Page images
PDF
EPUB

"There is almost criminal laxity somewhere in dealing with this element who are trying to tear down what has been built up, and it is no small task to Americanize foreigners, which must be done largely through the children of these parents who get their English from them.

"You have my views on this subject, get rid of the seditious element, if not by deportation, then the firing squad if necessary, and I can furnish you material from our loyal boys who would, I think, help out on that line.

"My association with other organizations leads me to speak as I do, and I feel I am expressing their sentiments." WEST SIDE LEAGUE HOUSE, 444 West 34th street, New York City, Mrs. Ann C. McConnaughty, December 22, 1919:

"In reply to your letter of December 20th, I will say that we have no adult foreigners attending clubs or classes at this house. We have a group of Irish American women who belong to a community chorus and a group of girls, ages 16 to 20 years, also Americans and Irish Americans, who are deeply interested in War Camp Community work. Our children are all Irish Americans and Italians, the majority Irish Americans and all Catholics.

"For part of the winter of 1917 we loaned rooms in our house to the Chelsea Neighborhood Association for a nursery for Polish children. The children were sent here and cared for by a Polish deaconess, while the mothers attended classes in the Public Library in the neighborhood. It was a bad winter and the attendance was irregular, and later I understood the mothers lost interest and no longer attended the classes, so our work here with the children was no longer necessary.

"Please call upon me if I can do anything further to be of service to your Committee."

CHAPTER VIII

Young Men's Christian Association

Dr. Peter Roberts, Secretary for Immigration on the International Committee of the Y. M. C. A., appeared before this Committee in a public hearing on January 16, 1920. The substance of his testimony follows:

I have been working with the foreign-born for thirteen years all over the United States and in parts of Canada and Mexico. I have seen hundreds of men become naturalized, and it has been my observation that if they acquire property and have families they usually make as good citizens as any one could wish — sometimes far better than some who have the blue blood of New

England in their veins. Our assumption is that if we teach a man to really know the United States, he will love the United States.

We have a complete program of education for the foreign-born which we present, comprising six activities-English, naturalization, lectures, entertainments, recreation and advisory councils. The scope of our program is as follows:

PROGRAM OF AMERICANIZATION MANAGEMENT

Survey

Know your field. Find out to what peoples your foreign-born neighbors belong, how many of them know English, and how many of them are fellow citizens. Housing and living conditions have much to do with men's outlook on life. Learn how and where the foreign-born live. Know their religious leaders. There are many folds, but one Shepherd. If you need an outline for a survey, write for one.

Advertising

Printers' ink is good, if you put your facts in order. Employ ers want facts and not fancies. Prepare your case well and present it clearly and concisely. The "Y" man sells goods bearing the trade-mark of heaven. If at first you don't succeed, try again. Presidents and general managers are human. They do more for the well-being of their employees than demagogues will

Arm yourself with testimonials of men who know the benefits of a Y. M. C. A. among industrial workers. Apply and we will send you lots of them.

Plant Organization

Capitalize the sense of solidarity. Every plant has or should have the family feeling. Each worker should feel his concern is the best place to work in town. Plan your program in this vein and the employer and the employees will be with you. Organize a plant executive committee, on which are the general manager, superintendent, and heads of departments. Get your subcommittees, on which are foremen and intelligent and sympathetic workmen of native and foreign birth. Arrange a joint conference for all committeemen to discuss the whole program. Divide the work carefully and see that the men do the work. Never forget the fact of group consciousness. Plan definitely for cultivation work for the industrial leaders, and know that though they are willing to work with the foreign-born they have a class consciousness which must be recognized.

Equipment

You need a building to house your activities. If you work for an industry, tell the concern that you cannot produce maximum results without a power house. You don't need a palace. Democracy was made safe by men who frequented huts. The foreign-born may learn what democracy is by patronizing a hut.

Finance

You need funds. Until you house your activities, the work must be financed from other sources than the wage-earners you serve. Show the president of the plant the advantage of membership and revenue-producing features. Men are willing to pay for privileges. They will take more interest in the Y. M. C. A. when their money goes into it.

Executive Conferences

Co-operation

Plan conference dinners for manufacturers, general managers, superintendents, administrative officers, etc. Keep the group consciousness in mind. These men in a plant or in a city should be brought together because of their common interest. Your

objective should be (a) to bring before them prominent speakers on Americanization; (b) to hear reports of work done for their employees; (c) to discuss plans for advanced work for immigrant workers; (d) to emphasize the inalienable relation between the character of the industries and the character of the community.

Brotherhood Dinners

Plan regular dinners for foremen and subforeman. This group should be that interested in "hiring and firing" men. A regular organization is necessary to bring about successful meetings. The objective should be (a) how best to handle immigrant labor; (b) conduct a forum for exchange of ideas and experiences in handling foreigners; (c) present speakers who know the foreigner and how best to handle him; and (d) the democratic significance of hearty good will and impartial justice between foreman and the foreign-born.

Get-Togethers

Plan in season: picnics, outings, carnivals, socials, mass meetings, pageants, etc. Both the native and foreign-born leadership must cooperate to make these a success. The objective should be (a) the promotion of kindly feeling between the native and the foreign-born for the good of the community; and (b) the welding of the various peoples into one strong American brotherhood. Key every gathering to patriotism and loyalty to America.

Advisory Councils

The laws and customs of nations differ. The foreign-born, trying to adjust his life to America, gets into difficulties. He needs a counsellor. Organize advisory councils offering free advice on personal problems, vocation, home life, working conditions, business dealings, etc. This gives personal contact plus prime social service. Every foreign-born man needs a bighearted native brother.

Community Relations

The "Y" is not the only star guiding the foreign-born. Federal, state and community agents are also interested in him. See that you co-operate with these. Keep up friendly relations with the public school, the charity organizations, the immigration

ureau, etc.

YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION

3021

Use them whenever you can; co-operate with them vhenever possible; only remember that the Y. M. C. A. has a pecial message for coming Americans which cannot be delegated o other agencies.

English Classes

Education

Organize your classes according to nationality. Find out how much English the men can talk, read and write, and group them accordingly. Fifteen men make a good class; meet twice a week; use the Roberts System-tens of thousands have learned English by it. Select your teachers with care, and see that they know how to teach. Give the work close supervision. Interest the foreignborn leaders in your work, and show the superintendent and foreman how it is done. As a missionary of the Y. M. C. A. you cannot afford to miss the approach a class in English affords. Go to the men and carry something more than English to the classroom.

Naturalization

Foreign-born men form three groups: Citizens, those with first papers, and aliens. Working with the industries, classify the foreign-born workers into these three groups. Give citizens literature on good citizenship, help those with first papers to get their second, and to every alien put the question: "Why are you not a citizen of the United States?" Keep close to the clerk of the Naturalization Court; put a sympathetic and capable young lawyer in charge of the class in naturalization. "Civics for Coming Americans" is a work specially prepared to help men to citizenship. Begin with the local government; show on a chart its political divisions and also how the political organization works. Show the relation between the city government and the county, the state, and the national government.

Lectures

Pictures are a universal language. Let slide or film carry messages of hope and cheer to men anxious to learn what America is and who were its makers. When national groups and cosmopolitan crowds come together, the lantern is a good entertainer. Let it talk in the tongue of the old world as well as in that of the new. The foundations of twentieth century civilization were laid on the rivers Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, and on the shores of the Mediterranean and Baltic seas. The foreign-born as well

« PreviousContinue »