The Denver Jewish news., 1922-11-22
THE COUNCIL OF
JEWISH WOMEN
Law Works Hardship on Immigrant
Women. Council Immigrant Leader
Discusses New Citizenship Act.

DISCUSSES new CU1teuSulp ACT.
New York City-In the October Is
sue Of 1.-THE Immigrant" the monthly
bulletin OF the National Department
Of Immigrant Aid. Council of Jewish
wOen, there appears very thorough
discussion Of the recent citizenship
legislation effecting alien women or
women married to foreign citizens.
The dangers and difficulties of this leg
islation known as the Cable Act, are
thus analysed by Miss Cecilia Ra-
zovsky, the Departments Secretary:
ION September %, 1922 there was
enacted into the laws OF the United
States. to TAKE effect Immediately. a
bill of far reaching Importance to
women the world over BY this law,
known as the Cable Act. generally
speaking, the right of any wsoAnan
to become n naturalized citizen of the
United States may not be denied or
abridged because Of her sex or be-
cause she is married woman.
when the news was flashed over
the world that America by this legis-
latiOn had thus officially conceded that
every woman Is an independent human
being there was great rejoicing in
many quarters. The pen with which
President Harding affixed his sig
nature to the bill was presented by
him to Mrs. Maude Wood Park, who
led the clulpwomen of America in
urging the passage OF this measure.
We, too, are in whOle-hearted sym
pathy with movement OF this kind
and we congratulate the women of
America on the successful struggle
they waged to achieve their end.
Nevertheless we must face the grave
and Unsuitable truth that while the
American woman gain by the passage
of tire Cable Act, the foreign-born
women find themselves in n peculiarly
unfortunate and unhappy position us
n result of the clause which deprives
them Of the privilege of assuming
their husbands citizenship.
let us take for example the pres
ent immigration laws which confer
upon the foreign born wife of nat
uralized citizen the rights OF citizen
ship upon her arrival at Ellis Island.
| Up to the present time II 1t were
FOUND that the alien wife OF n nat
urnlized citizen was suffering from
some durable disease she would not
he detained but would be admitted
to the United States. Or she might
be treated mt the immigration station
hospital, II necessary. without charge.
Now she will be regarded as an alien.
and many Of the privileges heretofore
granted her will be revoked.
That the present practice concern
ing incoming alien wives Of naturaliz-
cd citizens will have to be altered to
conform to this new law. we have no
doubt.
| Then too there is the horrible dam
ger of deportation which may face
the alien wife OF naturalized citizen
for the first five years of her resi-
dence In this country, unless she can
secure, in the interim, her naturali-
xatioa certificate Should the woman,
through accident or at child birth,
be taken to a public hospital be-
cause the citizen husband is unable
to pay for her treatment in n private
4 institution. is she to be reported rs
un alien who has become public
charge? And II she is ordered deport-
ed. can any one view with cOmplac-
ency the terrible effect of separation
of wife from citizen husband. and
mother from children who are also
citizens? 1t is easy to meet this OBJ
lection with the query, "Why should
not this alien woman have become an
American citizen?"-but the practical
difficulties of such a, step during the
first few busy years of the wife and
mothers stay in the new country are
familiar to nll who have done work
with foreign-born women. 1t is doubt
full whether the trainers of this law
took into consideration these fearful
but possible consequences"