WEBVTT 1 00:00:02.909 --> 00:00:14.070 Jess Jung: All right, okay Well, first I should probably say hello, my name is jess young i'm the associate an associate professor in the department of theater and i'm also. 2 00:00:14.549 --> 00:00:22.830 Jess Jung: Really lucky to be a faculty fellow in the office of the provost this year, so I one of the great things I get to do is coordinate this research series. 3 00:00:23.340 --> 00:00:31.350 Jess Jung: So I get to welcome you to the nds you faculty research series on engaged citizenship and inclusion. 4 00:00:32.070 --> 00:00:39.330 Jess Jung: The series showcases scholarly research of nds you faculty who have published on matters of social responsibility. 5 00:00:39.690 --> 00:00:48.510 Jess Jung: Quality inclusion open minded ethical decision making and action so today's talk, you all know, because you're here but it's a doctor and blankenship. 6 00:00:48.840 --> 00:00:54.570 Jess Jung: associate professor of religious studies in nds us history philosophy and religious studies department. 7 00:00:55.230 --> 00:01:01.410 Jess Jung: She will share inclusion or exclusion varieties of Americanization in the early 20th century. 8 00:01:02.130 --> 00:01:15.870 Jess Jung: The faculty research series partners with india's you library so before I hand it over to Dr blankenship i'd like to ask beth to me to speak on the library resources that support this research series. 9 00:01:17.430 --> 00:01:31.050 beth.twomey: hi everyone I think most of you know me but for those of you don't i'm the head of research and instruction for the libraries and I am also a member of the libraries on equity inclusion and diversity and inclusion committee. 10 00:01:32.370 --> 00:01:43.230 beth.twomey: we're really happy to be collaborating on on the Faculty reacher series, we are developing open access guides that provide a contextual. 11 00:01:44.040 --> 00:02:00.780 beth.twomey: And in this case historic information that anyone can access and alignment with our land grant mission, the link to the guide is in the chat and Dr blankenship if you would like any additions or changes, please just reach out to us we'd be happy to do that. 12 00:02:02.490 --> 00:02:10.290 beth.twomey: it's our hope that the guides will actually help increase the visibility of n de Su research on and the cool things that are happening here. 13 00:02:10.740 --> 00:02:21.600 beth.twomey: And if you are interested in learning a little bit more about the library's commitment to equity diversity and inclusion, you can take a look at the second week there in the in the chat thanks a lot. 14 00:02:23.670 --> 00:02:33.540 Jess Jung: Thanks so just so everybody knows we're going to do the presentation and then we will hold time for a question and answer session, following the presentation. 15 00:02:33.780 --> 00:02:42.090 Jess Jung: You know if you have something burning and you just need to put it in the chat that's okay i'll be watching the chat and will facilitate the question and answer after the presentation. 16 00:02:42.720 --> 00:02:52.260 Jess Jung: So with that Dr blankenship inclusion or exclusion varieties of Americanization in the early 20th century, I hope I did my best theater introduction there for you. 17 00:02:52.830 --> 00:02:54.300 Anne Blankenship: it's wonderful that's wonderful Thank you. 18 00:02:55.320 --> 00:02:56.520 Anne Blankenship: I am. 19 00:02:56.550 --> 00:02:59.970 Anne Blankenship: going to do my little screen share business. 20 00:03:08.700 --> 00:03:09.870 Anne Blankenship: Okay, does that work. 21 00:03:12.450 --> 00:03:14.760 Anne Blankenship: looks good is that is that working you see the title. 22 00:03:15.090 --> 00:03:17.040 Anne Blankenship: yeah okay good okay. 23 00:03:17.640 --> 00:03:19.470 Anne Blankenship: Other than pretending you're seeing something. 24 00:03:20.070 --> 00:03:29.100 Anne Blankenship: it's worth asking, as I mentioned, is just earlier, I didn't teach last year, so I haven't had to do these things so um Thank you to just. 25 00:03:29.970 --> 00:03:36.210 Anne Blankenship: And the powers that be that selected my topic for the speaker series, I wanted to thank you. 26 00:03:36.750 --> 00:03:44.610 Anne Blankenship: college of arts and sciences and my own department for granting me the developmental leave last year that I needed to complete this research. 27 00:03:45.240 --> 00:03:53.490 Anne Blankenship: Well, I couldn't actually visit archives during my leap which was the point I still made substantial progress on my book project. 28 00:03:53.940 --> 00:04:01.950 Anne Blankenship: religion, race and immigration, how Jews Catholics and Protestants faced mass immigration 1882 to 1924. 29 00:04:02.610 --> 00:04:14.700 Anne Blankenship: I continued working this summer, with financial support from the NIH the American Academy of religion, the Presbyterian historical society and the American Jewish archives, so I think, then, as a while for. 30 00:04:15.570 --> 00:04:22.470 Anne Blankenship: Some that are capable of work, I was able to do this summer, and this talk provides preview of sorts to that larger work. 31 00:04:23.820 --> 00:04:34.200 Anne Blankenship: So the nation instituted the first race based or national origin based law in 1882 with the Chinese exclusion act, but the 1880s. 32 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:46.500 Anne Blankenship: inaugurated one of the nation's greatest periods of emigration arriving from Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southern Europe, the presence of these so called new immigrants alarmed many native born Americans. 