AMERICANISATION AND A MEXICAN VILLAGE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3595, 6 February 1923, Page 60

AMERICANISATION AND A MEXICAN VILLAGE.

Br

ALMA TUCKER.

California won the approval of the world a few years ago by making her educational grant the largest per capita on record anywhere. Seeking an educational Utopia, therefore, one meets with many disappointments. It is the purpose of the present article to appreciate one of the three features which really are outstanding and admirable. These are, first, the handsome and well-appointed buildings, which are the pride of the community in nearly every Californian town, and which would never be recognised as public schools in—er—some places where I have lived. Second, not only in professional circles, but also in the business, and even in the social world college graduation l? becoming strictly the standard. The amount expended” upon university education, which is free to all regular students, large though it is, seems never enough for the university with the largest attendance in the world. Third, the facilities for adult education or re-education, variously known as Americanisation, free night school, and part-time education. As to this- last, the casual observer might think,, why Americanisation ? This seems like social service, or one would say civilisation work, but then to the average American, Americanisation means civilisation, and vice versa. The term “foreigner” conveys a vague but more or less sinister meaning, and is never used with more contempt than when in the mouth of the citizen with a bare generation of New World life to his credit. That interesting word “heathen” is itself scarcely used with so little understanding, and there are only two classes of people, Americans and foreigners. Thus, in a state where a Russian colony had established itself, the community would not allow the children of these unfortunate strangers to attend the public schools, though this was in flagrant violation of both the “eonstitootion” and the laws of -their own State. The local authorities even went so far as to dispense with the services of a couple of women teachers because they persisted in going among the Russians to coax them to bring their timid children along and enroll them at the public school, to teach English to the adults, and otherwise to render sadly needed social service. At a meeting of clubwomen in a small town a good soul became suddenly fired with enthusiasm to do something for these poor benighted foreigners, and she rose to announce that she herself would “go and convert the Russians.” (Just convert them “en bloc,” you know.) Later, asked as to what she proposed to convert them, to, she replied: “To Christianity, of course!” And was quite disappointed when informed that the, objects of her benevolent intentions, belonging to the Greek Orthodox Church, 'were comparatively pious Christians already A few weeks back there appeared in a Los Angeles paper a report of a city women’s club meeting whereat a- member had delivered an address, which, with unconscious humour, she called “How to Americanise the Indians.” (The American Indians, of course.) Her outlook, however, was much wider than that of the folk who penalised the teachers for trying to Americanise the Russians. It is pleasant to be able to record that both the courageous girls of the former incidents found their niche later and succeeded in doing splendid work in their vocation of Americanisation. Indeed, it is' with the career of one of them that the latter part of this article will largely concern itself. Drtizilla Mackey came to Los Angeles where special teachels were being appointed to the schools of the foreign quarters, some to teach children in the daytime, others to teach adults at night. It was found that where night schools existed and other subjects besides English and civics were taught, that is, subjects of vocational or cultural value, many Americans also were glad to avail themselves of such an opportunity. 80 teachers began to qualify themselves to teach such subjects as salesmanship, business arithmetic, and commercial English, to adults, while teachers from the technical high schools and the regular high schools were engaged to teach Spanish, which is here of growing comfhercial value, shorthand, book-keeping, typewriting, dressmaking, millenery, carpentry, mechanics, acetylene welding, and even interior decorating, which is the latest development. In all the schools of this type the teachers seem to be splendid persons, giving of their best and delighted to have such appreciative classes. The co-operation all round is ideal. For instance, during a recent period when unemployment was widespread, the night schools were crowded, for it is found that the more ambitious workers use periods of unemployment to improve thejr qua! ideations, or even to learn an alternative trade. But, in spite of the extra work this crowding occasioned, the superintendents found time to form themselves into unofficial free employment bureaus, and even persuaded .firms to make work for some of their more harassed clients. The teachers find that the work fluctuates a good deal and that the type of teaching required varies with the "neighbourhood, etc. There is the illiterate foreigner from the backward country with no scheme of popular education, such as Mexico : there is the educated foreigner lacking only English, and, as is commonly thought, a knowledge of the principles of democracy, and there . is the ambitious American worker, seeking to better himself-. ’ For about five years the heroine of the Russian colony incident taught in such schools in Los Angeles, ere again occasion arose for her to show her mettle. In the Japanese quarter there was great need for a night school for the adults. But the wave of hatred against the cunning Jap was at its height, and even education officials were little disposed to do anything for them. So much hatred between wiiite

