Races, Immigration: United States. New York. New York City. Immigrant Station: Regulation of Immigration at the Port of Entry. United States Immigration Station, New York City: Excluded women. c. 1903

Editor: This photograph, "Excluded Women" by J.H. Adams, depicts a group of women at a New York immigration station. The women are holding their belongings. What strikes me is the heavy materiality, all the fabric and bundles they carry. How does the context of immigration shape your understanding of this image? Curator: The focus on materiality is key. Notice the rough fabrics, the practical bundles. These aren't luxury goods; they represent a life's worth of possessions and labor, all carried by these women. What does it mean to be excluded, processed as a material problem at the port of entry? Editor: It really makes you think about the human cost of immigration policies. I'm starting to see how the materials tell their own story of hardship. Curator: Exactly. The image highlights the material conditions and the means of production that define these women's existence and how those lives were impacted by immigration policies. Editor: This has completely changed how I see the photo. Thanks!