The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-06-01
FoRE1aN.BoRN STUDENT.

In tho next few weeks that the
Bureau Of Naturalization OF the
4 United States Department OF Labor
/ has been prepared to furnish. IN CO.
! operation with tho public school sys-
TENS throughout the country certi.
| ficates Of graduation to the foreign
| born students who have satisffed
| their Joint requirements the avidity
| with which the diplomas are beinS
sought Ia little short Of astounding
Over 1900 diplomas have talready
been furnished, When II 10 rccslied
| that these figures represent merely
| the demand of the moment their full
Significance becomes apparent
| In proportion to its population. no
| city In the country has shown ITSELF
m ore eager in this response than Seat
tie. Washington. Five hundred Of the
diplomas have already been required.
Seattle maintains An IAN -year-round"
class for its foreign students. with a
constant enrolment Of over one hum
bred and practical complete turnover
Of attendance three or four times a
year.
The appreciation with which the
mm and women from overseas re-
ceive the certificates of graduation is
al own by a letter sent to the chief
examiner of Seattle on the 18th Of
last March by = new-made citizen.
He soys, In part:
will YOU kindly allow me to
thank you for the diploma which
had the good fortune to receive
through your courtesy after my exa-
mination for citizenship IN tho even
Ing OF March 217 I do. indeed, ap-
preciate this document very highly
and ~ I'm a
Of It,
"Of course. you know ] was fortu-
nate the next day, Saturday. March
-, to be admitted to American citi-
zenship a fact which regard AZ a
high honor. am proud of
my diploma and. most OF all, proud
Of the distinction Of peing an Ameri-
ran citizen ana grateful Of the privf-
ieges which 60 with it."
No step that has yet BEEN taken IN
the preparation for citizenship Of the
for~fgn-born has been more evidently
An answer to great demand and
more productive Of good than the use
OF these diplomas. In communities
where the presentation Of the eerti.
ffcates OF graduation has been made
the occasion of a demonstration OF
hearty welcome to the new citizens,
the process OF Americanfzation has
been perceptibly advanced. Tho
foreign born citizens have had added
TO their original desire for the duties
and privileges Of citizenship IN a, this
country aniiernetion Of wnrrn feficw-
ahip with the native Americans pres
emit; and the rattveborn citizens have
been surprised with rebfrth OF
patriotic emotion in their own heartA
In fact. the whole matter Of cftf-
NJ III tAV forfvS 90
eaure of the CRYING need Of tho for
efgn born, has been a great revela
ton Of the need for such instruction
/ with large class OF our own ma
=, tfve-born citizens, Adult fIlitaacy h
BY no means confined to immigrants
The shameful ignorance That has been
revealed concerning the laws and in.
stftueSone Of this country BY men and
women OF even the socaIled educated
classes n astounding. The knowledge
OF n would be disheartening were 4
not true that the method Of combat
| ing II n formulated, established. and
r. already PRODUCING results srnouy
tho native born as wen as among tn,
forefgn-born population.
1 Tho machinery for 4 nationwide
unfhed movement to banfyf1 fIfiterac
rom this country has. ~ has beel
said, already established. THIS wa
done by the act .of May 3, 1915. wffci
assigned to tho bureau OF naturaifsa
ZION the duty OF ~sending the name,
OF candidates for citizenship to tn,
public schools and otherwise promot
Ing instruction and training in cfti
eenshfp responsibility Of applicant
Tor naturalization" and OF distribute
Ing the "ctfxenshfp textbook prepare,
bv the bureau Of naturalization IN
machinery once set IN motion IL be
Ing fpund svAflAble to perform tn
same service fov nattve-born Amer1
cans. as Ill prepared IN many case
; fr citizenship m are tire most recon
immigrants TO our shores.
In the Denver. ct, Paul. Ch4rA<v
Hcw York. Philadelphia. PfttxnurEh
San Francisco 6istr1~ts natfve-bor
Am orleans are coming into the citi
Eenshfp classes IN ever-ncreHr4n
numbers. Attendance In these school
has heen fctlnd the best method b
which men and women, who. becaus
OF early hardship, were not able I
acquire even rudimentary educa
uon or who aye convinced that tfsef
slight education m n handicap to suc
cess or who are anxious to vtut,
under competent leaders the consti
tuition Of the Omitted States, may nm
the instruction that they n~ed, Rot,
foreign-born ana naffve-bosn wvne
are more and moro takfng advayta r
or tho classes which ara beconnin