The document discusses the history of native Americans and immigration to the United States. It notes that native Americans were the first inhabitants and numbered around 1.5 million when Christopher Columbus discovered the new world in 1492. Over the next two centuries, people from European countries immigrated to America to explore, trade and establish colonies. The government eventually forced native Americans onto poor quality reservation lands, leading to population decline, loss of culture and language for some tribes. The document also discusses Ellis Island as the "golden door" through which over 12 million immigrants passed between 1892 and 1954. It provides context on the languages spoken in America today and notes a new immigration system introduced in 2000 to diversify the types of immigrants entering the country.