Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The united American : a magazine of good citizenchip. (Portland, Or.) 1923-1927 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1923)
10 THE WESTERN AMERICAN APRIL, 1923 we in the past have shown altogether too little con cern in the life of our fellow beings who labor day by day alongside of us in the shops and mills and live next door in city suburbs and apartment dwellings. A genuine effort is today being made throughout the country to take in the slack, begin measuring up TRAINING FOR AMERICANIZATION WORK 'T'HE PORTLAND center summer session of the Uni- and take an interest in our fellow workers and neigh r versity of Oregon will this year among the many bors, even though they may not be of our particular courses taught include a course of training for Amer nationality, creed or race, or stand on the accepted social level with us, in order that we as fellow citizens icanization workers. may have something actually in common of what the Dr. Ralph P. Boas, director of Americanization in term implies. Springfield, Massachusetts, will be the instructor in The proper spirit of neighborliness will remedy the Americanization course. many of the domestic ills we complain of today. The course has been added at the request of the More than forty of Portland’s civic educational Portland Americanization Council with the view of patriotic organizations pledged to the cause of Amer overcoming one of the difficulties connected with icanization and affiliated in the Portland Americani Americanization work in this city and state, finding zation Council, are expected to have some one of their people competent as well as willing to engage in this members take this course so that they may have a great cooperative movement to bring the true spirit trained representative in the movement of organized of America into the hearts and homes of the foreign Americanization work, in schools, in shops and com- , born. munity group centers, when the indoor activities of Few people in America have had such wide experi social service in this city begins in the fall. ence in this field of thought as Dr. Boas who is gen The scholarship tuition for this course is $12.50. erally considered an eminent authority on the subject Enrollments are now taking place in the office of the of solving the group problem and bringing about a Oregon University extension department in room 652 I more rapid process of assimilation and bridging the in the Multnomah county court house, in this city. chasm between foreign and native born in America. The only requirement for enrollment is a student’s I It is thought likely that organizations out of Port ability to do the work, but university credit toward I land who are interested in the Americanization move graduation is available only under the usual regula- I ment will show their interest in this summer school tions of the university. “Hearers” and others wish- I course sufficient to pay for a scholarship and desig ing to benefit by class instruction without preparing I nate some willing Americanization worker as the all assigned work and without taking the examina- I tions, will register as do other students. beneficiary of such scholarship. The registration fee is the only expense connected I • Among the recommendations of the Oregon Uni versity Americanization course, as outlined, is the with the course aside from the purchase of text books I statement from City School Superintendent D. A. and the necessary expenditures for carfare in connec-1 tion with the work assigned in the course. Grout, who says: Additional information may be obtained by calling I America is the product of its immigrants. Our continuing problem has been the assimilation of those coming into the the university office, phone Main 3575. Anyone in-1 United States with the purpose of becoming future citizens. If terested in Americanization work, having the time I this problem is to be solved successfully, serious thought must available, will find this course of great benefit to I be given to providing trained teachers for the work. themselves as it will aid them in making life brighter I Genuine Americans believe that all men have equal rights in life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We are a free and better, somewhere and somehow, for someone dom-loving and a home making people. Our democratic ideals who by force of circumstances is living isolated where and beliefs must find their way into the minds and hearts of shadow and gloom have their harbor and where the I our future citizens. sunshine of life is but a casual visitor. EDITORIAL The greatest present need in this city is more teachers and leaders who have been trained for this type of work. We re joice that the University of Oregon is planning to contribute so helpfully to the cause by offering extension courses in its summer school for the purpose of developing trained teachers who will understand the difficulties and be able properly to organize and to direct the teaching of those who are ambitious to become wcfrthy citizens of the greatest and best type of present-day human government. In a city where more than three hundred thousand people live within the incorporate limits, there is room for work of this nature and.it should be carried on by people having a thorough understanding of both the technical and the practical side of the situation to bring about the intelligent co0peration and coordina tion of all the individual units that constitute such a vast population, in the interest of better citizenship and a better community. In our every day life there is reason to believe that In our later day progress, in the direction of excell ing one another, we may have given the impetus to some worthy and highly beneficial developments aiding the human family, but when the spirit of excellence has developed a madeningl disregard for the safety of human life, the evidence of which is noticeable on every hand, then it is obvious that the vehicle of progress has gained an unexpected momentum we are going] to find it hard to check. The crazed thrill-seeking individuals who laugh ait death at every turn and crossing may cheat the grim reaper once in a while but the game is a loosing one for everybody save the sensational story hunter, the undertaker, the grave-digger and the tombstone-maker. Recklessness is» dangerous degree of insanity we still continue to license hy granting death-defying individuals the right to control dan-, gerous motive power, while we lock up harmless individuals not strictly “right,” who would risk their own to save another life in danger. Due regard for life and property is a humai quality apparently of small concern with some of us and in danger of slipping away from most of us, unless we begin seriously to apply the brakes.