Part 2/6:
Among the records from the immigrants' dining room around 1920, there emerges a menu that might surprise many. It featured stewed peaches, lamb stew with vegetables, tapioca pudding, and roast beef hash with green peppers—items that, at first glance, appear to be a step up from the stereotypes of poor quality food often associated with Ellis Island's past.
However, this menu stands in stark contrast to the darker experiences that characterized earlier years on the island. The conditions of the food served could fluctuate greatly, often dictated by the time period and the social conditions surrounding it.