33 00:04:47.430 --> 00:04:59.220 Anne Blankenship: abused by tenement and factory owners newcomers filled crowded streets with commerce the smell of new foods sounds of foreign languages and the sight of people wearing different clothes. 34 00:04:59.850 --> 00:05:04.890 Anne Blankenship: White Americans felt threatened by their numbers and, in many cases, their success. 35 00:05:05.550 --> 00:05:12.210 Anne Blankenship: Some concerns related to Labor issues anti socialist agendas and the power of foreign voting blocs. 36 00:05:12.600 --> 00:05:18.930 Anne Blankenship: But critics also appointed too much more basic and usually racist ideas about who would shape the country's identity. 37 00:05:19.440 --> 00:05:27.690 Anne Blankenship: Some aid workers and missionaries believed anyone could be americanized while, perhaps, the majority of the country, I believe that only people have certain. 38 00:05:28.410 --> 00:05:41.100 Anne Blankenship: A white races could do so while some people sought to bar immigration through restrictive immigration laws others focus their efforts on assimilating the growing ethnic communities suddenly in throughout the United States. 39 00:05:41.970 --> 00:05:51.900 Anne Blankenship: Well, social workers educational leaders and religious groups all agreed that new immigrants needed to assimilate or americanize the words were used more or less interchangeably. 40 00:05:52.590 --> 00:06:02.010 Anne Blankenship: They held conflicting views of what this entailed in ways unhelpful to researchers, like me, one person might profess resistance to Americanization programs. 41 00:06:02.310 --> 00:06:18.510 Anne Blankenship: While another supported them, but the words were used so inconsistently that the two people might hope that immigrants changed their lives in the exact same ways so saying you supported in Americanization to really ultimately mean anything unhelpfully. 42 00:06:19.620 --> 00:06:28.920 Anne Blankenship: For native is groups Americanization meant abandoning the language dress customs food ethnic neighborhoods and possibly religion of an immigrant's native home. 43 00:06:29.610 --> 00:06:37.290 Anne Blankenship: But for progressive Americans immigrants could retain cultural traditions, if they at least learn English and work towards naturalization. 44 00:06:37.890 --> 00:06:44.040 Anne Blankenship: Everyone had a different idea of what traits or cultural traditions might enhance or damage the nation. 45 00:06:44.850 --> 00:06:55.080 Anne Blankenship: As a historian of American religion my goal today is to describe how the different agendas of American Jews Protestants and Catholics influence their approaches to Americanization. 46 00:06:55.680 --> 00:07:03.150 Anne Blankenship: While my research found much to support established narratives I found significant aberrations as well, which I will point out along the way. 47 00:07:05.070 --> 00:07:13.950 Anne Blankenship: American Jews held mixed motives when it came to their co-religionists from Eastern Europe, on one hand they welcomed refugees fleeing persecution. 48 00:07:14.460 --> 00:07:27.480 Anne Blankenship: On the other, they as a community composed largely of German Jewish immigrants worked hard had worked hard to establish themselves in law medicine, finance and, to some degree society. 49 00:07:28.110 --> 00:07:38.820 Anne Blankenship: But knew their status was precarious the site of thousands of years became bearded men wearing heavy dark cloaks and women with covered hair threatened to undermine all that they had achieved. 50 00:07:39.510 --> 00:07:54.060 Anne Blankenship: And indeed social clubs hotels and resorts once open to Jews begin barring their entrance in the late 1800s uptown Jews in New York set to work some out of compassion others to mitigate a potential threat to their American way of life. 51 00:07:55.170 --> 00:08:11.460 Anne Blankenship: This new year's card lays out pretty much what was going on, so on the left, you can see, the German American Jews dressed in their very fashionable clothes reaching their arms out to welcome these very beleaguered. 52 00:08:13.980 --> 00:08:17.160 Anne Blankenship: Tired I mean you can just even the difference in their posture right kind of. 53 00:08:18.450 --> 00:08:36.720 Anne Blankenship: People wearing these kind of old fashioned to them clothes long beards covered hair, all of this with all their baggage and the crest about the on the right is the Russian pressed on because most of the Jews at this period or from Russia proper. 54 00:08:37.980 --> 00:08:43.170 Anne Blankenship: So, for these reasons German Jews embraced Americanization and programs wholeheartedly. 55 00:08:43.950 --> 00:08:50.820 Anne Blankenship: American ization efforts began in the home with German Jewish women descending to the lower East side and combating unclean. 56 00:08:51.750 --> 00:08:59.730 Anne Blankenship: As jenna bison Jolie writes the elimination of dirt was by no means an exclusively physical act, but one fraught. 57 00:09:00.450 --> 00:09:09.420 Anne Blankenship: with profound social and cultural meaning intrinsic to the process of integration housekeeping itself was nothing less than a civic virtue. 58 00:09:10.170 --> 00:09:23.550 Anne Blankenship: These ideas of purity and cleanliness played central roles in Protestant interventions as well, both groups recognize the influential role of mothers, if she ran an American household than her family would soon follow. 59 00:09:24.570 --> 00:09:31.770 Anne Blankenship: Additionally, the Baron to Hirsch fund schools initiated some of the earliest institutions to ready newly arrived children for public school. 