and yellow neighbours naturally found expression for itself in unpleasant acts on both sides. And there was no suitable building at the disposal of the Board of Education. Miss Mackey began making preliminary investigation and some of the Japs offered her a room which was only the basement of a very poor but clean house. She was delighted, and carried the offer to the county superintendent, asking that she be appointed to commerce work right away. The superintendent was horrified. She surely wished to be murdered 1 With all the rumours then rife about Japanese treachery, atrocities, etc., the Board would not take the responsibility of . sending a teacher there for fear of the scandel in which they should become involved “if anything should happen.” So, feeling an obligation towards these Door foreigners who asked her help, she went ahead of her own accord, without remuneration, and held school in that cellar every night for a year, receiving the most courteous treatment, and the most touching evidences of gratitude from these people who became her friends for life. Apropos of the so-called treachery of the Japanese in California, Miss Mackey says: “Well, some of my Japanese friends have interpreted for me their attitude towards America, and seeing from their point of view, that becomes treachery no longer. Certainly there is the kind of Americanisation teacher t-o transform even treachery into loyalty. In passing, let us note an incident which Miss Mackey relates to illustrate the earnest ambition which is a part of the natural piety ot this rapidly progressing people. While on a- visit to San Diego-, she heard that a Japanese man-o’-war was in the port. Ever eager for sidelights on the people with whom she was working, she obtained permission to go aboard and found an interpreter to explain that she was a teacher of their countrymen in Americanisation schools, upon which the officers were absolutely. at her service. Every courtesy and hospitality was extended to her. Upon being shown the men’s recreation, she was struck by the' silence. No talking, no smoking, no games. Every man jack of them was spending his free time in hard study, most reading American books with dictionaries. What is there to do but co-operate with a people like that? Experiment with Mexicans.— Presently in a district about 20 miles frorn Los Angeles, need occurred for somebody who could carry out a rather comprehensive programme of Americanisation. There was a- camp of some 60 Mexicans with their families accommodated in permanent three-roomed wooden houses. All the workers of these families are employed by a citrus association. Theyform practically the total foreign population of the small town. There is a special primary school for the Mexican children. A ow for the adult work, there were three separate organisations interested and able to contribute towards the salary, hirst, a Union High School, some miles distant, to which the night school really belongs as a branch. Second, the primary school, which wanted a. home teacher, and could draw funds for this purpose. Third, the association of orange °Towers to whom the camp belonged, arid who wanted the services of a teacher who would also undertake some general community organisation, supervision of the houses, employment management, and the direction of home nursing. By combining the budgets of these three groups it was found that a very decent salary could be paid. Although the work technically comes under the supervision of these three separate organisations and must be divided for purposes of record and report, it is essentially one and the same, Americanisation, community service or whatever one wishes to term it. So the ’Services of Miss Maekey were secured. One should state that some work on the social and religious side had been attempted by a missionary from the Society of Friends of a nearbv quaker city which survives the joyful jazz of California. However, as quakerism was not understood by the people, she failed to gain entry save-- into a few homesj and the community houses fiecorhing known as the chapel was shunned carefully by the pious Catholics. As there is now no. traces of Protestant observance in the camp, it may be assumed that the Mexicans could not he innocula-ted with a- teaching so foreign to their temperament. Now the Americanisation teacher lives right in the camp, of which she has become an integral part, and she has many capacities which give her a correspondingly large,-number of avenues of approach. Thus, if by any chance she should fail, to gain entry in one capacity, she has a number of others to which she may turn—teacher of the men’s and of the women’s classes, truant officer, house inspectress, employment manager, etc. She is, in fact, supreme directress of all the activities of the little community, save only one, religion. As a matter of fact, however, she is so jealously Vved in the camp that they refuse to lea-ve her out ol any special fiesta. At Christmas time they had a sort of miracle play, which seems to be part of the celebra tion of Christmas in Mexico. “On this occasion, says Miss Mackey, “nothing would do but I must take the part- of the priest (shade,s of my covenanting ancestors!)” Miss Mackey, in all the details of her life, is an embodiment of her best teachings. She simply moved into a poor, bare, little shack like the rest, and built up a pleasant, attractive little home in just the same way that she expected her people to do. Reversing the enervating practice of charity, sha" allowed herself to become the object of their benefactions. Amongst the items of decoration with which they provided her, I noticed that they had painted her a door screen with the emblem of Mexico, a cactus surmounted by an eagle. It is indicative of the really dense ignorance of these people that they could offer no coherent explanation of the symbolism of their own emblem. They had no free education in Mexico, and few members of the camp

