The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1920-11-07

SO il has the same ideal for all
good citizenship" The approach and
method may differ, but opportunity
for a good education, good health,
and development of personality is the
birthright of all.
Patriotic education, pushing natur-
alization, promoting the learning and
use of the English language, teach
ing the reasons for our national holi-
days make up the main points of
most characterization" programs. All
these if done in the right spirit
of tolerance and respect for the rights
of individuals are good. But some
body, somewhere, sometime must keep
close to the hearts and minds and to
the experiences of immigrants. That
is the unique part Of the work Of the
Young Women's Christian Associa-
ton.
The Young Women's Christian AS
sociation is ready to look out for the
immigrant girl or woman wherever
she first touches America, from the
moment she lands at Ellis Island, at
New York., Angel Island, at San Fran
cisco, or the international bridges at
Laredo and Ell Paso, until she feels
at home with the country and the
English language.
Whether at San Antonio or Phila-
delphia or Cleveland, at as central
point for the currents of life of
different foreign communities as can
h. tha hoc in
formal, neighborly place with friendly
workers in charge who speak the
languages Of the foreign born women
themselves, where classes in English,
cooking, sewing, home-nursing or
clubs for singing old country sings
are held. These neighborhood or COM
munity houses, have been named in
ternational institutes by the non-Eng-
lish speaking people themselves, be-
cause Of the universal meaning that
these words carry in various lang
uages.
In rural districts such as in par
ticular section Of Michigan where rs
per cent of the population is foreign,
an itinerant institute or school is the
latest project. Instead Of establishing
the usual recreation and educational
center the Y. w. c. A. secretary
because Of the scattered population,
takes her books and other parapher-
MALTA in q Ford car and travels
| through the country holding classes
in cooking and English, and study
or social clubs in the homes Of the
women where groups can be gathered
| together.
| Most of us have come to realize
something of what the foreign born
man contributes to our country, but
more than ten years ago the Young
Women's Christian Association-dedi-
Gated to think in terms Of women saw
in the foreign born woman national
asset and national responsibility.
She is the wife or the wife-to-be OF
that foreign born man who mines
our coal or brings into being our net
work of railroads. Like her Ameri-
can-born sister she is looked to as
the home-maker. More often than
not she is a wage Garner manipulate
ing our looms, bending over our
sewing machines or deftly folding
bits of silk and velvet into the SEM
blance of blossoming flowers. 1t Is
she who, brings into the world chill
dren who, by virtue Of their birth
among us, are citizens Of America.
BY helping these individual wo-
men to find a useful place in Ameri-
can life; by working steadily to help
them out Of difficulties which so
thickly beset the daily experiences Of
strangers in strange land; by
quietly, continually practicing the
flowing kindness" which springs only
from Democracy and Christianity; by
opening new roads to health. to edu-
cation, to ambition, to life itself. the
Young Women's Christian Associa-
ton feels that 1t is accomplishing
real characterization"