60 00:09:32.700 --> 00:09:37.950 Anne Blankenship: patriotic sentiments infused language lessons with and every other aspect of instruction. 61 00:09:38.340 --> 00:09:52.710 Anne Blankenship: For Memorial Day 1892 400 Russian Jewish children who would reportedly arrived within the previous three months put on a vibrant and display of patriotism and a celebration filled with poetry songs and waving flags. 62 00:09:53.250 --> 00:09:59.850 Anne Blankenship: A New York Times report quoted members of the Jewish community who pointed out that the children's rapid explanation. 63 00:10:00.150 --> 00:10:12.480 Anne Blankenship: demonstrated that Russian Jews were desirable immigrants that retired required a little time to thoroughly americanize after decades of persecution into any there was a lot of rhetorical at that time that. 64 00:10:13.530 --> 00:10:20.520 Anne Blankenship: They had just been so permanently damaged that there was no way they could recover and function in a democratic society. 65 00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:29.760 Anne Blankenship: But, ultimately, in other words, they were telling readers of the New York Times don't worry Jews are taking care of their own, it will be fine. 66 00:10:30.720 --> 00:10:36.930 Anne Blankenship: raised in a prosperous German American Jewish home Julia Richmond devoted her life to educating new york's immigrant children. 67 00:10:37.470 --> 00:10:41.850 Anne Blankenship: becoming the city's first Jewish principal and first female district superintendent. 68 00:10:42.360 --> 00:10:50.400 Anne Blankenship: Richmond implemented strict discipline and hygiene requirements, she band yet ish instructing teachers to wash offenders mouth out with soap. 69 00:10:51.090 --> 00:10:58.020 Anne Blankenship: and inspect the cleanliness of every students hands praised by uptown sister hoods Jewish sister hoods. 70 00:10:58.410 --> 00:11:06.720 Anne Blankenship: And criticized by immigrant parents her immigration her Americanization curriculum implemented at Jewish centers like the educational alliance. 71 00:11:07.140 --> 00:11:10.920 Anne Blankenship: And the day here schools became a standard for public schools throughout the city. 72 00:11:11.820 --> 00:11:23.640 Anne Blankenship: hill to pull a check a Polish Jew, who arrived in Chicago with her family reported that she and her siblings received americanized names, not at Ellis Island, as is often the school, that is true. 73 00:11:24.330 --> 00:11:31.860 Anne Blankenship: But by the cleric at the Jewish training school Hindu became hilda bellville became Willie and Gucci became rose. 74 00:11:32.910 --> 00:11:42.990 Anne Blankenship: sponsored by Jewish philanthropists Jacob shift is Strauss Simon Ross child Solomon guggenheim and others the educational alliance open in 1893. 75 00:11:44.070 --> 00:11:55.560 Anne Blankenship: Each Annual Report explained that it scopes will be have an americanizing educational, social and humanizing character for the moral and intellectual improvement of the inhabitants of these. 76 00:11:56.700 --> 00:12:05.640 Anne Blankenship: board members like is it our Strauss worried that unless something was done to counteract the natural tendencies of these people, they would become a menace to our children. 77 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:17.820 Anne Blankenship: epitomising their aims, the cover of the educational alliances 25th anniversary program depicted I unfortunately do not have a shot of this but I saw it in an archive. 78 00:12:19.170 --> 00:12:29.400 Anne Blankenship: depicted in East an elderly Eastern European Jewish man wearing an Orthodox religious garb carrying a cane and spurting a long beard alongside the slogan from darkness to light. 79 00:12:30.300 --> 00:12:37.530 Anne Blankenship: The educational alliance about to eradicate this image and the corresponding lifestyle, to make way for a modern enlightened Jewish community. 80 00:12:38.220 --> 00:12:45.900 Anne Blankenship: speeches at the event unapologetically describes the need to remove the quote unattractive surface of the Russian Jew. 81 00:12:46.260 --> 00:12:54.240 Anne Blankenship: and praise the fortitude of the educational lance leadership, who have unhesitatingly criticize the defects and shortcomings of the immigrant. 82 00:12:55.080 --> 00:13:06.990 Anne Blankenship: In their effort to teach the responsibilities and ideals of American citizenship, they hope to visually and mentally americanized and modernize their religious brethren of the lower East side. 83 00:13:08.730 --> 00:13:19.410 Anne Blankenship: In the same year, however alliance director Henry Fleischmann insisted that the House respected the orthodoxy of their patrons and recognize that religion helps find the family. 84 00:13:20.010 --> 00:13:26.250 Anne Blankenship: He wrote, no matter what our opinions may be on religious matters, the immigrants view of religion is decided. 85 00:13:26.880 --> 00:13:35.490 Anne Blankenship: We would throw away within difference and carelessness, one of our greatest tools if we did not respect that and use religious instruction further our goals. 86 00:13:36.150 --> 00:13:45.990 Anne Blankenship: uptown and downtown Jews didn't just different appearance and language they practice their religion differently as well German Jews have led the reform efforts that moved away from Jewish law. 87 00:13:47.310 --> 00:13:54.210 Anne Blankenship: The progressive Lillian walled heralded Jewish women who discarded their cycles, the wig covering the hair of real were married woman. 