Americanization in Connecticut - With Good Intensions
Naturalize? Assimilate? Americanize?
By the turn of the new 20th century and in the first two decades that followed. immigration into the United States had increased dramatically. The population was becoming diversified, and in the cities in particular, large groups of residents were foreign-born or born of foreign parents. That crime and labor unrest was on the rise was seen by many as attributable, at least in part, to the influx of foreigners.
While “hyphenated Americans” seemed to pose problems for America, few steps to address the issue were taken by the government prior to World War I. Though laudable efforts to educate and assimilate foreigners were undertaken by progressive social reformers, and by some employers such as Henry Ford, objections to the historical open door policy towards immigration had not resulted in governmental action.
At the risk of oversimplification, one might compare efforts to Americanize foreign residents with other approaches to dealing with their presence.
“Naturalizing” the foreigner, with no further action, had the effect of formally conferring the rights and privileges of citizenship , but did nothing in the way of educating the foreigner about America and what it means to be an American.
“Assimilation” may be characterized as a way of pulling the foreigner into American society and inviting him or her to benefit from what America has to offer while at the same time to contribute to the melting pot.
As distinguished from naturalization and assimilation, “Americanization” can be viewed as a more formalized, governmentally directed way of pushing the foreigner - to speak English, to exercise the rights and obligations of citizenship, to endorse and support American policies, and, fundamentally, to be loyal to America!
Americanization Booth
Appealing to the Foreign Born
The Connecticut Council of Defense was among the first to engage with foreign-born residents. The Connecticut Council appointed a Committee on Aliens, whose name was quickly changed to the Committee on Foreign-born Populations. This committee was already actively engaged when in February, 1918 the federal Council of National Defense called on the Councils of Defense in all states to undertake Americanization activities.
The Connecticut Council of Defense’s Committee on Foreign-born Populations took continuous steps to identify and educate individuals residing in the state but who were born in another country. At the suggestion of Governor Holcomb, one of the Committee’s first projects was to send a letter to a list of prominent foreign-born residents in 75 Connecticut towns, suggesting the importance of a campaign of education to stimulate patriotism among the foreign born.
State Campaign for Americanization of Local Communities
The goals of Connecticut’s formal and well organized “Americanization Plan for Local Communities” were straight forward and laudable.
Council of Defense's State Campaign for Americanization
Instructions for Native Born American Women
Importantly, Connecticut’s Americanization Plan envisioned participation in the development and execution of these efforts by foreign-born individuals themselves. Engagement between foreign-born and native born was seen as essential to promote cooperation and mutual understanding in the Americanization movement. And “native-born Americans should make every reasonable effort to become acquainted with persons of foreign birth and their customs and contributions in order to absorb the best which they bring to this country.”
Moving Pictures
Another vehicle for education foreign-born workers was film. The Americanization work included establishment of a Division of Moving Pictures. Over 200 showings of patriotic films coordinated by the Division of Moving Pictures were attended by over 300,000 people.
One film, produced in coordination with the Council’s Department of Americanization as “The Making of An American.” Produced in 1920 for the Council of Defense by the Worcester Film Corporation, this is a silent film that tells the story of an Italian immigrant who arrives in America but has to work as a day laborer because he spoke no English. He is injured when he can’t read a job safety warning. Later, he sees a notice at the Post Office, written in several languages, emphasizing the benefits of speaking English and the availability of night school. With classes completed, he finds a supervisory position at the Hartford Rubber Works. The film was named to the National Film Registry in 2005.
Education - Schools and Work Places
Education was viewed as key to instilling loyalty in the foreign-born. On February 4, 1918, the Council of Defense recommended that each city and town in the state provide an item in its budget for the education on non-English speaking foreigners, and that evening classes already started for this purpose be extended. This was taken a step further pursuant to a proclamation issued on April 25, 1918 by Governor Holcomb that, starting July 1, 2918, “ in the instruction … in reading, writing, spelling, English grammar, geography, arithmetic, and United States history, the English language shall be used exclusively….”
True Americanism
Beyond schools, education of foreign-born workers was also undertaken in industrial plants. The Committee on Foreign-born Populations sent letters to 200 industrial plants employing foreigners. The emphasis of this message was on language, ideals and customs. Employers were encouraged to appoint an Americanization director, and to include notices printed in foreign languages and describing the benefits of learning English through night school, as stuffers in the pay envelopes of foreign-born workers. Some employers provided bonuses, or a path to promotion, to foreign-born workers who attended night school and could read, write and speak in English.
