The united American : a magazine of good citizenchip., August 01, 1924, Page 10, Image 10

THE UNITED AMERICAN
EDITORIAL
EXTENDING PUBLIC SCHOOL FACILITIES FOR
ADULT IMMIGRANT EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
IVITH THE OPENING of the public schools in
Portland on September 30th, the adult immi­
grant school work in this city will be materially en­
larged upon, if the plans recently outlined by assistant
school superintendent, E. H. Whitney, speaking in
behalf of the school administration, are carried out.
Speaking before the Portland Americanization
Council, in monthly meeting assembled, just previous
to the school election in June, Mr. Whitney made it
plain that the reason for the limited adult immigrant
school work conducted by the public schools of this
city, was entirely due to the administration’s lack of
funds for this important branch of educational ac­
tivities.
Mr. Whitney stated that approximately $7,500.00
was all that School Board and the administration had
been able to make available for a limited number of
immigrant classes in the city night schools. In making
an earnest plea for the proposed school levy he
pledged that if the levy should carry, the administra­
tion would double this amount for adult immigrant
classes during the ensuing school year, making
$15,000.00 available for this purpose. In this way,
he stated, would it be possible, this year, for the public
schools to absorb and conduct the volunteer classes,
which last year were organized and instructed out­
side the school buildings under the supervision of the
executive secretary of the Americanization Council.
The school levy carried and the administration of
Public Schools secured additional funds for the grow­
ing educational needs of this city. The people of
foreign birth who are anxious that school facilities be
provided for them in the various outlying districts
where they live, are hoping that the specific pre-elec­
tion promises which were made, will be carried out
when the night schools open.
In order to stimulate and promote greater interest
in the public night schools among the immigrant
people, the September issue of the United American
will be largely devoted to special features and articles
from immigrant students in public schools through­
out America, who through public education are find­
ing the road that leads from the foreign colony to the
all-American plane where the point of common in­
terest is assured through the means of a common
language.
To reach the foreign born with this educational
appeal, backed by these weighty and conclusive argu­
ments, pointing out the direct benefits that come to
the foreign born through the American public night
school, a large number of extra copies of the Sep­
tember issue will be mailed out and distributed among
the aliens thoroughout the entire city.
There should be classes for aliens in every school
house in Portland this year.
Kindly an’d specially trained teachers should carry
AUGUST, IS
on the Educational and Americanization work in the
school centers.
Teach the foreign born to think, speak and res
the American language. Teach them how to fit ther
selves for American life. Teach them how to feel(
Americans, and the foreign speaking bolshevists ar
reds will lose much of their influence among tl
foreign born in America.
Other American cities are speeding up adult imm
grant education, making it an important branch c
public instruction. Portland has been far behind i
this respect, but timely action can do much to remed;
and improve unsatisfactory conditions.
ILLITERACY IS LESS AMONG CHILDREN 01
IMMIGRANT THAN NATIVE PARENTAGE
IM7HILE WE HAVE been exceedingly delinquent«
our duty to provide school facilities for th<
adult immigrants, we are forcefully reminded of thi
immigrants’ appreciation of education and its advant
ages by the way they strive to give their children th(
benefit of the educational opportunities presented ii
America, which they themselves never had.
The 1920 census gives striking evidence of the fact
that the immigrant population of the Unted States
appreciates American educational opportunities and
is quick to take advantage of them. Of the 13,497,886
foreign born white persons ten years of age and over
in the United States, 13.1 per cent were illiterate. Of
the second generation, however, that is, all persons
(16,784,299) one or both of whose parents were
foreing born, only .8 of one per cent were illiterate.
The comparatively high percentage of illiteracy
among the immigrants themselves thus practically
disappears with their children. Indeed, it would
seem that the foreign born in this country more
readily appreciate our school advantages than do the
native born. For while only .8 of one per cent of child­
ren of foreign bom parents were illiterate, 2.5 per
cent of all white persons, ten years of age and over,:
of native white parents showed proportionately three,
times as much illiteracy as the children of immigrant
parents.
Those who fully appreciate educational values are
usually the first to take advantage of the opportunity
to obtain knowledge. Taking the Census figures as
a criterion, the foreign born people in America seem
to have very definite ideas about the benefits an
American education will bring for their children even
if they cannot obtain one for themselves.
ATTAINMENTS AND CONTRIBUTIONS BY
AMERICA’S IMMIGRANT CITIZENS
WHEN YOU wonder why the shilly shally type of
the native born Americans proclaim America for
Americans of native birth, are so loud in their pro­
testations against recognizing the foreign born, and
when you feel the sting of the preposterous cry of the
Elton Watkins’ type of “patriots” who even classify
the native American bom children as foreigners, sup­
posedly of the menacing type not to be trusted as
Americans, and who demand such recognition for only
“native born whites of native white parentage” (seel