88 00:13:55.170 --> 00:14:00.960 Anne Blankenship: Wild view this as a highly significant sign of the emancipation of our neighbors from binding traditional. 89 00:14:01.890 --> 00:14:12.510 Anne Blankenship: This German Jews respected the piety of Eastern Europeans, to the extent that it can be headed and didn't interfere with the ability, their ability to work in their German own factories on the Sabbath. 90 00:14:14.730 --> 00:14:15.270 Anne Blankenship: and 91 00:14:17.520 --> 00:14:24.990 Anne Blankenship: The degree to which emigrants should assimilate was constantly defeated among board members eventually they managed to hire someone who. 92 00:14:25.560 --> 00:14:39.390 Anne Blankenship: convinced the board to allow us to be spoken in the House, to allow some ganesh cultural events to put your texts in the library finally kind of acknowledging that there's a very rich. 93 00:14:40.140 --> 00:14:56.190 Anne Blankenship: literary and intellectual tradition, taking place in that community, and you know, allowing that to take place, so there was some progress, at least on but ultimately they wanted to emphasize that. 94 00:14:57.660 --> 00:14:58.140 Anne Blankenship: There was. 95 00:15:00.330 --> 00:15:11.640 Anne Blankenship: Essentially, no difference existed between loyalties to your race and ideals of that race and devotion to America right like being a good, you would make you a good American I was their idea. 96 00:15:12.960 --> 00:15:22.260 Anne Blankenship: And so, these examples from New York largely support the standard narrative about Eastern and European Eastern European sorry German and eastern european interactions. 97 00:15:23.010 --> 00:15:29.610 Anne Blankenship: American Jews offered American Jews offered Americanization programs for their co-religionists throughout the country, though. 98 00:15:30.120 --> 00:15:34.560 Anne Blankenship: And the sources I collected in Philadelphia, this summer, a different in a very notable way. 99 00:15:35.130 --> 00:15:42.780 Anne Blankenship: The established German Jews there didn't go on at length about the dreadful homes and dress and eating habits of their religious. 100 00:15:43.290 --> 00:15:52.920 Anne Blankenship: The philadelphians treated immigrants means and i'm much more straightforward manner, for example, they extended existing programs for their own children to reach the newcomers. 101 00:15:53.370 --> 00:15:59.160 Anne Blankenship: And didn't score on the ladder or use scare tactics about the threat that they posed in fundraising request. 102 00:16:00.090 --> 00:16:08.880 Anne Blankenship: Since research on American Jews relies so heavily on New York sources, it seems that new Yorkers response to immigrants has had an outsized impact on existing scholarship. 103 00:16:09.330 --> 00:16:20.010 Anne Blankenship: And dominated this particular narrative, so this is one of the directions to kind of broadening this idea that my research is going. 104 00:16:21.420 --> 00:16:29.040 Anne Blankenship: So Protestant lead Americanization efforts came through direct assistance from home missions programs. 105 00:16:30.060 --> 00:16:37.470 Anne Blankenship: home missions means domestic missions as opposed to foreign missions and individual Christians inspired by the social gospel. 106 00:16:38.250 --> 00:16:48.240 Anne Blankenship: Needless to say, they disagreed how to go about this project Protestantism is very diverse i'll mostly be talking about the approaches of mainline Protestants so presbyterians. 107 00:16:51.240 --> 00:16:56.160 Anne Blankenship: somebody's thinking episcopalians theoretically Lutherans but they weren't involved. 108 00:16:58.410 --> 00:17:05.490 Anne Blankenship: Some northern Baptist these folks so Protestant lead I sorry i'm. 109 00:17:06.480 --> 00:17:20.250 Anne Blankenship: Some of these groups carefully monitored guest speakers and outside influences and attempt to protect and limit the exposure of immigrants outside us, while others felt Americanism actually required them to walk on all voices. 110 00:17:22.500 --> 00:17:30.360 Anne Blankenship: Americanization was the de facto work of nearly all settlement houses, from the time of their inception in the 1880s whether they use that language or not. 111 00:17:32.340 --> 00:17:41.940 Anne Blankenship: Well extensively secular social Gospel values inspired this work Protestant denominations open similar houses with marks licit evangelism them. 112 00:17:42.510 --> 00:17:50.820 Anne Blankenship: settlements offered an array of services, as you can see, on the slide and has residents hopes their presence would help immigrants assimilate. 113 00:17:51.300 --> 00:17:58.800 Anne Blankenship: As Mary reese Jacob reese's wife explained the settlements have to be the interpreters of America to the foreign. 114 00:17:59.400 --> 00:18:11.670 Anne Blankenship: We have a great mass of undigested people ready to be made into good citizens if neglected would turn into a menace hundreds of these institutions built ethnic urban spaces across the country. 115 00:18:12.780 --> 00:18:22.290 Anne Blankenship: Americanization i'll focus on just one I mean it's as simple as though Americanization first became an explicit aim of twisted or a house in New York. 116 00:18:22.890 --> 00:18:32.880 Anne Blankenship: In 1905 when the Annual Report began by reminding readers that the House is quote and americanizing forced in the neighborhood of Russians polls, Germans, the Italians and Irish. 