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About The united American : a magazine of good citizenchip. (Portland, Or.) 1923-1927 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1924)
JANUARY, 1924 THE UNITED AMERICAN 7 and unnaturalized, who fancy that they are entitled to tain the views of The United American. The cause look upon America as their country. of Americanization should cease to be a political and The incident is used here only to furnish an illu social hobby horse for people who use every means to stration of what we mean when we quote a common be in the center of the stage. People who apply to an parlance of the street: “Anything is good enough for educational institution for training in Americaniza the ‘foreigners’.” The dignity and pride of the for tion subjects should either be told that the subject eign born, as an American citizen, perhaps ought not was not taught or else such an institution should pro to be hurt, if some unimportant “head” writer with a vide a competent and qualified instructor, qualified leading American newspaper, believing that he ex because of personal training in the subject and backed pressed a somewhat acceptable opinion of his native by acceptable credentials. clan, conveyed the impression that books simple It should be borne in mind that a large number of enough to be suitable for feebleminded would be the people of foreign birth, who are deficient in the excellent reading for the foreign born. American language and lacking in intimate knowledge The relevancy of this reference to the subject mat of American institutions, are fairly well educated ter under discussion is only by way of specific refer people and in intelligence and training are quite equal ence to emphasize the importance of changing some to the native Americans. I woefully wrong impressions regarding the foreign SHOPPER born which is quite general among native Americans. A tiller of the soil frnm Pohick Crossroads trudged into a This is absolutely essential, if we are to have any shoe store with his nine children and said to the clerk, “I want beneficial results from our Americanization activities. ’em all fitted.” The obliging clerk went to the job and as Those who have come to believe that the work of rapidly as he had each one of the children fitted, the farmer asked, “Now, what size is that?” The clerk gave him the in teaching the foreign bom the American language is formation, which the farmer wrote on a slip of paper. all there is in Americanization, or that learning how Wheh all were fitted, the clerk figured a minute and said, to instruct a class of foreign born in the American “Now that will be fifty-eight dollars.” “Oh,” said the farmer, “I don’t want to buy their shoes here. language, by some general method, is all there is to know about Americanization, will never contribute I just want to be sure of the sizes. I am going home now and them from Sears-Roebuck.” much to the Americanization work which is held es- order Don’t laugh at this, for it only parallels a tragedy daily I sential to the assimilation of the alien in the interest enacted in the printing business by the habitual shopper. of our common unity cause. There is but one way to break up this iniquitous custom, and is to run the Standard Cost System in your shop, and It may be an expression of feeblemindedness on the that then talk it at every opportunity to every shopper who enters part of the foreign born when he resents expressions your plant.—Typothetae of Washington. of paternalism and objects to sympathetic patronage, iiiiiiiiiiiHiiiitiiiiHiiiiiiiiiHfiiimiiiHtiiiiiiiHiiiiiiminiiimiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiniimiiimiir: and asks for only one thing — to be regarded as an American, in spite of his accent and impediment of speech. He may not be regarded “just right” by some I people when he insists that the constitutional prero- Igative should be granted to him without any equivo- I cation or reservation, but it is a safe conclusion that I the mental reservation he observes on the part of the I native Americans who grudgingly admit that the I wording of the Constitution favors equality for the foreign born, is not going to help bring about his I Americanization. We believe, regardless of the criticism our frank discussion in this respect is almost sure to bring about in certain centers locally, that such profound stu dents and instructors in Americanization as Doc tor Raymond Moley, of Columbia University; Ralph Boas of Springfield; Dr. Alfred E. Koenig of Minne apolis; Dr. Albert E. Jenks, formerly head of the [Department of Anthropology and Americanization in —is an everyday source of pleasure and ¡the Minnesota State University now engaged in pride—and it can be accomplished within Research work in Washington, D. C.; R. E. Dugdale, the moderate income. We have had long [Director Extension Department Board of Education experience in judging furniture values, and in charge of Americanization in Toledo, Ohio; and the pieces we select represent the kind W, C. Smith, supervisor of Immigrant Education, Al of furniture you want, at prices you can bany, N. Y.; Charles M. Herlihy, Department of Americanization, Massachusetts; Robert C. Deming, State Director of Americanization, Hartford, Conn.; Chester A. Graham, Board of Education, Akron, Ohio; E. W. Emsweiler, Director of Americanization, Columbus, Ohio; G. A. Green, Director the Citizens’ (Bureau, Cleveland, Ohio, and many others, will sus Place Your Orders With The United American Advertisers—and Tell Them Why