January, 1923
THE WESTERN AMERICAN
9
Americanization Movement, the Great National Unity Agency
IVHILE STRIFE between opposing political, re­
ligious and fraternal factions in the cities and
in the rural communities, throughout the nation, has
seriously interfered with many community interests
involving the greater good to the greater number,
one movement of potential possibilities for good to
the citizens of this land has been able to steer clear
of the factional shoals and unite people from all war­
ing factions in a common bond for a common purpose,
that of promotion better citizenship through Ameri­
canization.
Here and there throughout the nation, men and
women, who had come to realize that America’s na­
tional future was insecure unless the American peo­
ple could be made to rally to an All-American move­
ment for national unity, began immediately after the
conclusion of the war to call public attention to the
alienation process that was gaining a strong foothold
among the people of foreign nationalities in America.
Movements of intolerant nationalistic character
fed and nurtured the growing unrest among the for­
eign born and America saw immediately after the
war the development of a group consciousness of na-
I tionality, creed and race, that had never been known
before in this country.
In the midst of this strife and struggle, intoler­
ance and hatred, men and women imbued with true
American patriotism responded to the call for the
All-American unity movement. In cities and towns
throughout the country, citizens from all walks of
life banded themselves together to promote tolerance,
better understanding and mutuality of interest be­
tween all races, creeds and nationalities. They pledged
themselves to promote helpful agencies where the
| native bom could meet the foreign born on a common
level, cultivating his nobler qualities and facilitating
educational requirements, the stepping stone to in­
telligent citizenship and true allegiance.
I From a small beginning the Americanization move-
Iment has gradually assumed proportions that are
[giving promise of national recognition for the only
agency through which national unity can successful­
ly be worked out.
♦
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When a handful of men and women in the city of
Portland, interested in the Americanization move­
ment, met about three years ago to discuss the plans
[of a city wide movement for Americanization they
did not realize that they had struck the keynote of
harmony in citizenship building in this city. Invita­
tions to organizations, in this city having an interest
in the movement, to send representatives, met with
[hearty response and in less than two years the move­
ment was well under way, with Protestants and Ca­
tholics, Gentiles and Jews, all harmoniously working
together to promote a kindly and helpful contact
with the foreign born.
It is safe to say that the Portland Americanization
¡Council today, through its representatives, can reach
further through organized channels than any other
organization in this state.
The first officers elected in the Council have been
continued throughout until the present time. Mr. L.
R. Wheeler, one of the publishers of The Portland
Telegram, is president; Mr. Jacob Kanzler, judge of
the Court of Domestic Relations, is vice-president;
Miss Anne Mulheron, Librarian of the Portland Pub­
lic Library, is secretary, and Mr. H. Langoe, editor
The Western American Magazine, is treasurer. Mem­
bers of the executive committee, together with the
above named officials, are Dr. Norman F. Coleman,
executive official of the four L organization; Mr.
V. W. Tomlinson, United States Naturalization Ex­
aminer for Oregon and A. M. Gray, superintendent of
the Public Night Schools.
The management of Portland’s Community Chest
gave last year recognition to the Portland Americani­
zation Council’s work, including it among its bene­
ficiaries to an amount of $3000 yearly.
Last October Dr. Edward O. Sisson, professor of
philosophy at Reed College, at the request of the
Council, accepted the position of non-salaried direc­
tor to have charge of the Council’s Americanization
work in cooperation with the executive committee.
Offices were subsequently opened on November 1st,
in 335 Chamber of Commerce building, and Miss Cath-
rine A. Bradshaw, an experienced welfare worker,
was engaged to take charge of the office as paid Field
Secretary under the direction of Dr. Sisson.
The Council’s work among the foreign bom has
been directed towards friendly social contact and to
create interest in American language education and
citizenship training in the Public Night Schools.
Among the organizations represented in the Port­
land Americanization Council are the Daughters of
the American Revolution; the Federated Women’s
Clubs; the Y. M. C. A.; the Y. W. C. A.; the W. C.
T. U.; the Parent-Teachers’ Association; the Knights
of Columbus; the B’nai B’rith; the University Wom­
en’s Club; the City Club; the American Legion; the
Spanish War Veterans; the Veterans of Foreign
Wars, and the latter organizations’ ladies’ auxiliaries,
the Methodist laymen’s missionary movement; the
Central Labor Council and many others.
One of the noteworthy undertakings of the Council
last year was the staging of a grand naturalization
ceremony on Washington’s birthday, February 22nd.
For this occasion Federal Judge Wolverton consented
to conduct the United States District Court in natural­
ization proceedings on the spacious stage of the
Portland municipal auditorium. The foreign born of
the city were given special consideration for this
occasion, the entire lower floor of the auditorium
being reserved for them, that they might witness the
public reception of friends and relatives who in the
number of nearly one hundred, of many nationalities,
were officially inducted into citizenship with solemn
and appropriate ceremonies. The occasion was one