117 00:18:33.420 --> 00:18:40.560 Anne Blankenship: all nationalities meet on this common ground krista Dora house organized a branch of the mothers club for the very foreign mothers. 118 00:18:41.040 --> 00:18:59.340 Anne Blankenship: Who only know knew the simplest sentences in English, but bravely conducted business in the American language, with the advent of war in Europe, the House paid greater mind to the development of Members civic consciousness, by including more political discussion topics and on Sunday evening. 119 00:19:00.750 --> 00:19:12.600 Anne Blankenship: Lead quote deeply earnest talks on the problem of evil in the world, and what religion really means to that end, especially of course on biblical social teachings met in spring 1916. 120 00:19:13.200 --> 00:19:21.600 Anne Blankenship: We want our people to learn to think straight and realize their responsibility and doing their bit, read the annual report. 121 00:19:22.230 --> 00:19:36.450 Anne Blankenship: This development clearly shows how many products, how many present workers felt that Americanization and Christian ization were interchangeable workers hope to present the best America had to offer and that conveniently happened to be Christian. 122 00:19:37.650 --> 00:19:45.180 Anne Blankenship: Christian to our House turned its full attention to Americanization of its foreign born neighbors when the US join World War one. 123 00:19:45.960 --> 00:19:54.180 Anne Blankenship: Workers identified a three prong challenge with their within their neighborhood disloyalty ignorant idealism in class selfishness. 124 00:19:54.660 --> 00:20:05.610 Anne Blankenship: To combat misinformation that lead that they believed let's disloyalty they use the House of songs debates and dramatics with an inescapable atmosphere of loyal enthusiasm. 125 00:20:06.210 --> 00:20:20.280 Anne Blankenship: For all that is truly American So you can see from this language that the people that come to our House very clearly, I felt an actual threat from these foreigners that were their neighbors that they were living amongst. 126 00:20:21.720 --> 00:20:40.020 Anne Blankenship: This was not the case at a lot of houses, a lot of houses that people talk much more freely about learning from their neighborhoods and it's been an exchange of ideas, which was the point of original settlement houses, but they took a lot of different forms, as lobbyists. 127 00:20:41.130 --> 00:20:41.730 Anne Blankenship: and 128 00:20:42.990 --> 00:20:43.560 Anne Blankenship: So. 129 00:20:45.690 --> 00:20:47.760 Anne Blankenship: Oh i'm. 130 00:20:51.270 --> 00:20:51.510 Anne Blankenship: A. 131 00:20:52.530 --> 00:20:54.870 Anne Blankenship: Part of also another issue. 132 00:20:55.920 --> 00:21:08.190 Anne Blankenship: With these questions is that the houses were frequently accused of promoting on American ideas like socialism and causing Labor unrest settlement houses, sometimes went out of their way to declare their patriotism. 133 00:21:09.630 --> 00:21:17.910 Anne Blankenship: So, with even greater concerns about socialism after the war, Christian door houses Board of managers presented a policy to actually regulate their speakers. 134 00:21:18.330 --> 00:21:28.080 Anne Blankenship: In order that the House may assist the government in bringing to the people of our neighborhood the principles of patriotism and Americanization for which our country stands. 135 00:21:28.530 --> 00:21:33.090 Anne Blankenship: It is hereby resolved that the speakers invited to krista door has Shelby. 136 00:21:33.660 --> 00:21:41.790 Anne Blankenship: Those who have sorry long called forget about the constructive program to present on any one of the problems which can friend society today. 137 00:21:42.270 --> 00:21:51.060 Anne Blankenship: It should be believers and the ideals of American democracy and in the instrumentality of the principles of the United States Government in realizing those ideals. 138 00:21:51.870 --> 00:22:00.750 Anne Blankenship: They didn't specify what those ideals, were they almost never specify like what really they want people to think and believe as Americans. 139 00:22:01.650 --> 00:22:09.180 Anne Blankenship: But their decision directly counter those made by other houses and Protestant missionaries like Liam cells, will you insisted on welcoming all speakers. 140 00:22:09.630 --> 00:22:25.020 Anne Blankenship: cells will end up losing his position at what he called the Labor temple because his open speaker policy and his lack of a Christian focus, he was hired as a missionary after all those tells us had a more welcoming attitude to these different. 141 00:22:26.040 --> 00:22:26.670 Anne Blankenship: views. 142 00:22:27.750 --> 00:22:36.390 Anne Blankenship: Allowing various political and Labor groups to use their facility similarly some historians have argued that the primary purpose of settlement houses. 143 00:22:37.440 --> 00:22:43.260 Anne Blankenship: Once historically seen as these note very noble endeavors was to eradicate foreign traditions. 144 00:22:44.670 --> 00:22:59.760 Anne Blankenship: And you could see a little bit within crystal our House, for that, but many allowed for rather diverse voices and some like Jane addams whole house in Chicago encourage immigrants to share their crafts and traditions from home. 145 00:23:02.010 --> 00:23:10.830 Anne Blankenship: mainline Protestants tried to charge all citizens with the duty of helping American is immigrants this took the form of both going out to meet new neighbors. 