The Denver Jewish news., 1922-08-02
What is Americanization
By DIR. STEPHEN s. WISE.

of the term is that immigration to
America and Americanization are not
identical. In other words, that Amer
admission but process of spiritual
advent-that N man does not become
an American solely by benig admitted
ut the gateway of America to resi-
dence within our borders.
If AmericanZation be spiritual
process rather than physical act,
then is it also true that Americaniza-
ton and American nativity are not
interchangeable terms? n man may
have been born in America and dwell
here all his days and still not be
American, whereas "A man may be
ready for America and ready to be-
come part of America and to make
American nism the best part of his own
life even before he touches our shores.
The use of the term AmericaniZa-
tion is significant FROM another point
of view. 1 have never heard the
term BriticiZation or GalliciZation or
Latinization or SlavoniZation. Why?
Because though a man may through
residence and adoption of citizenship
become citizen of the French Re
public or subject of the Italian King
dom or n resident of one of the sew
cral Slavonic countries he cannot be
come part of the race which in
Italian and French and Slavic coun-
tries is virtually identical with the
nation.
A man becomes a Briton British
or by will and through adoption, but
he cannot become an Englishman in
any way save through the process oil
birth. This does not hold true i'll
birth. This does not hold true in
America. While AngIo-Saxonism Is
the very heart of America and Anglo
Saxondom made the largest and most
precious contribution to American life,
IL man is not less an American be
cause he is not an Anglo-SaXon. Our
Republic is not only federation oil
states but confederacy of races.
man may become an American ire
spective of race or faiai or tongue.
The first truth to be borne in mind
with respect to Americanization Is
that the foreigner must not he view
ed nor designated aa u problem. No
human being enjoys being looked upon
as problem.
No foreigner can be Americanized or
helped to attain Americanization
through being dubbed foreigner.
The first step to he taken into help
ing the foreigner to become an Amer
ica.i is to treat him as man. II Is
hard enough to he stranger any
where. Let us not make the burden
of the stranger too hard.
1 would have America either shut
foreigners out or take them in-no'
leave them dangling in spirit ut our
doors. physically admitted to b't eN-
cIuded spiritually from the life of ouf
Republic.
If we would Americanize the FOR
eigner. we must remember that he
must be met not with condescensioh
but with confidence, not in the spiiit
of patronage or even paternalism, bu'
of trust and fraternalism. DO not let
us imagine that Amcricanization can
he achieved through Summing. The
foreigner is not necessarily an infer
;,r ,r ,,nunrthy nprsDn
There are certain methods or in.
strumentalities of Amcricnnlzation
which must be utilized and mag1ihed
the school. the press, the pulpit
the theatre. The school must be Kept
free from every political entanSlement
and every sectarian bias. The presh
must not be an instrument in the
hands of power but medium of free
and umtrammeled communication be
tween all groups and classes in the
Republic The pulpit of every faith,
like the press, must keep itself free
from the domination of any class and
serve as spiritual symbol of the
unity of the Republic. The theatre
ought to be taken out of hands that
are unrlean and converted into an in
strumcntality that shall be serviceab'e
in the interest of Americanism. There
are American theatres and players
and dramatists who are ministerilg
finely TO the best in American life, but
there are theatres of every kind ana
vast numbers of them which, fair
from being agencies of AmericaniHa-
| ton, are sewers and cesspools.
The majority of foreigners live in
| the cities and larger municipalities
| City government must be clean and
| innnrrunt illn Innlinn fnrnI