THE
WESTERN
m e r i c a n
( continuing The Northman )
I
A MAGAZINE OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP
Devoted to the Cause of
Americanization, Assimilation and Group Elimination; Pointing the way to a Constitutional
Americanism, to Equality in Citizenship, and a better understanding
between Native born and Foreign bom.
Vol. 1 &?“1’ 19
Number 2
NOVEMBER 1922
AMERICANIZATION WORK IN THE CITIES
INTERPRETING AMERICA TO THE STRANGERS WITHIN
TF THE RANK and file of the foreign! born people
■ in America, who speak no other language than
their mother tongue and able to understand but very
little of America’s language, fully understood what
the organized Americanization movement meant to
them, there would scarcely be a single alien in the
United States who would not be a pupil in a class,
day or night, where the American language is taught
and where the proper interpretation is given the in
stitutions of America.
I If those of foreign birth, who have assumed lead
ership among their countrymen and hence, in a
measure, are responsible for their warped state of
mind and inability to progress, would cease to ex
ploit their less fortunate nationals and stop their
sneering and ridicule of the Americanization move
ment, there would be less room for extreme isms
Among Americans and no cause for organizations
of native bom people, taking exceptions to the for
eign born who have made their home in America.
I While misinterpretations of the Americanization
anovement have continually agitated the alien group
centers, the average American has taken little stock
in the movement, being, himself, by training, too in-
different regarding the mental and physical well-
being of “these strangers within,” to look upon it
as a matter of his concern that these strangers be
assimilated and, as far as possible, made to feel at
home, not merely as taxpayers, but as community
builders, neighbors and friends.
I In spite of these impediments, the Americaniza-
tion movement is taking form, and a veritable
army of young, educated and truly American men
and women are gradually sweeping away the ob
stacles, the inertion, the obstanacy and the outright
enmity, in its progress for better understanding of
the mutual interests of native born and foreign bom
on the common ground of one language, one flag and
one nation.
The Americanization work, which gradually has
come to be an institution of community activity, par
ticularly in the cities, has largely been carried on, at
personal sacrifice, by Americans of native and for
eign birth, who have heard their country’s call for
service in the great cause of bringing into unity the
scattered and widely divergent groups of people who
call themselves Americans!
The Americanization work has, contrary to many
people’s belief, had no financial support from com
munity, state or nation. The American millionaires,
who invariably have gone hunting for a worthy
movement to endow with large contributions, have
evidently overlooked this great cause, and the Fed
eral Government has so far been unable to appro
priate money for Americanization work. The natu
ralization work, under the direct supervision of the
government, is evidently not considered of much
more importance, due to the fact that the naturali
zation bureau at Washington has not had enough
money to care for this important work in the re
spective states, rendering the examining officer un
able to give the applications the proper examina
tion and at the same time keep the naturalization
docket clear.
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Organized Americanization work had, as far as
known, its beginning in the city of Cleveland.
Shortly after the United States declared war on