146 00:23:11.190 --> 00:23:21.330 Anne Blankenship: And also, removing discriminatory barrier discriminatory barriers to assimilation, motivated by request from the US bureau of education and 1817. 147 00:23:21.750 --> 00:23:34.590 Anne Blankenship: The Federal Council of Churches renewed it's American ization efforts and organized a conference of home mission representatives to coordinate such efforts that December, since they are already offered social services to immigrants whoops. 148 00:23:35.880 --> 00:23:41.370 Anne Blankenship: missionaries working into computers missionaries instead focused on established. 149 00:23:41.850 --> 00:23:56.130 Anne Blankenship: White congregations so they understood that the greatest challenge and not actually reside in educating those immigrants, but rather than changing the perspectives of native born Americans to welcome those newcomers. 150 00:23:57.540 --> 00:24:07.050 Anne Blankenship: recognizing that native many native born Americans also lacked that spirit of Christian Democracy, which is essential to our national life. 151 00:24:07.530 --> 00:24:16.650 Anne Blankenship: The FCC is wartime Americanization plan this greatest emphasis on encouraging a pluralistic democracy within there are any established churches. 152 00:24:17.550 --> 00:24:33.330 Anne Blankenship: They issued notices for churches to teach the gospel of democracy, which included the democratization of congregational governance and worship, as well as infusing missionary work with the promise of democracy, they ordered that education on the contributions of. 153 00:24:34.530 --> 00:24:44.130 Anne Blankenship: immigrants to the United States proceed any work with foreigners they wanted any you know volunteer missionary who went out to go out already knowing. 154 00:24:44.730 --> 00:24:55.590 Anne Blankenship: about all the positive things that that immigrant had done so they didn't go into an Italian neighborhood and just see poverty and cleanliness and need. 155 00:24:56.250 --> 00:25:14.340 Anne Blankenship: But went in thinking about all of the amazing art and literature and architecture, all of the things that Italian said, given the world are ready and understanding that that potential is in that neighborhood We just need to you know, give them. 156 00:25:15.750 --> 00:25:30.510 Anne Blankenship: The ability to step out and access education and English and things like that, so I mean it's still very race based um but the churches did recognize certainly by the 1910s that. 157 00:25:31.950 --> 00:25:45.570 Anne Blankenship: Honestly, it simultaneous with the rise of the Ku Klux Klan not coincidentally, that they needed to be acknowledging these positive things and it's often the white Christians who are not allowing people to assimilate. 158 00:25:47.820 --> 00:25:50.280 Anne Blankenship: So, speaking of those people kind of. 159 00:25:51.900 --> 00:25:57.600 Anne Blankenship: may have heard of July astronomy he was a social Gospel or and missionary. 160 00:25:58.710 --> 00:26:08.340 Anne Blankenship: who supported this work off the Protestant churches, he was rather infamous for the really brazen white Christian Protestant nationalism. 161 00:26:08.820 --> 00:26:18.480 Anne Blankenship: In his earlier book our country or excerpts extolling the threats that Catholics Mormons immigrants practically everyone. 162 00:26:19.020 --> 00:26:28.740 Anne Blankenship: But white Americans, the threat they posed to Anglo Saxon supremacy essentially these excerpts are common in American history readers but. 163 00:26:29.730 --> 00:26:39.870 Anne Blankenship: By reading just about everything he wrote, I discovered that his views changed considerably and subsequent decades, but no one reprints or even mentions pieces from the journal He founded. 164 00:26:40.320 --> 00:26:47.640 Anne Blankenship: which proclaims that the very diversity of gifts from immigrants as a source of enrichment both biological and economic. 165 00:26:48.090 --> 00:26:56.010 Anne Blankenship: variety of racial types, whether disposed to blend or not is a source of power to any country he had really done a 180 on this. 166 00:26:56.490 --> 00:27:04.230 Anne Blankenship: Strong open the first issue on immigration with an article, arguing that environment affects a person's character, more than their biological origins. 167 00:27:04.530 --> 00:27:09.510 Anne Blankenship: So if we can improve the environment of new immigrants, they will be able to contribute to society. 168 00:27:10.020 --> 00:27:16.200 Anne Blankenship: However, if they live and work in squalid dangerous conditions they will become a threat to our country. 169 00:27:16.920 --> 00:27:35.490 Anne Blankenship: So his objective still related to Americanization and assimilation and like American superiority there's no question um but, as it has letters years he used Americanization to defy this growing eugenics movement, which is a significant contribution in the other direction. 170 00:27:37.500 --> 00:27:40.110 Anne Blankenship: So i'm couple Oscar. 171 00:27:41.460 --> 00:27:53.880 Anne Blankenship: Given the Italian Catholics comprise a large portion of immigrants to the US between the 1880s and 1910s the American Catholic hierarchy had considerable reasons to follow conversations about Americanization. 172 00:27:54.420 --> 00:28:00.480 Anne Blankenship: Like German Jews, the predominantly Irish American hierarchy held prejudices against their new co-religionists. 173 00:28:01.140 --> 00:28:08.310 Anne Blankenship: Catholic leaders we're not immune to scientific racism that disparage the physical and mental capacities of southern Europeans. 