Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-11-09
EVOLUTION OF AN AMERICAN

During the war we have heard much about the
foreign-born American. and not everything uttered was
said to his credit despite the demonstrated fact that in
many instances the most solid type of true Anericanism
has been a product of foreign soil. l
The man from abroad has a certain right to claim at
least some degree of understanding from his fellow
and as we may now approach an age which
will see, in some measure, the revival Of immigration,
it may be proper to call attention.to some of the stages
of evolution by which the ordinarily intelligent foreign
er emerges into the broad daylight of genuine American
ism.
The first stage is one Of bewilderment, amazement
and misunderstanding. Even though the immigrant has
a smattering of English at his disposal when he comes.
the new conditions are so vast and 80 intricate that he
fails to grasp their true significance and INTERPRETATION.
He still nourishes some of the innate and traditional pre-
JUDGES which may have characterized him when he
babe the old home farewell, and for that reason there is
often a tendency to critcise everything American, COM
pare. find faults and be Disguised.
This may properly be called the first stage. In the
second we see the foreigner, now having a workable con-
troll of the English language and American idioms. be-
come enthusiastic over the newness of things in the Unit.
ed States. Generally he becomes naturalzed during this
period and feels prouder than ever before. He swears
by the star-spangled Banner in a very solemn sense and
assiduously attempts to absorb American ideals. This
second stage is sometimes dangerous because it exposes
the neophyte to the temptation Of assimilating some Of
those American attributes which cultured native Ameri-
cans deeply deplore.
While the first stage Of the Americanization process
thus is one Of absorption and the second one Of under
standing and appreciation. the third and final is the per-
id Of reflection and appraisal.
At this third stage the foreign-born American stops
to mediate and to soberly adjust himself to the new
view Of life which has dawned upon him. He reflects
that while human beings are somewhat similar all over
the world, there is in this country an unusual opporru-
nifty for developing individuality-an opportunity he
must have missed sorely especially il he happened to
come from one Of the Old World countries where the
state takes care Of the development Of soul and mind and
makes the individual merely q cog in the great wheel Of
the state machinery.
He reaches the conclusion that, despite All tho faults
obviously apparent, and because of all the advantages
particular sense the land which he loves best and Tor
whose ideals he would gladly fight.
Through hard work, study and incessant observation
he has formed his conception of American society along
q routes different from that Of the native Of American
soil 70 whom AL impressions Of his country come auto
Fmatically. The foreigner has quite often sacrificed GER
tain ideals and smotions in order to become 4 ~fuIl-fledg-
ed member q the American nation, and for that reason
he takes his Americanism ~ . very serious matter
which he has had occasion to prove during the war. The
lpsresntage Of toretsn names IA the casualty lists is elo-
lqusnt testimony That the foysign-born has carried Ills
share ~ the self-evident responsibilities Of eitizsnship
and thst ~ has emerged from his slow process Of de-
an American whose lsyalty, whoss patriot
Who's vii1ingnsA 70 sacrifice havs reactsd that