Alexandra (Julia Schlaepfer) had a harrowing trip through Ellis Island in 1923, but it wasn’t entirely clear why she had to go through the notorious immigration processing station. Much of 1923 season 2, episode 3 was dedicated to Alexandra’s first moments in America. Unfortunately, those moments were far from pleasant. Alexandra was forced to go through the immigration processing station at Ellis Island, several fully nude medical examinations, and rampant racism and bigotry. It was nearly as disturbing as Timothy Dalton’s controversial 1923 scene, but there was a good reason it was included.

Aside from showcasing the harsh realities of immigrating to America at the start of the 20th century, Alexandra’s trip to Ellis Island is also a crucial part of her story. 1923 season 2 has been very bleak and disturbing so far, and every member of the Dutton family tree has had hardships to deal with. Alexandra is no different, and 1923 season 2 has actually been setting up her trials at Ellis Island for a long time. There’s a simple reason Alexandra had to go to Ellis Island, and one character in 1923 actually explained it outright.

Why Alexandra Visited Ellis Island In 1923 Season 2 Explained
Alexandra Didn’t Have The Proper Paperwork To Immigrate To The U.S. & Had To Go Through Ellis Island

There was a fairly simple reason Alexandra had to go through Ellis Island and its inspections instead of being allowed to disembark the ship: she didn’t have any paperwork. As the guard on the boat noted, the higher class passengers on the ship had travel documents that they sorted out at the U.S. Embassy in London prior to the journey, while Alexandra didn’t. Since she didn’t have any documents proving who she was or that she was married to a United States citizen, Alexandra was considered an undocumented immigrant and sent to Ellis Island.

Unfortunately, Alexandra couldn’t have gotten the paperwork she needed to avoid Ellis Island. Alexandra had to travel in secret, both because her family had disowned her and because she was a woman traveling by herself, and securing a travel visa would have immediately revealed her secret. She also didn’t have the money required to get such a visa, as she had to sell all of her valuables just to earn enough to buy the ticket itself.

Why Pregnant Women Weren’t Allowed To Immigrate to The U.S.
U.S. Officials Discriminated Against Immigrants & Didn’t Want Them To Take Advantage Of Birthright Citizenship

One part of Alexandra’s experience in Ellis Island stood out: the United States didn’t allow pregnant women to immigrate into the country. There’s a simple, albeit awful, reason for that. The U.S. didn’t want “undesireables” to give birth to their “mongrel” children in the United States, as the U.S.’s birthright citizenship would make them Americans. The guards at Ellis Island and other immigration processing centers didn’t want people of races they considered inferior to give birth in America. Alexandra was mistaken for an Irish immigrant, which was one of many ethnicities that were discriminated against at the time.

From the late 19th to early 20th century, the United States experienced a huge wave of immigration as many people from around the world fled from political instability, famine, disease, or poverty. Ellis Island was used as a processing center to inspect those immigrants, officially to prevent any transmittable diseases from spreading throughout America. Unofficially, however, many of the guards working at Ellis Island would turn away “undesireables,” a distinction usually made around biases like ableism, racism, and misogyny (via American Medical Association). Those workers would routinely prohibit the elderly, pregnant, disabled, or anyone else they considered to be “bad” for America from immigrating.

How Alexandra’s Immigration To The US Could Have Been Different
If Alexandra Could Have Traveled Under Her Royal Name, She Wouldn’t Have Set Foot On Ellis Island

Alexandra, and countless people in real life, had a horrifying experience at Ellis Island, but it could have been avoided. If Alexandra had gone to the U.S. Embassy and secured her travel documents, she would never have gone to Ellis Island in 1923. She would have been able to travel as Alexandra of Sussex, and her royal title would likely have given her special privileges instead of the abuse she suffered. Her marriage to Spencer, however, took away all the benefits of Alexandra’s connection to the English monarchy.

Alternatively, if Spencer and Alexandra had been married on land instead of at sea, they would have had a valid marriage license. If Alexandra had a marriage license, she would have been able to prove that she was an American citizen by marriage, and she likely wouldn’t have had to endure even a fraction of the abuse she did. She likely still would have gone to Ellis Island, but instead of submitting to a complete physical exam and intense interrogation, she would have been waved through rather easily in 1923.