A new novel by St. Paul-based author Freeman Ng brings renewed attention to the powerful voices of Chinese immigrants detained at Angel Island over a century ago.
Ng’s book, Bridge Across the Sky, published by Simon & Schuster in 2025, is a young adult novel that blends fiction with historical reality. At its core are the haunting poems carved into the wooden walls of the Angel Island Immigration Station in San Francisco Bay. These verses, etched by detainees who arrived in the early 20th century, convey themes of injustice, sorrow, and hope as they awaited entry into the United States.
“The poems are such a moving record of the hopes and frustrations of these immigrants,” Ng told MPR News host Emily Bright during an interview for Minnesota Now. “They were written by people who had traveled thousands of miles only to be locked in detention. Their voices deserve to be heard.”
Often referred to as the “Ellis Island of the West,” Angel Island processed hundreds of thousands of immigrants between 1910 and 1940—many of them from China. Due to the Chinese Exclusion Act and other restrictive immigration policies of the era, Chinese applicants were frequently held for weeks or months in harsh conditions while undergoing intense interrogation.
Ng’s novel introduces young readers to this little-known chapter of American history through the lens of fictional characters inspired by real-life experiences. Alongside the narrative, Bridge Across the Sky includes translated selections of the original poetry, offering both historical context and emotional resonance.
To hear the full interview with Freeman Ng, listen to Minnesota Now via the audio player on the MPR News website or subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or other major platforms.
Transcripts of the broadcast will be made available on the MPR News website the day after airing.