174 00:28:09.300 --> 00:28:21.960 Anne Blankenship: Additionally, many Catholic leaders saw Italian immigrants as a serious threat to the American church, because their worship practices did not support the existing church through sufficient attendance or financial contributions. 175 00:28:22.710 --> 00:28:33.000 Anne Blankenship: Italians didn't attend mass mass as often as our Irish brethren plot proper, nor did they contribute sufficient funds to the Church, which private landowners supported in Italy. 176 00:28:33.720 --> 00:28:40.380 Anne Blankenship: Instead, they held boisterous festivals, and the public streets prady and statues of the Madonna and since this public. 177 00:28:40.830 --> 00:28:51.090 Anne Blankenship: Public spectacle drew the attention of Catholics and non Catholics alike vocal members of the hierarchy you these behaviors as symptomatic of Italians simple faith. 178 00:28:51.660 --> 00:29:07.710 Anne Blankenship: And worried that the processions would damage public opinion of Catholics, the American Catholic establishment saw the millions of Italian Americans as a religious, cultural, financial and public affairs prices accordingly Catholics based Americanization in a much different manner. 179 00:29:08.970 --> 00:29:21.660 Anne Blankenship: The greatest concern was that Catholics conform to American Catholicism, and this was a period of the Americans controversy which i'm not going to completely explain but. 180 00:29:23.040 --> 00:29:39.780 Anne Blankenship: It was about concerns that the American Catholics were becoming too independent from the Vatican so definitions of what American Catholicism during his during this time, is quite right, but even the divided hierarchy, like everyone agree that the Italians were definitely doing it wrong. 181 00:29:41.100 --> 00:29:42.810 Anne Blankenship: So they could get together on tissue. 182 00:29:46.110 --> 00:29:52.260 Anne Blankenship: So reforming their religion was the top priority, as was keeping the immigrants out of the clutches of Protestants. 183 00:29:52.800 --> 00:30:00.210 Anne Blankenship: Catholics plus secular settlement houses and urban missions, particularly the Americanization programs that they offer a serious threats. 184 00:30:00.750 --> 00:30:16.350 Anne Blankenship: problematically however Protestants were the only people offering services like English lessons and daycare the family needed so many Irish Catholics posed Americanization because they equated it not entirely unfairly with Protestant evangelism. 185 00:30:17.640 --> 00:30:31.710 Anne Blankenship: They occasionally they offered occasional comparative services only, but only to draw parishioners away from the Protestants in areas where there were no missions and no surfaces assisting immigrants. 186 00:30:32.400 --> 00:30:51.630 Anne Blankenship: The Catholics didn't do anything they remain that way and Protestants did vast surveys of areas before entering and trying to found a mission to make sure that people weren't already attending a Catholic Church, they actually did make offers to not interfere with that, but if. 187 00:30:52.800 --> 00:31:00.330 Anne Blankenship: You know, a whole bunch of Italians who theoretically our Catholic weren't attending church then figured they were affecting and. 188 00:31:01.470 --> 00:31:10.800 Anne Blankenship: Jews actually interesting did the same so rather than trying to combat any kind of evangelism they went into areas where there was the greatest need. 189 00:31:12.600 --> 00:31:14.190 Anne Blankenship: was just very different priorities. 190 00:31:19.530 --> 00:31:28.020 Anne Blankenship: So Irish Catholics also express a little enthusiasm for the central element of Jewish and Protestant programs those English lessons. 191 00:31:28.740 --> 00:31:39.480 Anne Blankenship: Well parishioners needed to learn the language for practical reasons, the church promoted parochial schools by offering Italian lessons and promising to encourage cultural content. 192 00:31:39.960 --> 00:31:52.110 Anne Blankenship: That would help children retain their faith and minimize generational tensions, this is impart why so many Protestants opposed parochial schools public education was the nation's strongest americanizing force. 193 00:31:52.800 --> 00:32:04.410 Anne Blankenship: But not all Catholics understood these tensions in the same way, the conservative Archbishop Corrigan of New York complained that Americans continually accuse them of being alien and considering the. 194 00:32:05.070 --> 00:32:16.620 Anne Blankenship: considered the church to be a foreign institution, he felt that the prejudice was unjust but acknowledged that they must quote continually show that Catholics are not opposed to the institutions of this country. 195 00:32:17.100 --> 00:32:23.220 Anne Blankenship: There were not subjects of a foreign potentate and are sincerely attached to the land. 196 00:32:24.360 --> 00:32:42.450 Anne Blankenship: of our birth and adoption, while he's still argue that Catholic should stay in there, I think parishes attend parochial school and limit their grief assimilation and the claim it for Catholics attitudes towards Americanization changed drastically, with the advent of World War one. 197 00:32:43.590 --> 00:32:53.670 Anne Blankenship: in Philadelphia where time patriotism infused the religious ceremonies and daily activities of Catholic settlement houses, but probably elsewhere as well that's just where my research has been so far. 198 00:32:54.780 --> 00:33:05.190 Anne Blankenship: The 1918 founders Day celebration at the Madonna house children dressed in costume and sing songs from all the allied countries, so the native costumes right, so there are. 199 00:33:06.540 --> 00:33:09.750 Anne Blankenship: Some already were Italian summer dress up as. 200 00:33:11.430 --> 00:33:21.600 Anne Blankenship: Also Japanese all different people every week Italian boys practice military drills and the girls donated their Labor to the Red Cross, while both gave money towards liberty bonds. 