could even read or write in their own language. Yet these are not the typical peons of whom so much has been heard, but in their own country small tradesfolk or artisans. English, hygiene, and some civics are taught to both sexes, and cooking and elementary nursing to the women. A great need for knowledge of sex hygiene was found to exist, and Miss Mackey Uas prepared a simple booklet on this subject, which has been published by the department of public health, and distributed among all the Mexicans in California. The method of instruction is important. The teachers of these foreign classes seldom know the language of their j students. Moreover, few of these students | have any formal education in their own ! language as a background. Therefore the [ Pest-alozzian or natural method is the | one employed. In this method, which is ■ also the method by which we all learned j our mother tongue, the names of the I simplest actions and objects were taught, j and the teacher proceeds to deliver short ! sentences for repetition,* their meaning j illustrated by action, gesture, and picture. J Like the pupils of Mr Squeers, they “go and do it.” So English is taught by j speaking English, and nothing else, i As is done in large factories where I Americanisation is carried on, the Superi visor of Emigrant Education draws up a | set of lessons that are very practical and improve the understanding between employer and employed, Resides enabling the employee to use greater intelligence in his work. The set used in our camp tells the story of the lemons and oranges from the planting through the various stages of their growth, pruning, picking, and to the marketing and consumption of these products which they have actually handled, in the far Countries of the world ■ then back to the wages paid to the .Mexican. The idea is, of course, to teach English that will make a better workman of*- him. Similarly a course in history cornnreneed With the simple story of the discovery of California by Fernado Cortes, and the establishment of the Missions'. A set of lessons in geography was built round an account by each member of the class of his birthplace and of his subsequent wanderings and emigration. Here the terms of geography were easily learned by the use of maps. To make tfie best use of the lessons it is necessary for the teacher to receive the co-operation of the foreman in charge of the actual operations. The foremen were sceptical at first, but when they realised the practical value to them of such instruction, they co-operated to the fullest extent. Lessons dealing with the non-working life of the workers are handled in the same mariner. For example, the lessons in carpentering are given by a local carpenter, lessons by the local hardware merchant, lessons about groceries by a local grocer. This method of teaching, has not only enhanced the interest and value of the lessons, hut has also been a prime factor in bringing the Mexicans and their neighbours together, and in welding bonds of sympathy between them. Here we come back to the keynote of the work of this particularly fine woman. In answer to a question - regarding the evidences of harmony and co-operation between her work and that of the various local organisations, she replied : “No, it was not always so. Indeed, I always find on entering a foreign group in a community like this that my first thsk is to Americanise the Americans. I have gone before every church, and social organisation in the neighbourhood in behalf of my people. I have gotten up dinners here, Spanish, of course, do which the Mexican wo-men invited American women. I have taken my sing class to sing at- the Ladies” Club, and at the Community Church. The Americans had to realise that the Mexicans, also, had something to give. All my visitors are taken along to visit Senor Espania. Ho is the pride of the camp. Let us drop in on him now.” Senor Espania is an ikon maker. To visit the hut of his son-in-law and to see him at work in that humble milieu is to have a glimnse of a- conception of life remote from this land and age,- but well understood by our Latin friends. His daughter, who rejoices in the marital name of Cervantes, receives her many callers with unfailing courtesy and good humour. She speaks English quite well. The living room is entirely dominated by a larger than life wooden Madonna, complete in its masses and being slowly chiselled to perfection by the artist. He comes lorward, beaming but bashful, in his long smock. 'He tugs at a forelock. He has no English at all. But to us he presents his best introduction. How tendfrlv, reverently, he holds it; how worshipfully, how lovingly he, has made it! This image of the child Jesus is his masterpiece. So much pure piety, idealism, and rare devotion bias he carved into this perfect little figure that it is quite remarkable to observe the wonder and reverence which it unfailingly- evokes in the most casual visitor. The artist bows, pulls his hair, and murmurs “Gracias, Senoritas all the while that his dolls or his sacred image are being admired, with the most native delight in the appreciation of his work. One wonders “What is such a man doing here?” There are among the Mexicans ardent spirits who have to remain on this side of the border until revolutions are forgotten and forgiven, but clearly Senor Espania is not of this order. His face is that of a peasant mystic, concerned entirely with other worldly things. We are interested to he-ar, later, through a dignitary of the church, that our friend is rated as one of the finest artists in his medium, in America. But, Revenons a nos noutons (Well, they are esprit noutons, anyway,) the townspeople have been greatly impressed since they have been informed of the large sums of money which is gladly paid for as many of these carvings -as the artist likes to make. Their only -worry is -as to why he does not hurry up and make one every week. So the work goes on in its many phases, and this group of people, who a snort

