The united American : a magazine of good citizenchip., October 01, 1924, Page 13, Image 13

OCTOBER, 1924
Page Thirteen
THE UNITED AMERICAN
as Tony is a full-fledged American, by authority in this stream shall pass and who shall not — at
of the great seal of the United States of America Ellis Island. If you will take a look with me for a
¡affixed to one of the many millions of pieces of white moment, right now, I know it will be worth your
paper that go by the name of “Naturalization Cer­ while.
tificates.” Pshaw!
To begin with, there is something about the
immigrant that leads me to think we should look at
What is an American, anyhow? And, strangest America through his eyes, rather than ours, before
of all, what is this alchemy of “Americanization” we begin to practice “Americanization” on him. He
that we hear so much about? Just what is it? Ever is really an appealing figure as he stands here at
since I took over this job of sorting immigrants at the gate. He is quite alone in the world. At this
Ellis Island, I have been delving hither and yon to moment he is lonelier, perhaps, than you or I ever will
[try to run down this will-o’-the-wisp of “Americani­ be as long as we live. With back turned upon the old
zation.” For it is well for those who do the work at country and the old folks, with old villages, songs
the gate to know not only the mechanism of the and memories all left behind forever, he has come to
gate itself, but also have some acquaintance with a time in his life that I rather think you and I can
the immigrant before he arrives there, and still never quite know, in just the way he knows it. And
more, to know a bit about what the immigrant is that is how we find him, at Ellis Island, as he knocks
going to walk into once he has passed the gate. The at our gate. Will he be taken in, or turned back?
whole thing is a cycle, with a beginning and end. Always in their faces is the question. The women
Anybody can count the clicks of a turnstile. But it ask it as well as the men. Even the little children
takes more than that to know who should come in seem to pause in their tugging at skirts and bundles
and who should not, and the process by which the when the final moment comes — as though they
immigrant is going to slip into our American life, sensed in their dim way the shadow of a turn in the
once he is in, is a thing to study, almost to pray over long life road ahead. When every day you come up­
on this curious company, standing uncertain at the
— even as we look him over at the gate.
In point of fact, there is a seasoned Ellis Island fork in the path of their destinies, and when you
conviction about this business of Americanization learn, immigrant by immigrant, how the different
that is well grounded in the five hundred American varieties of these big and little voyagers from beyond
men and women who do the island’s work. The the sea take to the affair, you begin to understand
background for it is the human panorama of the how it must feel — to be an immigrant. It is a very
immigrants themselves as they go by, day in and different thing from what it feels like to be — an
day out, the years around. Funneled in here from American. It is a long bridge to cross.
But not yet have I found an immigrant who was
every corner of the world, they go through Ellis
Island in greater numbers and in greater variety not on tiptoe to see, hear and learn all that he could of
than at all the other ports of the world put together. America. Never was there such fertile human soil
Two-thirds of the entire immigration into America for Americanization, so far as the wish of the immi­
— that is the usual Ellis Island burden! Two-thirds grant is concerned. He is almost pathetic in his
of the imported life stream of the future America! eagerness to be “like us.”
*
♦
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We may well take a look fore and aft and get our
The other day a woman from Bohemia, brilliant
American bearings before we presume to say who
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A. L. BARBUR
FOR
CITY COMMISSIONE
Why He should be Re-Elected.
He has proposed and secured the enactment of a measure to finance de- g
linquent sewer and street improvement liens, saving the taxpayers thousands =
of dollars.
His investigation of conditions along the Waterfront brought about the g
Waterfront Development plan.
g
He has always been an advocate of a clean city and has insisted on strict g
law enforcement.
g
He has advocated the improvement of Interstate Avenue and other thorough- g
fares in outlying districts.
g
He is a strong advocate of sufficient Bridges and wide bridge approaches to =
care for increasing traffic.
g
He is a strong advocate of County and City consolidation.
g
EXPERIENCE COUNTS
(Paid Advertisement by
o.
Laurgaard)
RE- h JLECT Commissioner A. L. BARBUR
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