Immigration type exam

Just curious from hearing stories about the type of thorough medical exams at Ellis Island/Angel Island people have had to go through. Do those kind of exams still happen and has anyone had to go through one? What was it like

What did they have to do at Ellis Island? I heard of making them climb some flight of stairs to check if they had a respiratory ailment (tuberculosis, I suppose), but apart from that?

I remember reading that the exams were pretty detailed including inspection of hair,scalp, eyelids and genitals and anus as well

THAT - Is a really good question!!

Not exactly searches, but i have seen pics of Italy i think, during WWII where Italian women were made to hold their dresses up to get sprayed with something. i think anti lice stuff. not sure. but some pics the women are on an exam table holding their dress open and some are standing holding theri dress up. some women are being held by male orderly s. presumably because they were not cooperating.

a very hot set of pics. dont remember where i saw them

That’s interesting. Do you know why they had to go through that from the pictures

There was no text, but it seemed that the women standing and holdign their dresses up were cooperating. and there was a line of people to get this treatment. but the woman lying on the table was being restrained and sprayed

This thread inspired me to write this story. Not intended for historical accuracy but initial part based on a few shows etc

https://en.zity.biz/index.php?mx=docs;ox=showitem;id=14141

I've got a 21st century version of that for you.

Back in the early 2000s, I came to the US as an International student, high school. Part of the school entrance was updated vaccine and full body examination. The school principal took me to a Immigration-certified physician. I had to stripped naked, they examined every inch of my skin to make sure I don't carry any skin infection/disease. As a high school student, it was embarrassing. As a medfet lover...it wasn't ideal (the doctor was an older male), but it scratched some itch for sure!

The Series, 1923, on Paramount+, has a lengthy scene in season 2 episode 3, when the female lead arrives at Ellis Island and is forced through a very humiliating and invasive examination by several doctors while completely nude. I have no idea how historically correct this scene is, but I hope people coming here didn't have to suffer like this.

I went through the US immigration exam for my green card in 2007, all they did was take blood. They checked my list of vaccinations and I had to get another vaccination, and a chest x ray and that was it. Nothing invasive, pretty standard. I guess its changed somewhat.

INS guidelines from the early 2000s say that complete disrobing is required, today's guidelines stipulate that no genital examination should occur unless lab results indicate otherwise. I had a genital exam from the public surgeon during my physical exam in 2014, while standing up and clothed. It was brief.

I visited Ellis Island 2024. The immigrants were examined for disease by doctors who had six seconds.. I enclose a link to a description of the exam. I remember seeing displays of the instruments used. Every person had the upper eyelids everted (turned over) for signs of trachoma. The doctor used a button hook to turn over the lid. There was a photo of a woman with lid everted, and doctor looking at her. There were extensive old hospital wards for sick immigrants. They would treat them before sending them onto the streets of NYC.

https://www.nps.gov/places/000/historic-medical-inspection-2nd-floor.htm

The Series, 1923, on Paramount+, has a lengthy scene in season 2 episode 3, when the female lead arrives at Ellis Island and is forced through a very humiliating and invasive examination by several doctors while completely nude. I have no idea how historically correct this scene is, but I hope people coming here didn't have to suffer like this.

Thanks for the tip, the scene is awesome! However I still have some questions left. The first doctor have performed all of the job needed on such exam. General therapist, dermatologist, neurologist, venereologist, gynaecologist. And I quite believe that some sort of exam like this could have taken place. But after him it meant to be another 2 or 3 other docs. What for? They have nothing left to inspect. Another doubtful exaggeration is performing manual vaginal (possibly also anal) palpation without gloves. Just before exam he is moaning about spread of STDs and taking no precaution measures at all? Unlikely.

There is another version of Ellis Island examinations shown in "Golden Door" (2006 film).

How was it actually happened no one probably knows for sure. History hides own dirty secrets.

My wife had blood drawn for her residency exam. Nothing beyond that occurred to my knowledge.

My wife had blood drawn for her residency exam. Nothing beyond that occurred to my knowledge.

My too. They had an X-ray for TB before arrival as well and had to have a certificate. Soon upon arrival she had a blood test as well but I think it wasn't an immigration requirement, but rather due to the nature of her work in healthcare. However later on she never had any employment-related medicals. (UK)

Taylor Sheridan (the show runner for 1923) plays a little fast and loose with strict accuracy in order to depict the emotion of the moment. The fact is that many single women coming into Ellis Island were looked at as potential prostitutes, though Southern Europeans were more likely to experience that than Northern and an English woman with a posh accent and obvious education least likely of all. That said, it was up to the individual examiner and the guy in that scene was a petty tyrant (again a Sheridan theme of corrupt government officials. Guy’s very libertarian)

In 2020 it was just an interview with nurse re medical history and blood test. Since I had all required vaccinations or gained immunity, no additional vaccinations were required.

In late 1960's and 1970's some South Asian women arriving in the UK had been subject to gynaecological examinations and virginity tests in Heathrow Airport. It's been revealed that more than 80 women were ordered to have a virginity test, but some researches believe that actual figure was between 123 and 143, in comparison to the 34 admitted to by the Home Office in 1979.

https://britishonlinearchives.com/posts/category/notable-days/723/45-years-ago-virginity-tests-and-south-asian-women-in-1970s-britain

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2011/may/13/virginity-tests-uk-immigrants-1970s