New York City for decades has brought to the collective imagination to the figure of the woman who raises her arm to the sky in the act of illuminating the sea with a flashlight.

Lady Liberty, as americans say.

The Statue of Liberty, represented by a tall, proud woman, who with a firm and stern look, welcomes anyone who arrives from the ocean.

As well the writer Alessandro Baricco describes in Novecento, on board ships that sailed to the Big Apple there was always someone who could see the land before everybody. Someone who could see America or La Merica…
It seems that the statue is already visible at 25 miles from the coast.
The fact is that after having seen the land from a far distance, after days and days of departure, as the ships approached the city, making the silhouettes of skyscrapers more distinguishable, the great surprise for all was to pass in front of the famous statue. To whom seemed small, to whom seemed huge, to whom seemed real and to whom seemed not, the certainty is that it never left anyone indifferent.

A few meters from the island of the Statue of Liberty, Liberty Island, is one that has long been the obligatory landing point for all passengers: Ellis Island, another small island that hosts structures with immigration control.

The United States for decades have done everything possible to make sure to host healthy people, physically and mentally, without problems with the law, and therefore able to worthily serve the country. We know that then things in reality are always more complicated. However it was not so simple to pass health checks and so many, rather than a “welcome” were seen to stamp then a nice “rejected” to embark on the first ship to return sadly to the starting point. So for many the last memory of the land of opportunity it was the Statue of Liberty.

From welcome to goodbye in a few hours.

Today Ellis island is a museum where people can go to relive in part the atmosphere and the impact it had on the ancestors. Ellis Island is also a huge archive containing decades of immigration data. We are talking about 51 million people database. You can also sign up online to be able to consult the ships’ logbooks with complete lists of passengers.

But let’s return to the Statue of Liberty. After 9/11, the museum that is at the base of the giant lived closures and restrictions on the entry of visitors. On the other hand, which symbol of the occident could be attacked if not the Statue of Liberty?
Today, however, things are changing and while being anything but left of the terrorism tunnel and the split between different cultures, USA are trying to react positively and without closing in fear. So it started this new project for the construction of a new museum of the Statue of Liberty.. United States for many years have introduced the Crowdfunding, a popular fundraising and therefore open to any individual who has the will to contribute over associations or lobby.
The new museum will be ready by 2019 and the project is available on the website.

A few days ago, having joined the mailing list for some time, I received an email from the foundation of the museum, whose opening words reads:

“Dear Friend of Liberty,

For 130 years Lady Liberty has stood tall in New York Harbor. She stands as a beacon of light and a symbol of hope for individuals from all over the world. She is a reminder of our nation’s history, and of our enduring vision of freedom, hope, and opportunity for the future.

What do you give a Lady for her 130th Birthday?

How about a brand new museum to honor her and tell her story!”

The rest of the email is marketing which makes me think why would I contribute to this but…
I decide that is an important thing for me and probably also for many others. Because the symbols (as ideas) last very long and have important value and weight.
So with my small contribution I will match myself to that symbol, I will remember, and I will honor what has been done by my ancestors over a century ago, I will make a more beautiful city, I will contribute to an act of culture.
And last, but not least, I will increase my huge ego inscribing my name on a registry that will probably live longer than me.

Statue of Liberty: hope, opportunity and immortality.