Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-10-05
EDUCATING THE IMMIGRANT
ny FREDERIC }. HASH,

WASHINGTON, u. G. October 8
jamie worked in a muslin factory She
was what Is known To the Manufacture
Ing trade as a prcsscr All day long
she stood at pressing machine. press
ing huge sheets of muslin. and, al
though she toilcd ceaSelcssly the most
she ever got for it was 1915 cents an
hour. The factory paid more to its
pressers. but jamie worked under n
handicap. Often 1t took hours for the
priSK young forcwonan 10 make her
understand new orders. and whenever
IA new device was Installed il took n
great deal OF time To explain it to her
jamie WAS not stupid or backward.
FOR n girl OF eighteen she was very
hriGht But she was Hungarian. had
been in this country Just cigh, months.
anu couldn't speak English
Now jamie Is an American. She is
almost as brisk as the forcwoman ana
every bit as confident. She can un-
dcrstand an order the first time IL is
given, She learns each mechanical in :
novation at a class lecture, aud not
through the frantic gesticulations Of
the demonstration The strange streets
no longer brighten her: she orders her
luncheon at the cafeteria on SATURDAYS
with slight accent but no etnbar-
rassment. AMI she walks calmly back
ana forth from the factory without
waiting to be guided by the older Hun
garian girl who works in another de-
partmcnt. Moreover. Jamie now earns
20 IL cents per hour--she is tina, much
more valuable to her employers
This Is what the United States Blu
reau Of Education has done for jamie.
and what 1t now hopes to do for 1900. :
600 other immigrants. OF course, the
bureau did not teach jamie English
she attended public night school in a
certain section Of her city and was
taught In class of forty other Slavs
ana HunEarians. But il was the bu-
rcau which caused the school TO be
opened by its America First" cam
phign. which is extending into all parts
or Inc country and cnlisting the aid
OF every individual. AT the office Of
the Bureau Of Education in Washing
ton are many such records as James.
also charts and maps regarding nom
English speaking immigrants, the larr-
est foreign settlements in each state
tho illiteracy percentage Of each state
the earning capacity Of the immipran,
before and after learning English, and
the number OF accidents resulting from
his inability to read warning signs
written In English.
Some of the statistics are arn,nlr-
Out of 100000 non English spenkinr
immigrants now In this country. onlv
35'6li are attending school. The State
Of New York has scvcntv-onc u.h,n
ID
foreign-b born whites. and in Just forty
one Of these are there evening schools.
In Pennsylvania it is much worse. In
III urban centers with over 1000 for
eign- born whites there are just fortv-
two evening schools. Only two States
massachusetts and Connecticut-havc
compulsory night school education laws
for non-English speaking immigrants
in their factories and petty industries.
Cnnt Rend Safety Sign.
Two OUT of every sixteen coal miners
in the United States cannot speak or
read English---in Pennsylvania the per
ccntage is two out of every nine Yet
all the safety-frst signs placed in the
mines are written In English
The Bureau of Education has now de-
visrd plan with which il intends TO
wipe out illiteracy among immigrants.
just as Kentucky and her moonlight
schools have practically abolished hit
eracy in that State. In the first place.
there Is a~central committee Of 100
composed OF representatives OF all
classes-business men. social workers
and educators. The chambers OF COM
merce of cities with foreign popula-
tons, the boards OF cducation tho
school officials and tea chers, and the
churches. women's clubs and men 3
societies are all TO be canvassed by
WIS cofililiiltcc VI Iuu persons ana EN- =
listed in the campaign. Already there
are thousands of organizations and in
dividuals in the field corralllng the i'm
migrants and pcrsuadinE them to at
tend public night schools.
In addition to this, signs have been
pasted on every available space in
manufacturing centers. All the large
cities are decorated with huge posters
showing Uncle Sam cordially shaking
hands with the immigrant and well
coming him to citizenship and the pub
lie schools. These circulars are writ
ten in foreign languages and admonish
the immigrant to Learn English: At
tend Night School and BECOME n Citi-
zen!" The last paragraph OF each cir
cular reads: Apply at the nearest pub
lie school for information about even
ing classes"
Notices on Every Side.
The immigrant would have To be
deaf, dumb and blind to escape these
notices. They are handed to him dur
ing the noon hour, they are pasted in
the employment agencies and along
envelope by his employer and they are
the department stores. Not satisfied
with these thorough measures, how
ever, the bureau is now Arranging to
have the notices flashed on the moving
picture screens In every city.
so far, the results of this campaign
have been very encouraging. Not only
has the attendance increased cnor-
mously at tho public night schools, but