The united American : a magazine of good citizenchip., February 01, 1925, Page 6, Image 6

Page Six
THE UNITED AMERICAN
FEBRUARY, 19251
the eyes of the thinking citizen who tries to pierce another, where anyone interested in getting a close-]
up of the “ignorant” foreigners is engaged to fix]
the veiling that conceals the future.
What business hais the man to vote in an American them up, much permanent damage has been done.
An untold number of specific examples could be]
election who cannot even read the ballot title ?
Why should he who lacks the knowledge tinker cited to prove our contention, and we would not have]
with the fine parts of the machinery' through which to go beyond our immediate field of volunteer Ameri-]
we declare our policies, elect our officials and even canization to prove this statement, but inasmuch as]
specific instances would be painful to us as much as]
reject or enact our laws?
to
the untrained volunteer and to those responsible]
What right has the untrained alien to mark an
American ballot or even to hold a citizenship certifi­ for his or her services, we will pass it by and precede]
to quote some men of prominence who favor specific!
cate which he is hoplessly unable to defend? .
Why has public sentiment, backed by American training for Americanization work.
Governor Alfred El Smith of New York, in his]
intelligence, not taken action long ago to remedy this
annual
message to the State Legislature last month!
serious situation?
had
this
to say of adult immigrant education:
In the face of the demands coming from the mass
I
have
continually advocated the extension of part-time,!
of ignorant and thoughtless Americans who are push­
Americanization and vocational classes. In my judg-l
ing the untrained and untutored alien into the Natu­ evening,
ment, nothing is more indicative of the stable and sterling!
ralization Court, concerted action should be taken to character of our citizenship than their interest in the improve-!
check this mad orgy of “Americanizing aliens by ment of those of mature years who because of circumstances!
over which they had no control were deprived of early oppor-|
Naturalizing them.”
Altogether too many aliens are continually becom­ tunity for education.
Calvin Coolidge, president of the United States, is]
ing citizens without the necessary knowledge and the
important mental adjustments that are essential prere- another distinguished citizen who has voiced his con-1
quisities to citizenship, because of this erronious cern for adult immigrant education, not as a hap-]
hazard spare-time vocation for untrained people, but!
agitation.
The reaction of this foolish talk is to create a if we understand the president correctly, as a branch]
hysteria for naturalization, as a means to an end, of public education that is demanding the most exact!
among the foreign-bom, who succomb to the various ing standards of training to meet the needs adequately.]
forms of commercial pressure and readily fall in line In the following brief sentences the president touches]
as best they can without a thought on the subject of the core of the situation and incidentally makes a]
proper preparation. Cramming thirty to fifty alien direct appeal for an adequate standard in this field of]
applicants for citizenship into one study-room for a education:
It is not alone the youth of the land which needs and seeks!
definite number of evenings, to lecture them in high
but we have a large adult population requiring]
style on American civics and history, is not going to education,
assistance in this direction. Our last census showed nearly]
do much for them except to help them gather a few 14,000,000 foreign-born white persons residing among us, made]
“pointers” on our government, barely sufficient to up largely of those beyond school age, many of whom never!
enable them to make bold in a hit-and-miss attempt theless need the opportunity to learn to read and write the!
at answering the naturalization examiners’ questions'. English language, that they may come into more direct contact®
the ideals and standards of our life, political and social!
If luck is with them they are themselves at a loss to with
There are likewise over 3,000,000 native illiterates. When]
understand how in the name of heaven they got by.
it is remembered that ignorance is the most fruitful source!
None but fools will argue that the country is be­ of poverty, vice, and crime, it is easy to realize the ne|
coming better off by technically changing the citizen­ cessity for removing what is a menace, not only to oil!
social well-being, but to the very existence of the Republic!
ship status of these aliens in this fashion.
A failure to meet this obligation registers a serious and inex-j
Adult immigrant education as a part of our system cusable defect in our government. Such a condition not onl]
of public education will remedy this situation if we works to a national disadvantage, but directly contradicts al]
assertions regarding human rights. One of the chief rightfl
change our clamor for alien naturalization into a our
of an American citizen is the right to an education. Thfl
clamor for alien education to citizenship according to opportunity
to secure it must not only be provided, but in
thoroughly tested methods.
necessary made compulsory.
The fact that the real leaders in our nation’s life
Prominent educators who have sensed the iml
today are backing the plan of adult immigrant educa­ portance of standardized immigrant education needs]
tion, as a unit in our system of public educa­ have, through their influence, brought about the esi
tion, is the one bright spot and the real note of en­ tablishment of a Department of Immigrant Education!
couragement to those who have been persistently in the National Education Association.
championing this plan and stirring up public opinion
Speaking of the importance of the school people]
for an intelligent procedure in the matter of assimi­ becoming interested in this branch of public education!
lating and Americanizing the aliens and save the Professor Charles M. Herlihy, president of this depart«
country from permanent injury due to the erronious ment of the N. E. A., who has had thorough trainin
methods applied by our kind hearted volunteers. These and wide experience in adult immigrant education an
well-meaning people are having things pretty much Americanization, says in the Interstate Bulletin:
their own way at the, present time, in most of our
The definition of a sound national policy of Americanizl
states, where no specific standard has been set.
tion must be formulated very soon. As school people in thl
In the onslaught on the foreign peoples’ colonies work we have unusual contacts with all of the racial groups i
to stampede the aliens into schools of one kind or our population. To date, however, the voice of the sclwi