The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1912-02-29
HOW THE RUSSIAN JEWS
BECOME AMERICAN CITIZENS
(Bv Mary Antin.)

(By Mary Antin.)
With u dispised immigrant cloth
ing we shed also II impossible He
brew ames \. committee Of our
friends. several years ahead of us in
American experience. put their heads
together and concocted American
names for us all. Those Of our real
equivalents they ruthlessly discarded,
content il they retained .the initials.
MY mother. possessing a name that
va untranslatable, was punished with
the nndigniticd nickname OF Annie.
Fetchke, Joseph and Edle Dverch is-
sued as Frieda. Joseph and Dora, re-
spectively. As for poor me, I was
ing Maryashe in .full-Mashke for
short-Russianized into Marya MAR
ya), my friends said 1t would hold
good in English as Mary; which was
very disappointing. as I longed to pos
sess a really strange sounding Ameri-
can name like the others.
1 am forgetting the consolation I
had, in this matter Of names. from
the use Of my surname. which I have
had no occasion to mention until now.
My father, l found on my arrival,
was Mr. Antin on the slightest provo
cation and not. as in Polotzk. on state
occasions alone. And so l was Mary
Anttn. and I felt very important to
answer to such a digniicd title. 1t
was just like America that even plain
people should wear their surnames on
week DAYS.
Father himself conducted me to
school with my brother and little sis
ter. He would not have delegated
mat nliECynn ~ Tho ~~NASl>~ - A.
United States. He had awaited the
day with impotence equal to mine.
and the visions he saw as he hurried
us over the sun fecked pavements
transcribed all my dreams.
At last the four Of us stood around
the teachers desk, and my father, in
his impossible English. gave US over
IN her charge with some broken word
OF his hopes for us that his swelling
heart could no longer contain. I ven.
ture to say that Miss Nixon was struck
by something uncommon in the group
We made. something outside of Semitic
features m the abashed manner or
the alien.
My little sister was as pretty as a
doll, with her clear pink and white
face, short golden curls and eyes like
blue vfolets. when o caught them
looking up. My brother might have
oSSn " sNi' 1oo' WIN MS cHeruDlC
contour OF face. rich red color, glossy
black hair and fine eyebrows. What
ever secret fears were in his heart,
remembering his former teachers, who
had taught with the rod he stood up
straight and uncringing before the
American teacher, his cap respectfully
dotted.
All three children carried them
selves rather better than the common
run of green" pupils that were
brought to Miss Nixon. But the figure
that challenged attention to the group,
was the tall. straight father. with his
earnest face and fine forehead. nerv-
Gus hands eloquent in gesture. and a
voice full of feeling. This foreigner.
who brought his children to school as
1t 1t were an act of conservation, who
regarded the teacher of the primer
class with reverence. who spoke of
common school room. was not like
other aliens. who brought their chill
dren in dull obedience to the law; was
not like the native fathers, who
brought their unmanageable boys.
glad to be relieved Of their care. /
think Miss Nixon guessed what nay
fathers best English could not con-
vey. l think she OWNED that by the
simple act of delivering Il school
certificates to her he took possession
of America.
Whenever the teachers did anything
special to help me over my private
dimculties. my gratitude went out to
them, silently. 1t meant so much to
me that they halted the lesson to give
me a lift that I needs must love them
for 1t. Dear Miss Carol Of the Sec
ond grade would be amazed to hear
what small things / remember, all be-
cause was SO impressed at the time
with her readiness and sweetness in
taking notice of my difficulties.
Says Miss Carol. looking straight
at me: III Johnnie has three mar
bles. n Charlie has twice as many,
how many marbles has Charlie"
! raised my hand for permission to
speak. Teacher. I don't know What
is twice."
Teacher beckons me to her. and
whispers in my a the meaning Of
the strange word. N l am able to
write the sum correctly. It's all in the
q work with her: with me. 1t IL a
special act Of kindness and e~ficiency.
She whom l found in the next
grade became 30 dear a friend that I
can hardly am her with the rest,
though ] mention non Of them ljght.
~. Hell approval was always dear
to me. first because she was teacher,
ana aIterWard, as long as she lived,
h was my Miss Dillingham;.
A read how the patriots planned
the revolution. and the women gave
their sons to die in battle. and the
heroes led to victory. and the rejoice
ing people set up the republic, 1t
dawned on me gradually what was
meant by my country. The people ali
desiring noble things. and striving for
them together. defying their oppres-
sors. giving their lives for each other
all this 1t was that made my coun.
try. 1t was not a thing that / under.
stood. I could not 80 home and tel.
Fetchke about 1t. as I told her other
things I learned at school. But I
knew one could say my country and
feel 1t. as one felt God or myself
NY teacher, my schoolmates. Miss
Dillingham;. George Washington HIM
self. could not mean more than / when
they said my country. after 1 had once
felt II: For the country was for all
the citizens. and l was a citizen.
"And when WA atanA 40 A. ..-