From 1910 to 1940, the Angel Island Immigration Station in California functioned as a Detention Center for people immigrating to the United States through the West Coast. Many of the people that passed through Angel Island came from Asia but also South America, Russia, Mexico, Australia, and Canada. Hundreds of inscriptions mark the walls of the former Immigration Station Detention Center including poems, names, dates, and images. Inscribed by detainees, the writing on the wall provides insight into the lives of those detained on the island. The Angel Island Immigration Station is one of only two National Historic Landmarks in the United States focused on Asian and Asian American history.