year ago were strangers to their environment and even to each other, have become a harmonious community all working together for a number of common purposes. From the general clean-up which was the first step, they have gone so far as to apply to the association for a bath-house and laundry, pledging themselves for a considerable portion of the cost. Every house has a fence and a flourisning garden of flowers and vegetables. An orchestra furnishes music lor dances and other social gatherings, and the schoolhouse is often converted into a moving picture theatre for the screening of educational films. Most of the iome nursing is taught in this way. Every holiday, both American and Mexican, is celebrated by a grand fiesta. I lie teacher’s life is brimful of the humour and pathos of human reactions in their simpler forms. For some time several couples had been living together without observing the formality of marriage, the appeals and protests of missionaries notwithstanding. But the promise of a gay fiesta carried the same folk rejoicing on to the honourable setate of matrimony, with its attendant festivity and present giving. Consuela Lopez, who is lazy and slovenly, resented the clean-up campaign and was delighted when an excuse came to agitate against the dangers of cleanliness and revert to the old and delightfully untidy order of things. .The excuse came when Maria Miguela, the spotless, slipped on her soap-suclded floor and sprained her ankle in her untiring efforts towards perfection. The whole camp rose threateningly, and it seemed as though the whole gospel of cleanliness was going to be refuted by sheer weight of numbers. At that very moment the brother of Senora Lopez became seriously ill and she had no mourning veil ready! The teacher was able to help make it on her machine, and thus to destroy the opposition which threatened to become serious. The brother, recovering, was likewise gratified that his sister had been correctly attired to celebrate his demise. The Mexicans are becoming citizens, sure enough'. Some facetious observer remarked that by next thanksgiving we should have them claiming Mayflower descent. One notices that it has come to be regarded as ettiquette in this country not to invite Miss Mackey to a public function without carte-blanche for her protegees. She has her quartette sing in the Methodist Epispocal Church. One never knows quite where she will come out at, but one may be quite sure she will get by with it. This experiment has been only on a small scale, but it is likely to widen into an extensive State scheme. Miss Mackey has been working from the psychological side also, she has been requested to prepare text books for use through California, and she is in a way to attain national recognition. Already she is appointed lecturer at the university summer school, later she is to be in charge both of the teachers who are taking up Americanisation, and of the people who are actually doing the work in the field. And right now there will be wailing among those simple, affectionate, and playful people whose lives she has greatly enlarged. Not yet sufficiently evolved for devotion to ideas, they are capable ot great devotion to personalities. Through such devotion they learn the lesson ot their new loyalty, and there is the type of personality to call forth loyalty, and all of the best.