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HOW THESE POEMS SAVED HISTORY

Monday, May 22, 2023

In today’s newsletter, we read Angel Island immigrant poetry, question how Madagascar’s animals became so unique, learn how Swastika Mountain got a new name ... and discover real ways to fight climate change.

poems written on a wall

CAROL M. HIGHSMITH/LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

Often America bulldozes the sites of its ugliest history. But the poems saved Angel Island from demolition.

A park ranger found the poems (above) written on the walls of the onetime refugee and migrant entryway. But Angel Island also was a mass detention center, particularly for tens of thousands of people from China or Japan. What happened on this island in San Francisco harbor? And how has America learned?

GO BEYOND THE GOLDEN DOOR

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San Francisco harbor

JAMES DAVID GIVENS/LIBRARY OF CONGRESS

The Ellis Island of the West Coast? That’s a sanitized moniker for the immigration center in San Francisco harbor (pictured in 1916). Unlike its New York counterpart, a prime function of Angel Island was to thwart Asian migrants from reaching the U.S. mainland. It is now a National Historic Landmark. Read more.

STORIES WE’RE FOLLOWING

Oregon’s Umpqua National Forest

PHOTOGRAPH BY ALAMY

Swastika Mountain within Oregon’s Umpqua National Forest (above) needed a new name. Here’s how it got one

Are there real ways to fight climate change? Yes.

Did early humans interbreed with a ‘ghost’ population?

Mount Etna is erupting again—and is sliding into the sea

A 'women-only' village? The truth is much more complex—and fascinating

The intrigue behind the Bermuda Triangle

The sargassum seaweed blob has arrived on Florida's beaches. Here's what we know.

Do collagen supplements really work?

How the Holocaust happened in plain sight

QUIZ OF THE DAY

a photograph of many organisms

PHOTOGRAPH BY DAVID LIITTSCHWAGER

Count them all: To mark today’s International Day of Biological Diversity, we looked at the different types of critters that can be found in a small amount of soil. You tell us: this photo used what quantity of soil to find all these organisms?

A. A bucketful
B. A cubic foot
C. A cubic yard

CLICK FOR THE ANSWER

PAID CONTENT FOR VISIT NORTH CAROLINA

PHOTOGRAPH BY GRETA RYBUS

Uncover unique experiences just beyond Raleigh city limits

As a photojournalist specializing in travel photography, National Geographic Photographer Greta Rybus is passionate about capturing the local experience—and creating meaningful connections—in the places she visits. Join as she discovers the natural beauty, history, and unique spirit of Raleigh and its neighboring towns with the help of the folks who keep them thriving.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

a painting depicting medieval disease

ART VIA WERNER FORMAN ARCHIVE, BRIDGEMAN IMAGES

Cancer-free? In a pre-industrial Britain—before tobacco and factories—the cancer rate was estimated at 1 percent. But according to new research, that number may have been a gross miscalculation. (Above, a painting depicting medieval disease: infection, malnutrition, and warfare injuries.)

WHAT ARCHAEOLOGISTS FOUND

WHAT IN THE WORLD?

an aye-aye

PHOTOGRAPH BY FRANS LANTING, NAT GEO IMAGE COLLECTION

Float on: How did Madagascar’s animals (like the aye-aye above) get to the island? Giant rafts of vegetation from Africa’s mainland, it looks like. Researchers compared genetic data from modern Malagasy species with the fossil record of their ancestors from the mainland.

We asked, you answered: Even seasoned swimmers reading our story on fast death in cold lakes hadn’t understood the sudden speed of “cold shock.” Reader and former lifeguard Katie Schwartz said the article “gave me information I didn't know”—and now she’s a vocal supporter of life vests for everyone on chilly lakes.

Today’s soundtrack: So We Won’t Forget, Khruangbin

Thanks for reading today’s newsletter! It was curated and edited by Jen Tse, Hannah Farrow, and David Beard. Want to let us know your thoughts? Send away: [email protected]. Happy trails!

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