4th of July – Independence Day

Ellis Island: A few years ago I was contacted by the administration at Ellis Island and offered the opportunity to represent the Abbott clan in the United States…with my name embossed in bronze on the memorial wall outside the main building. What an honor… and what a lovely immigrant story, is that of the Abbott family, of whose members I am very proud.

In the main building’s lobby there is a copy of the ship’s manifest, the ship my father sailed on from Antigua. He was one and a half, and his mother had $49 in her pocket. There is even a picture of the actual ship which brought them.

Immigration has been the life blood of the US and my family’s history demonstrates that. My father, born poor in St. John’s Antigua, was from a large family, thirteen strong. They came to this country to better thing’s for themselves, their children, grand children, etc. And that is exactly what they did. The  Abbott’s have gone on to successful careers in law, medicine, entertainment, etc.

Ever since the original thirteen colonies declared independence from Great Britain, the US has grown into a powerful country as a result of immigration from all around the world, a process which continues to this day.

Happy 4th of July

Gregory