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This morning l'd like to focus on New York as a model for understanding immigration patterns in relation to national rather than international change. Firstly, it is important to understand that migration patterns are primarily affected by the rules of immigration which determine the conditions of entry. After that, internal changes can affect patterns considerably. To highlight my first point let's study this diagram of Ellis Island and the process of admitting immigrants in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Upon arrival at Ellis Island, people underwent a series of examinations before being allowed to enter the US. First of all, there was a medical inspection to ensure the immigrants were not carrying any contagious diseases. Anyone who did not pass the medical examination was refused entry to New York and sent home on the next available ship. If the examination was passed, immigrants were required to take a further examination, this time a legal examination to establish whether they had any criminal convictions. After this, they were able to change currency and purchase tickets for onward rail travel from New York. Having completed this simple process. immigrants were told to wait - this wait could be as long as five hours - before boarding a ferry to take them to New York City. This simple system allowed millions of immigrants to enter the US and is largely responsible for the ethnic make-up of the city today.