Immigrant Education: History

Early Years

A system of charity schools was established and financed with British and American money in 1755 with the purpose of anglicizing German immigrants. The effort was unsuccessful, however, resulting in increased resistance by the Germans, firm in their desire to maintain and perpetuate their own language and culture.

Early in the life of the young country, education was considered to be exclusively for religious purposes. As the nation settled into life as a country instead of a colony, education began to focus on citizenship and national loyalty. Nationalist and Nativist movements fostered this shift in focus. Such an educational focus was necessary not only for native-born citizens, but also for immigrants. Citizens and leaders alike feared large groups of immigrants who maintained their native habits; these were considered incompatible with American culture. Thus, it became the responsibility of the schools to Americanize the immigrant.

In the early years of the country, the push for universal education advanced by the Nationalism movement produced a “Republican education” in order to ensure that all citizens understood the concept of the republic. Included within this notion was the concept of education for patriotism, which demanded the universal indoctrination of American and republican values. Education was seen as the instrument for breaking ties with Europe (the origin of the majority of immigrants) and establishing loyalty to America and her institutions.

Because of efforts to teach American values in the public schools, multiple immigrant groups established their own private schools, with lessons taught in the native languages of these groups. In many areas of the country, these schools were recognized as offering levels of education above those offered by the public schools. American parents seeking a superior education for their children enrolled them in these schools, thus effecting a reverse immigration, at least in the matter of language.

Post-Civil War

Following the Civil War, it became the added responsibility of the public schools to teach the English language. For immigrant children, the schools provided the only opportunity to learn English, because they were surrounded at home and in their communities with their native languages. Along with instruction in English came instruction in American customs, values, dress, and traditions.

The Americanization movement of the early twentieth century (approximately 1914–1924) focused on Americanizing adult immigrants. Despite this intense focus on citizenship education, the education of immigrant children remained unchanged. The focus continued to be on teaching republican values and the English language, including cultural elements.

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