DeAnza chapter of DAR hosts presentation ceremony for American History Essay Contest winners

The De Anza chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution held a presentation ceremony for the local student awardees of its American History Essay Contest on Feb. 7 at the Church of the Nativity in Rancho Santa Fe. The ceremony was followed by a Colonial Tea.

The ceremony included some elements of Ellis Island, as this year’s essay prompt was in honor of the 125th anniversary of the opening of the immigration processing facility at Ellis Island in 1892. As guests arrived, they were greeted by signs in foreign languages “directing” them, along with helpful “agents” speaking to them in incomprehensible tongues.

This part of the event was designed to give the students some sense of what arriving in America may have been like for non-English speakers. During the Tea, the students tried to match the signs with languages and translations. The event also included Ellis Island trivia questions for students to answer during the ceremony, with chocolate bar rewards for correct answers.

Photos by McKenzie Images.