Endowments; Americanization; Immigrants--Cultural assimilation; New York (N.Y.); National Americanization Committee; Trumbull, Frank, 1858-1920; Roosevelt, Theodore, 1858-1919; Kellor, Frances, 1873-1952; Committee for Immigrants in America
Format
correspondence
Genre
Business correspondence
Date
[between 1901 and 1919?]
Physical Description
microfilm, 16 mm, b&w
Note (Reel no.)
Reel 81
Note
PDF may contain multiple grant documents.
Franklin A. Trumbull; letter by Theodore Roosevelt
Without question the Bureau of Education was far more successful at winning allies than its chief rival, but it was so dependent upon one ally, the National Americanization Committee, that it is more accurate to say that Education became a subsidiary of the N.A.C. The reason for this was simple. Congress appropriated no funds for the bureau's Americanization work and so the N.A.C. financed it until it became illegal for federal agencies to use private funds; that is, until the end of fiscal year 1919. According to N.A.C. Chairman Frank Trumbull, this subsidy, from April 1914 to June 1919, amounted to exactly $85, 247.80. He added, 'It is not too much to say we think it [the subsidy] has been largely responsible for the Americanization work undertaken under Secretary Lane's direction. Also known as the Committee for Immigrants in America, the National Americanization Committee was a business group that viewed Americanization largely in terms of fitting immigrant labor into American industry. The top leadership of the N.A.C. overlapped almost completely with the Immigration Committee of Commerce.” [SOURCE: McClymer, John F. "The Federal Government and the Americanization Movement, 1915-24." Americanization, Social Control, and Philanthropy, edited by George E. Pozzetta, Taylor & Francis, 1991, pp. 32. Google Books, https://books.google.com/books?id=7YG-HVqh1VEC. Accessed 2 Oct. 2018.] "Frances Kellor was secretary and treasurer of the New York State Immigration Commission in 1909 and chief investigator for the Bureau of Industries and Immigration of New York State in 1910-13. She was brought on by Theodore Roosevelt’s 1912 presidential campaign, to help write the Progressive Party’s platform. This election marked the first time the party had taken up immigration as a key issue. The platform promised to provide immigrants more opportunities to succeed, as well as reverse policies that neglected immigrants and their rights. Roosevelt lost the election to Woodrow Wilson, but Kellor continued her fight for immigrant rights. At the time, Kellor was the director of the North American Civic League. She began advocating for increased collaboration between private, state, and national efforts, aimed at assimilating, educating, and protecting the rapidly growing immigrant population. In 1914, she left the American Civic League and formed the Committee for Immigrants in America. This committee fought for immigrant rights and education. Kellor’s efforts resulted in more than 13% of non-English-speaking immigrants enrolling in citizenship classes by 1915. The movement continued to make progress, but Kellor was not satisfied. She began pressuring the federal government to act and aide immigrants in regards to protection, education, and opportunity. Kellor organized and promoted the National Americanization Day, to be held on July 4, 1915. Over 150 cities nationwide partook in this holiday, which celebrated and welcomed naturalized immigrants . She also oversaw the American Association of Foreign Language Newspapers She directed the National Americanization Committee (NAC), an important private organization promoting Americanization during World War I. Speaking for the NAC in 1916, she proposed Americanization programs that to combined efficiency and patriotism. It would be more efficient, she argued, once the factory workers could all understand English and therefore better understand orders and avoid accidents. Once Americanized, immigrants would grasp American industrial ideals and be open to American influences. This would make them less subject to strike agitators or and foreign propagandists. The result, she argued would transform less knowledgeable residents into understanding voters, making their homes into American homes, and to establishing American standards of living throughout the ethnic communities. Ultimately, she argued it would 'unite foreign-born and native alike in enthusiastic loyalty to our national ideals of liberty and justice.'" [SOURCE: "Frances Kellor." Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frances_Kellor. Accessed 2 Oct. 2018.]