The Denver Jewish news., 1918-11-07
AIDING AslEK1CANIzATION.
Taking the Public School Into the Home
for the Benefit of the Adult.


teacher in Los Angeles gives very
interesting account in the Messenger
of Home Extension Work. This is
new departure i'll public school work
and is being tried for the first time
in that city.
Miss wrottenberg had been teacher
in that section of the city in which
the immigrant Jews largely lived. Cases
of delinquency. malnutrition or other
troubles with the children were refer
red to her. The children made every
effort she says to prevent her visit
ing their homes and meeting their par
ents:
often denying that their parents
were home and generally betraying the
keenest humiliation for the condition
of their homes and parents, who, often
ignorant of the English Language, were
unable to assimilate and adjust them
selves to the American mode of living;
but were rather limited to their home
ly drudgery and hence naturally dis
cartled by their offspring as belonging
to the past generation.
1t was Il simple matter to discover
the difficulty. Our system of educat-
ing the immigrant by ignoring the par
cnts as hopeless and exposing the chill
dren to five hours of AmericaniZation
per day has proven failure. Attempt
ing to reach the children before the
parents. the natural social order of the
home with the parents at the head
has been reversed The immature child
copies the demeanor of his American
associates, who. in the poorer sections
OF the city. where the Immigrant is
forced to live. due to financial stress
are far from the personification of
American ideals.
The greatest tragedy experienced by
the immigrant. is the loss of his dignity
before his children. The child must
be taught to honor his parents thru
apprecia ton for the institutions and
art of their native land. The atten-
tion Of the parents should be called
to the fact that they must earn the
respect of their children by learning
English and becoming American in
their mode of life.
II is true that night schools are in-
stalled, but few mothers can leave their
children at that time. An afternoon
class for women especially planned to
meet their peculiar needs grew out of
this requirement Reluctantly. for
they are skcpticat of their ability. and
by much encouragement, class was
successfully organized, which met from
3 to ) o'clock. Their enthusiasm on
learning to write letter or even to
sign their names was n veritablc i'll
spirn ton. resulting IN an appeal to the
school board for a substitute TO release
me two afternoons Il week from my
regular work that this class might
meet from to ), as later hours fnter-
fcrcd with the preparation of the eve
ming meal. This was granted last Feb
rl,ary. bur left much TO be desired, for
the two afternoons were wholly made
u,ate for the instruction of thirty or 4
forty women.
Mrs Amanda Mathews Chase, author
and social worker of note, introduced
before Congress, April 10, 1919, what
is known as the Home Teacher Act
Chap. 81. Sec. l. 1617b. of the Political
Code. authorizing boards of school trus-
tees and city boards of education TO ap-
point teachers to work in the homes
of the pupils and fill any social need
Of the community for the promotion
of a less costly program of American
ization than the let-it-adjust-itself
method.
Los Angeles may pride itself as the
first city possessing the foresight to
avail itself of the benefits of this act.
Mornings are devoted TO visiting and
the afternoons TO class work. The re-
suit was an enrolment of nearly one
hundred women ranging from wholly
illitcratc to those we'll advanced. This
is encouraging, but leaves much to be
desired.
I have appealed to an organization
of Jewish women to supply the funds
for the salary of Il nursery girl to
take care of the little children who
must accompany their mothers. The
school board has no authority to make
this requisition aud since it provides
the instructor, rooms and general sup
plies it is quite certain that these wom-
en- will grant the small amount need
ed.
Classroom work affords maximum
potcntiality in the Amcricanization
process. Most of these women harc ae-
Guired 4 limited and imperfect use of
the English language. Convcrsation
plays an important part with special