1
THE
UNITED
American
A MAGAZINE OF GOOD CITIZENSHIP
Devoted to the Cause of
Americanization, Assimilation and Group Elimination; Pointing the way to a Constitutional
Americanism, to Equality in Citizenship, and a better understanding
between Native born and Foreign bom.
Vol. 4 ÄOU!22
January, 1926
I
Number 4
VALUING CITIZENSHIP TRAINING
AMERICANIZATION AS A STATE EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY
By H. J. LANGOE
rp HE CONFERENCE on Adult Education, held last
1 tall at Asilomar, California, under the auspices of
the State Board of Education, the State University
and the State Libraries, brought out many new and in
teresting phases of the Americanization movement,
which gradually has become one of the foremost social
and educational activities in that state.
Scratching the surface is no longer acceptable to
the men and women in California who have dedicated
themselves to the cause of adult education. In justice
! to the people, and particularly the educators, in Cali
fornia, it may be truthfully said that they have al
ways considered the field of Americanization, one re
quiring both training and intellect. When the grand
army of visionary uplifters, ever ready for reform
action, swooped down upon the immigrant colony to
apply their transformation cure in California, as they
have tried to do elsewhere, they found the teachers
and leaders in education in that state already in the
field, organized, and carrying on with an extensive
program, backed by intelligent public opinion and
public funds. It cannot be over-emphasized that by
this fortunate turn of events, the foreign group
leaders in California, opposing Americanization work,
had to go beyond the borderlines of that state to find
the much sought for causes of grief and aggravation
to the foreign born—causes which unfortunately can
be traced to the Americanization movement, due to
the fact that for a time, radical intolerant, stupid and
meddlesome people, without training, understanding
or sympathy, have been able to use the movement—
I here, there and almost everywhere—to the detriment
of the community, the state and the nation. Califor
nia did not have to learn that haphazard Americaniza
tion work was detrimental to its standards in citizen-
! ship, as many other states have had to do. California
regarded the matter at the outset of sufficient im
portance to proceed in a scientific manner, hence
called for adequately trained leadership.
It will take a long time, in some states, to offset
by trained workers the damage done by the untrained,
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though invariably well-meaning volunteer, who often
without knowing it has given rise to unwarranted
hostility from the community of the foreign bom.
In many states the volunteers are still in the saddle,
because the citizens at large are indifferent and al
most hostile to the foreign born. Until the last ones
have been removed, the foreign propaganda makers
will find “timely topics” for anti-Americanization
discussion in the foreign language press and in the
social and fraternal organization.
To the recent California state conference on Adult
Education and Americanization, at Asilomar, came
the teachers from every nook and comer of the state,
to tell their experiences, take notes and plan for a
higher standard in their work. For two days they
deliberated on this subject alone. Brief summaries,
practical treatises and papers were read. Directors
and field workers sat in common council. A partici
pant writes: “Both teachers and administrators....
received an inspiration and obtained a new outlook
which filled them with enthusiasm and a determina
tion to go out and do greater things in this advanced
field of public elementary education and citizenship
building.”
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The United American, in this issue, takes pleasure
in introducing to its readers the views of some of the
California teachers. Ethel Richardson, the State
Supervisor of Immigrant Education, presents an'
excellent discussion of “The Program of Adult
Education in California.” Huldah Youngberg, a
teacher in Oakland, discusses in a masterly way the
“Social Activities in Americanization Work,” citing
some delightful experiences from the field. Grace
MacCormack and Susie Corpstein places the America
nization night school principal in the limelight in a
frank discussion headed: “Educating the Night
School Principal.” Both principals and supervisors
in the Americanization schools, in other states, should
find this article interesting, provided their minds are
open to suggestion.
Marion Yeatman, directing the Americanization
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