201 00:33:22.470 --> 00:33:30.750 Anne Blankenship: Catholics you their official approval of Americanization programs in 1916 at the first national conference on immigration Americanization. 202 00:33:31.140 --> 00:33:42.420 Anne Blankenship: But their approach at that point relied almost totally on religious education so they explained that the church teaches immigrants those most American of all doctrines the 10 commandments, of course. 203 00:33:42.960 --> 00:33:53.640 Anne Blankenship: and one that American would only thrive with God fearing Americans, so if that is the most important if it is most important that immigrants be God fearing that's what they're doing and. 204 00:33:54.330 --> 00:34:12.210 Anne Blankenship: Thank you very much we're done the organization that would become the US Council of Catholic bishops also instituted social aid campaigns and Americanization programs for immigrants, following the war again focused on areas that lacked that had Protestant services already. 205 00:34:13.440 --> 00:34:14.520 Anne Blankenship: Their arguments against the. 206 00:34:15.660 --> 00:34:21.750 Anne Blankenship: Restrictions related directly to Americanization claiming that the official designation. 207 00:34:22.500 --> 00:34:31.860 Anne Blankenship: of certain races as inferior and desirable would increase racial antagonisms and bitterness, both among the accusers as well as those accused. 208 00:34:32.670 --> 00:34:42.930 Anne Blankenship: The discrimination with anger immigrants from those countries right by telling them they're inferior in inhabit their Americanization and in turn. 209 00:34:44.580 --> 00:34:51.360 Anne Blankenship: problem ties their acceptance by Native Americans who were being told, those people are lesser than you they don't deserve to be Americans. 210 00:34:52.440 --> 00:34:54.570 Anne Blankenship: And they're not going to be accepted in the case right. 211 00:34:56.130 --> 00:34:56.880 Anne Blankenship: So. 212 00:34:58.740 --> 00:34:59.160 Anne Blankenship: well. 213 00:35:03.690 --> 00:35:23.280 Anne Blankenship: So in conclusion the Reverend JC gribble argued at 1882 conference of Baptist pastors that immigrants arrived already Americans because they came out of a desire to distance themselves from old word old world politics and monarchies. 214 00:35:24.330 --> 00:35:35.490 Anne Blankenship: With time and American public schools use of foreign languages would say his colleagues agreed so long as home missions could solve any lingering problems through their christianizing work. 215 00:35:36.150 --> 00:35:49.200 Anne Blankenship: Is words came before Americans felt the need to assimilate hundreds of thousands of dollars every year in 1882 it seemed manageable right and the pipeline closed in 24 when laws band. 216 00:35:49.680 --> 00:35:54.060 Anne Blankenship: immigration from Asia and severely limited the numbers from eastern and southern Europe. 217 00:35:54.750 --> 00:36:09.690 Anne Blankenship: The perceived need to assist the millions of new immigrants are ready within our borders, did not receive, however, so workers that settlement houses and omissions continue their work, for decades, if they really saw an increase if anything in the 1920s. 218 00:36:10.860 --> 00:36:27.120 Anne Blankenship: I think they realized, we have this population, it is probably manageable what's you know we can now deal with that, without having to also be meeting thousands of people, you know as they get off the boat at Ellis Island as well, it trim down the necessary work. 219 00:36:28.590 --> 00:36:41.970 Anne Blankenship: So i'm still looking for, if it exists, I kind of a linchpin that explains how some individuals views on Americanization changed so drastically like that strong and. 220 00:36:43.530 --> 00:37:00.150 Anne Blankenship: Or what compelled some groups to accept the consumption of macaroni was a very controversial issue, while others resisted it wholeheartedly public schools said no macaroni some settlement houses say here, this is a good way to teach you how to cook, right. 221 00:37:02.430 --> 00:37:11.520 Anne Blankenship: I don't know the value of my study is the demonstration of that diversity, not just between and within religious groups, but within the course of a person's life. 222 00:37:12.210 --> 00:37:23.790 Anne Blankenship: notions of what it means to be an American and how one should contribute are endless but attempts to characterize the responsive say German Jews in a specific way, I think, is unhelpful at best. 223 00:37:24.540 --> 00:37:30.810 Anne Blankenship: And while josiah strong's legacy of whites is of white supremacy, or something of helping it along. 224 00:37:31.710 --> 00:37:39.360 Anne Blankenship: His life work does tell a different story doesn't change his legacy necessarily influence, but there is more to the story. 225 00:37:40.230 --> 00:37:55.410 Anne Blankenship: This work on Americanization it's just part of my larger work but i'm happy that it complicates the established narratives and i'm looking forward to further unfolding, as I continue my research, so thank you for listening i'm happy to answer any questions.