Lots of things people think they know end up being false, which is why Snopes is such a valuable service. But Snopes has missed a few: First, it turned out that “No Irish Need Apply” signs never existed, and now it seems that no immigrant had his name changed at Ellis Island. The political moral of the story: Your grandmother’s tale of fleeing the Cossacks (or, in my case, the Turks) is not a substitute for facts.