not Changed at Ellis Island

No, Your Ancestors' Names Were Not Changed at Ellis Island

It is the most persistent myth in American family history: the overwhelmed or malicious clerk who unilaterally altered a family’s identity at the port of entry. Whether framed as a clerical error or an act of xenophobia, historical records show that this scenario was not only unlikely—it was impossible. Join Chief Genealogist Caitlin Hollander Waas as she deconstructs this legend by examining the administrative mechanics of the immigration process and the specific records created at the port of entry. This session moves beyond the myth to explore the genuine legal, social, and economic motivations behind name changes, revealing how immigrants navigated their new identities, not as victims of a clerical error, but as active participants in their own American narratives.