We hear so often that America is “a nation of immigrants” or a “cultural mixing pot” that the phrase has become kind of a tired cliche. But actually seeing that history is a different story. The fascinating photographs below — of people in their native costume passing through Ellis Island in the early 20th Century — hint at just how incredible and unique America’s history is as a nation of immigrants.

Read the article “What America’s Immigrants Looked Like When They Arrived on Ellis Island” on washingtonpost.com.