The Statue of Liberty  

Since 1886 she has stood proudly in New York Harbor. A gift from "the French people to the American people," master sculptor Frederic- August Bartholdi had originally envisioned this to be a new Wonder of the World to mark Egypt's Suez Canal. After history and politics got in the way, Bartholdi looked to America and saw the perfect gift to celebrate America´s Centennial.

   The statue of Liberty, a symbol of the hope and freedom offered by America, was the first thing for European immigrants saw as they sailed into New York harbor. The statue was given to America by France in 1886.
Between 1820 and 1920, thirty-five million people emigrated to America, most of them Europeans. In the ten years from 1901 to 1910 a record number of  8.7 million people entered America, sailing in past the Statue of Liberty. But this record has now been bro1ken.
Between 1981 and 1990 more than nine million immigrants came to America. However, most of these, Hispanics and Asians, never saw the Statue of liberty. The Asians arrived at Western ports and airports, and most of the Hispanics crossed the border from Mexico into California and Texas, or from Cuba into Florida.
There are now about 19 million Hispanics in the USA - and five million Asian-Americans.  

For more information see:  The New York tourist information  about the statue of Liberty

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statue.htm/history/joy-luck (c) 1998 1999 - 10FEB99