Angel Island center for immigrants reopens

— -- After a decades-long campaign to memorialize Angel Island — Ellis Island's West Coast counterpart — the immigration processing center in the San Francisco Bay reopens to the public Sunday.

During a dark period in American history from 1910 to 1940, 1 million Chinese immigrants were greeted on Angel Island with aggressive questioning and racism as a consequence of the Chinese Exclusion Act.

Angel Island closed in 2005 for vast refurbishment after being nearly demolished in 1970. The first phase will allow visitors to tour the crowded barracks that housed immigrants for weeks and even years and the interrogation rooms in the immigration station.

Guided tours cost $7 for adults and $5 for children. Visit aiisf.org or call 415-435-3522 for more information.