The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-05
Landing Job k Often E Problen
 For Women

II or w omen
 What real chance has the foreign born girl of education, who, with her eyes set upon America as the land of opportunity. comes, here, to make her way? According to Mrs. Elizabeth Russell Hendee, vocational adviser to foreign born girls and women at the national board of the Young Women's Christian association, there are ob- stacles innumerableYin such girls path.y obstacles that onl perseverance and unfailing courage can surmount.
 Women with university degree as . rule have a hard time getting estab- lished here, ' she said when seen at her desk at No. 600 Lexington ave- nue yesterday. Professionally trained women, doctors, dentists and lawyers and others often come speaking English fluently enough, but lacking sufficient knowledge ,of the language to transpose their medical or technical terms into ours and thus pass state examinations here. .,5 ,,,, siis ss,'
 One Hungarian woman doctor, who had built ,ip large practice, came here to start anew after being reduced to the refugee class by the fortunes of War. After struggle to support her self by sewing she did some interna- tional institute work for us among pe0- pie. of her own nationality. All the time she studied to perfect herself in English in night school. Finally place in a hospital laboratory was obtained for her and from that she hopes to work her way up again.
 Mrs, Hendee explained that it was all ways her aim to assist such young women back into their own specialized field whenever possible. Very many of the cases that come to her personal at tention must first start in work that is almost menial if a livelihood must be immediately earned. Even women. who have expert skill as stenographers. always marketable commodity in the business world, find it difficult to get back to, their customary. speed in new language.
 One woman, well-educated and in- telligent, who came from responsible post as head of a large. office of an American relief organiza ton in Europe, after great difficulty obtained small position here, typing cards. Undaunted, she says that this keeps her in prac- tice and gives her a chance to keep her eyes open and ito. learn American business requirements. Since she is particularly capable and intelligent, the Y. w. 0. A. vocational adviser ex- pressed no doubt that she will eventual 1y work up to her old position again.
 Asked about translation work, Mrs, Hendee replied that having second language doesn't insure better job. While firms dealing with foreign trade nnd foreign eonsulates create a market for such work, it is. very limited, she said, in comparison 10 the great number of applicants seeking translation to
 The lack of prestige given to the educated person here is always sur prise to girls coming from other coun- tries,' she pointed out. Tn Europe they are accustomed to looking up to and; honoring the person of education. With an education. sof a persons social caste changes in Europe. Certain gov ernment positions are opeh to them. Here in Aiherica they hear 'high-brows. so-called, ridiculeds Foreign born girls long to develop intellectually and will pay any penalty, Yin the way of self denial and work, to save for it. Their in tense ambition toasucceed by their own endeavors makes them, as a rule, won. derfully steady and reliable workers anxious. to, please and get ahead"
 Commenting on the fact that for efgners are said toa have low living standards, Mrs. Hendee pointed out that among the educated class, stand ards are as rule higher than our own Where we, generally speaking, are ac customed to only one servant or the part time service of one worker ant accustomed to waiting upon ourselves foreign born girls in similar circum stances have retinue of servants and rarely lifts hand. "A young Russian girl, working all day here at typins and struggling to keep house for hei $. fathere,duripg the evenings on small pay and with many accute discomforts asked me, How do you mop up c floor when the mop is too wet" Finally l understood what she meant.
 '.She did not know what you had to do to wiring out a mop! She had simply never had it brought to her attention that all you have to do is squeeze il out. Most. American girls in assist ing their mother or maid of all work are accustomed to house work. It. is perhaps a little easier Tor Russianss.oi this class to adapt themselves to mod est living over here than it is for other nationalities The wholesFwogld knows what they have lost and suffered.' But before we criticize3 the living standards Of foreign born girlsswe must take into account that many of them are prac ticing the most keate nelf-denial strug. gling to send money over to theii families forfa bare existence or to bring them here"
 Touching upon the. foreign born girl in industrial or factory jobs, Mrs Hendee said that frequently gir wants to fit herself for something bet ter. and yet where or how to go about it is like an uncharted sea to her. Tt help and encourage such girls to find 6 self-supporting path to education. is one of Mrs. Hendee's active concerns The Y. W. c. A. has long been helpful to many girls and women of foreign born nationalities, seeking to aid then in their .ad djustment. in their new homes In nearly fifty cities Y. w. c. A. in ternational institutes are maintained Here English is taught, American laws that touch their daily lives explained and classes of dozens of subjects oi direct and practical help to them given Finding their language spoken by s nationality worker and mutual inter change of friendliness and help, the girl, bewildered by an environment SC