Americanization Movement

The Americanization movement refers to a disparate set of programs and institutions designed to incorporate immigrants, and in some cases nativeborn Americans, into the broad parameters of middle-class American culture. The premise of these programs—that qualified reformers could both improve material conditions and foster a unified national identity—represented a key element of Progressive Era thought and undergirded the idea of the United States as a “melting pot.” The popularity of Americanization crested in the early 20th century, but during the late 1910s, World War I and fears of political radicalism prompted a shift in programs from cultural uplift to a more conservative nationalism. A decade later the movement withered under a widespread pessimism about the ability or willingness of immigrants to assimilate into mainstream society.

Americanization's intellectual origins lay in the settlement house movement that emerged in response to the late 19th century influx of immigrants, especially from eastern and southern Europe, and the proliferation of crowded immigrant ghettos. A concept imported from Great Britain, the settlement provided welfare services and educational programs to nearby residents, and it often became active in attempts to rid neighborhoods of pollution, substandard housing, vice, and crime. Churchled settlements added evangelism to their efforts. By the early 20th century, many religious and secular settlements had begun to encapsulate their goals under the rubric of Americanization. The term reflected a sense that cultural, spiritual, and economic uplift could foment a cohesive, virtuous national identity. Most reformers advocated naturalization for those eligible (federal law during this period prevented Asian immigrants from naturalizing) and encouraged immigrants to become active in the political life of the country. But they placed an equal emphasis on everyday practices, from English language skills to housekeeping to cooking styles (reformers believed “American” food to be healthier than that of other ethnicities). Many of these efforts focused on the domestic duties of immigrant women, under the logic that mothers would transmit the values they learned to their children. Thus Americanization, especially before World War I, involved much more than citizenship and patriotism. Many reformers believed that those nativeborn African Americans and Anglos who fell short of middle-class living standards were equally suitable targets for their programs.

At its high point the Americanization movement extended its influence well beyond reformers' circles. President Theodore Roosevelt championed Americanization as a way to unify a country increasingly characterized by cultural diversity. Henry Ford required his immigrant workers to attend English language and citizenship classes. In some cases government agencies explicitly adopted Americanization principles. California's Commission on Immigration and Housing, for example, invoked the movement's philosophy in promoting public education, housing reform, and immigrant welfare policies. Indeed, some of government's first forays into regulating the private lives of American residents occurred under the auspices of Americanization.

The onset of World War I and the subsequent entry of the United States into the conflict inspired a second wave of Americanization efforts, albeit of a different sort than their predecessors. These new programs focused more on nationalism and the suppression of labor organizations, and they reflected a growing suspicion of the loyalties of recent arrivals. The high-profile National Americanization Committee, which exchanged its progressive ideals for a nationalist focus during the war, illustrated this ideological shift. By the end of the 1910s, those programs emphasizing cultural pluralism or shop floor mobilization found their financial support dwindling, sometimes under allegations of disloyalty.

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