More About Americanization
By PROF. B. ŠlMEK,
University of Iowa.
Our unfortunate war experience with certain of our immigrants and their descendants, particularly those of German origin, has developed a distrust and even hatred of all foreigners. That this feeling works an injustice in many cases will not be questioned by anyone familiar with our foreign-born people. It seems to be very hard for some Americans to comprehend that no other government but that of Germany and the German-Magyar government of Austria-Hungary ever attempted, or dared, to develop a destructive propaganda in our country; and that no other foreign people in our land in like proportion retained their devotion to their former government against the interests of their adopted land. It is therefore manifestly unjust to many other foreigners to class them in the same category with the oil loyal element of our German population.
This unfriendly feeling toward foreigners is in part a natural reaction from the exaggerated worship of everything German which was so fashionable here before the war. Germany’s learning, her art, her schools, her industries, her military prowess, were exalted beyond reason, and the label “made in Germany” was regarded as synonymous with “excellent”. When this idol of clay was demolished by the war, there followed in many places a reaction against everything foreign, and citizens of foreign blood whose loyalty to our country could not be questioned have been insulted by being classed with disloyal Germans.
Out of this experience with disloyal citizens has come a desire to prevent its possible recurrence in the future. Various plans have been presented for the Americanization of our population of foreign extraction. Every honest, intelligent effort in this direction must be welcomed by all right-minded citizens. No one will deny that it is desirable that every citizen should be able to use the language of this country: that he should have sufficient intellectual training to enable him to inform himself on the duties of citizenship and that above all he should have an abiding love and appreciation of our country. These results can be secured by kindly, intelligent interest in the people who have come to us from foreign lands. Secretary Lane stated this very clearly in his recent address at the Hotel Astor in New York, when he said that “there is no way by which we can make anyone feel that it is a blessed and splendid thing to be an American, unless we are ourselves aglow with the sacred fire, unless we interpret Americanism by our kindness, our courage, our generosity, our fairness.” You cannot make worthwhile Americans with a club.
Among the means to be employed in Americanization compulsory teaching of English in all schools, public and private, is emphasized as the most efficacious; it is al so insisted that instruction be given which will develop a real American spirit based on the knowledge of the fundamental principles of our government. Common assent will be given to both of these propositions. Unfortunately there are those who in the enthusiasm of their new-found zeal would use measures which must inevitably react against the very purpose of all such efforts. They would prohibit the teaching of all other languages until the high school an college are reached, under the mistaken belief that if they cut off knowledge of other lands they will make better Americans of the pupils in our schools.
Some of these restrictive measures have already been carried out. In Iowa teaching of languages other than English be prohibited in public and private schools, but the law contains a proviso that the teaching of religion is exempted. This really nulliies the ostensible purpose of the law. The German parochial schools were hot beds of disloyalty, and under this law they are permitted to continue in their old practices. Anyone who knows the German character will expect them to take advantage of the opportunity thus offered to carry on their old work of Germanization. Thus far the only effect of the law in Iowa has been the closing of a few Bohemian (Czech) vacation schools, attended by children who go regularly to public schools, and which have been thoroughly patriotic in all their
