Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1913-03-19
KAxEs 5ANZARau1GEnT
&C.. FOR sWEDIsH TEACHIMo
scontfan Na Gives Reasons Why sean
di lin Language Should 10
49, In School Couraa

Contributors Gives Reasons WHY ac an.
dinavian& Language should zBe
In School Course. z =S.s
l#. Owing to the agitation to secure the
teaching Of Swedish in. the Ohm 4.
Johnson nigh school one of our. friends
regards the following article as timely:
t lsl late report Of Mrs Young,
superintendent 81 z5% Chicago Public
> schools Modern Languages in High
Schools, =z :f:5,
IN the nineteenth century immi-
grants from the. British Isles and their
descendan ts were called Americans; but
Immigrants from Continental Europe
and their descendants were called for
eigners. AS q result of the application
OF the term 2foreigner.to children and:
youths, the young people have been ex-
tremely sensitive about the speech and
customs of their parents. Sosintense has
been their feeling about the marks OF
the foreigner that they have denied any
knowledge Of the foreign language used:
by their parents in the home, and have
blushingly refused to answer questions
whose answers would give information
about the ways Of their. ancestors On
the other side, teachers and politicians
nave congratulated. the country upon the
rapidity with which the young foreign
ers were made over into good Americans:
What has been: the price paid for this.
rapid conversion, a conversion based on
81 severance Of. all ties that bind the
nt.tostheS past ?s$SSzE The young foreign
5ers been Overwhelmed with q sense
OF 0rtificationSG when tneir parents by
speech 81. acts gave evidence OF pecul.
iartties and idiosyncrasies# Of the race
from which they were descended. In
other words; the less they were CON
scious Of descent from a. race that had
sornes its part in the struggles Of the
past, the better, Americans were they
How can q race with no acknowledged
heritage share in the nobility Of human:
zity? Out OF what has the foreigner
evolved Z? Is there no connection between
what he has been and what he hopes to-
be? That children Of foreign parentage
shall revere their parents the school
must respect the good in the traditions
in which their past is Embedded. Am
erica is not noble because a long 1ine OF
her citizens is seen on q dim horizon
without perspective. Her nobility IS en-
9riched by the treasures which her new
citizens pour. into the nations ideals Of
manhood. womanhood loyalty to coun-:
try. That men and women have dared
venture into a strange land to make "a
home where their hildren-sha II have an
opportunity in life Is too great a deed
for the school to fail to identity It with
bravery, courage. and large-minde dness:
Which will furnish q richer background
Ito which the school may appeal race
with: a history fl lied with effort and fln-
ally with attainment Of better things,Sor
race with an Ignored past The young
must be taught to love America, the land
that welcomed their parents and iden-
tilted their strength and vi or tn the
|sstrengt h. and vigor of the new country.
The school and the state must meet this
question OF the break between the for
eign parent and the American child, SO
that life shall be continuous in regard
and respect for the one and love and
hope for the other: SIS
RS For years fluency In the OPP ional Ian
guages will be- commercial liable.
If one doubts this, at is because he has
mot roamed about in the different quar-
tiers Of the city. This, however, less
:weighty than the argument hat rests on
an Improvement In the relations between
1.-THE foreign parent and So the American
child. a nat ton whose social customs
and points OF view do not identify the
Interests and tender regards of parents