Henry Louis Gates Jr.: What was the family story of how he came from Jamaica?

Elizabeth Alexander: The story he told us then was that he stowed away on a banana boat. And you know my brother and I said ooh, stowed away on a boat, I pictured the whole thing.

Narration: I didn’t know whether a stowaway would show up in the records at Ellis Island… but if Clifford was there, Catherine Daly would be able to find him.

Gates: Catherine, I’m looking for Elizabeth Alexander’s grandfather who would have migrated from Jamaica in the teens.

Catherine Daly: Okay. We found a Clifford Alexander who came in September 7, 1918.

Gates: Must be the guy.

Daly: You bring up a listing…

Gates: 1918

Daly: 1918

Gates: Alexander, Clifford, 21 years-old…

Daly: Read and wrote English. He was of West Indian heritage.

Gates: Kingston, Jamaica.

Daly: Leaving behind his brother. It’s showing that they’re coming first class, first cabin passengers.

Gates: Wow… So boats were integrated.

Daly: Yes. And the boats, they would be cleared at the pier if they were first class or second cabin… And he paid for his fare himself… And then there’s a ship that they traveled on.

Gates: The Turrialba. Daly: Turrialba, leaving the port of Kingston, built by United Fruit Company. I’m sure that’s what it is, don’t you think?

Gates: Yeah. That is amazing.

Daly: She’ll love this.

Gates: Yeah, I’m loving it. And I’m not even related to them.

He had enough money to buy a ticket rather than stowaway and preferred that story, isn’t that curious?

Alexander: No, it’s amazing. It’s really amazing… Of course also it makes you wish for what you can’t have. Which is just that I could talk to him. You know and ask him questions.

Gates: Now how’d you get on that boat? How long were you on that boat? What was it like?

Alexander: Everything.

Gates: Everything.

Alexander: Yeah, everything, everything, everything.

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