Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-10-06
Educating the Immigrant
BY FREDERIC J. HAsKIN.

BY FREDERIC ]. HASKIN
VIZ AsHINGToN, D. c. oct 8-Janie worked in a
wv muslin factory. She what is known TO the
w manufacturing trade presser All day long
stood a pressing machine pressing huge sheets
OF muslin and although she toed ceaselessy the nos
got for 1t 10 IA cents an hour The fac
tory paid pressers jamie worked under
a handicap. often it took hours for the brisk young
forewoman make her understand new ORDERS and
whenever a new device was installed it took great
deal time explain 1t to her jamie was not stupid
backward; for girl of eighteen she was very
bright. she Hungarian, had been IN this
country just eight months and couldn't speak English
Now jamie is American She is almost as brisk
the forewoman and every bit as cohuoeht ohe can
understand order the first time 1t is gwen she
learns each mechanical innovation at class lecture
through the frantic gesticulations or the DEM
onstrator longer brighten her;
her luncheon at the cafeteria on Saturdays
with a slight accent, but embarrassment and she
walks calmly back and forth from the factory without
waiting be guided by the older Hungarian GIRL VINO
works in another department Moreover, jamie now
earns % IA per hour-she is that much more
valuable to her employers.
This is what the bureau Of education
done for jamie, what II now hopes to do Tor
100000 immigrants OF course, the bureau did
not teach jamie English; she attended public night
school in certain section of her city and was taugh
in class of forty other Slavs and Hungarians But
the bureau which caused the school to be open
ed by its America First campaign, which Is extend
ing all parts of the country and enlisng the aid
of every individual. At the office OF the bureau OF
education in Washington many such RECORDS as
JAMES, also charts and maps regarding non-Engllsn
speaking immigrants the largest foreign settlements
in each state iteracy percentage of each state
earning capacity of immigrant before and after
learning English and the number of accidents result
ing inability read warning signs written in
English
Some of the statistics are appalling Out Of S.ooO-
non-Englsh speaking immigrants now in this coun-
try only 1854 are attending school The state OF
New York has seventy-one urban centers in which
there are 1000 foreign born whites, and in just
forty-one Of these evening schools In Penn
oT,fo &c In
foreign born whites there are just fortytwo
evening schools. Only two Embellishments and
Connecticut-have compulsory night school education
laws for non-English speaking immigrants In their
factories petty industries. Two out of every SIX
teen coal miners in the United States cannot speak
read Englishn Pennsylvania the percentage IS TWO
out Of every Yet all the safety first signs placed
in the mines written in English
The bureau of education has devised plan
with which it intends to wipe out flteracy among
immigrants, just Kentucky and her moonlight
practically abolished illiteracy in that
In the first place, there is central committee
of 100, composed of representatives OF all classes
business men, social workers and educators The
chambers Of commerce Of cities with foreign popua-
TONS the boards of education the school officials and
teachers and the churches womens clubs and men $
societies are be canvassed by this committee OF
100 persons enlisted in the campaign. Already
there are organizations and individuals in
the corralng the immigrants and persuading them
to attend public night schools.
In addition to this signs been pasted every
available space in manufacturing centers. All the
large cities are decorated with huge posters showing
Uncle Sam cordially shaking hands with the immi-
grant and welcoming him to citizenship and the pub
lie schools circulars written in foreign Ian
guages admonsh the immigrant to Learn English;
Attend Night School and Become Citzen!" The last
paragraph each circular reads Apply at the Near
Public School for Information ABOUT Evening CLASS
es." The immigrant would have to be deaf, dumb and
blind to escape They are handed to him
during the noon hour they pasted in the employ
ment agencies and along the streets, they put in
his pay envelope by his employer and they are dis
tributed to his relatives by the department
stores Not satisfied with these thorough measures,
however, the bureau is now arranging to have the
notices flashed the moving picture screens In every
city.
So far the results of this campaign have been very
encouraging Not only the attendance increased
enormously the public night schools but in cases
where such schools not provided, private indi-
viduas with the committee of 100 have
tabshed them. The women's clubs. as usual, have
taken up with great Glasses for i'm
migrant women being conducted by American club
all over the country and the CLUB womens nus
bands are installing them in their factories.
One big automobile factory in a middle western
town has class of 500 non-English speaking immi-
grants the Americans in its employ who vol
their services The various nationates are d.
yided different classes and each class Is taught
by separate instructors The method used is simply
that ordinary conversation but the factory provides
for the instructors to illustrate certain
articles or actions which cannot be exhibited. A
tence like "The bird few" for example is difficult to
illustrate without either bird blackboard. This
taxes the versatility of the American aborer
but the whole he is most successful teacher.
factories
school classes English American citizenship,
have provided recreation where the employees
with magazines and writing materials and
encouraged study These rooms always elab-
orately decorated with the American flag and the i'm
migrants introduced to American customs, shown
exercises for the promotion Of hygiene and taught
how to the fox trot.
a rule the immigrant is rapid and alert pupil
Italians usually master English more quickly than
any other nationality because the two languages have
great many similarities but the Hungarians find it
difficult Hungarian Is nothing like English-nothing.
in fact like any other language except perhaps Jap
anese-and familiar roots to promote the
acquaintance Hence, learning English is painful
experience Hungarian, but when he finally learns
it he speaks it correctly than does the italian
Pole.
In all immigrants the initiative faculty is highly
developed. example when they first enter the night
schools their distinctly informal Their clothes
are usually greasy their hair unbrushed and the nicer
vanities collars and cravas scorned. The at
mosphere permeated with the fragrance of onions
and garlic the end Of the first week. however there
is a complete change. All the immigrant males are