Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-04-13

WASHINGTON, April 1S.-Much
has been said about the American
woman who until recently lost her
American citizenship when she
married a foreigner. But how about
the foreign born woman who Is also
by the recent law made independent
lin her citizenship status? She sees
Iher husband go oft to school to
learn English and citizenship re-
ouirements, and then he goes to
Icourt and then comes back a citizen
of the United States. And she Is
still al alien.
The characterization school in this
city says that the new law is having
La pronounced effect on this alien
woman. She Is always apt to be
taken for granted by her family as
the homemaker with no other in
lterests. If she does not learn Eng
lish she is soon shut out of the con-
yersation and affairs OF her husband
and children who adapt themselves
to American ways at school and at
work. Now that the immigrant
wife no longer becomes a citizen
when her husband does there is dam
ger that the family will regard her
| with still less concern, and that il
1 ilOI EOOu lOl AAIA AOA III lANt A'AANS
The remedy is to induce her to
become a citizen on her own ac-
count, and that means more work
for Americanization schools. These
organizations have always tried to
Interest the alien oma in becom-
ing a real American, even though
under the old law she might be-
come a citizen in rame when her
husband did, without effort or in
teIligence. The new law is going Ia
supply progressive immigrant wo-
men with a stronger incentive ia
learn English and become Amer
icanized in an intelligent way. These
women are already enrolled in the
characterization schools. But tc
reach the timid ones has become a
more vital problem than ever fol-
the Americanization experts.
Immigrant women cannot be in
duced to ON to a school in large
numbers. Some have small children
to care for, and some are really
frightened by the idea of going into
a public place and speaking with
strangers in q strange tongue. Be
cause Of these conditions, American
ization schools have for some time
been sending workers out to teach
lsuch women in their homes. Some
times five or six can be got together
in one home TO learn English
through a course in first aid ny
giene. Sometimes they can be at
tracted by a little class in sewing
when they would not come to g
gathering where they might have tC
talk. But when several nationali,
ties are represented in a group the
desilte arises to know a little Eng
lish so that they can talk q bit
together. AS the women begin t.
feel at home with each other ant
with the teacher simple lessons il
English begin.
Children Learn Readily
Field workers who go to these
homes also organize under age kin.
dergartens for children three anC
flour years old in foreign ~nelghbor.
hoods. The small children learr
lEnglish readily with less OF a for
elgn accent than older members o.
the family, and the mother Otter
is won over to the study OF Eng
llish through interest in her child.
These home classes and under-ag,
Ikindergartens AVE been offshootS
LOT Anericanization schools, but the,
are gaining in importance through
1.-THE growing need Of helping the for
eign mother to share in the Amer
iicaniZation of her family.
The situation of the immigran
women, even as II is roughly out
lined here, shows that Americapizini
1.-THE foreigner is a complicated pro
ject. Gathering of a group OF then
into O. classroom and telling then
THAT there are two houses OF con
gress and that everybody, i~ncludini
the president, must obey the laws
only a minor part of Americanlza
tion work. That was. perhaps, tn
first idea in establishing an Amer
icanization school-to prepare i'm
migrants for naturalization. Blu
noW the project has broadened S
THAT in different cities you will fin
a variety of methods OF making neV
la variety of opinions as to wha
Americans, and o will even fin
, characterization means.
The crudest idea il that the for
Ieigner should forget everythin
labout his past and his ancestry an
| acquire a typicaliy American att
tude toward life. That program
} proved neither practical nor desir
able.
Miss Maude Alton, principal Of til
Characterization schools of this cit,
takes q broader viewpoint. Sh
Igaszt sAmaricauizstion to N