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Show THE OGDEN STANDARD-EXAMINER SUNDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 18, 1921. ALIENS OF 18 NATIONS STUDY TO BE CITIZENS Principal Wiggins Devotes Time and Energy Turning Out Americans By FLOYD A. TI MMERMAN Taking in aliens of all nationalities, the majority of which can speak, read or write no English, and putting them through the educational melting pot in ! . j a few months of night classes to make j them eligible for American citizenship, j seems almost an unsurmountable task, doesn't '! But it is being accomplished in Og- j den through evening classes at the Ogden high school in a. manner which; seems almost incredible and nothing1 short of a visit to the study rooms and a view of their work can impress a person with the Imge strides being j made by these future Americans. CAPACITY FOR WORK "Interest, and a desire to become a j citizen of the greatest country in the i world," is the inspiration under which I these men and women turn to their l books with a capacity for work that is astonishing," declares Francis T. Wiggins, the principal of the night school work, who takes a keen interest in the progress made by the aliens and watches carefully the foreigners as"1 they gradually undergo the change brought about by American teaching. "We have pupils," Mr. Wiggins declared, "that have entered classes unable to speak one word of English. They have applied .themselves so intensely to their studies that at the end of three months they could compose letters and speak in a manner which is almost beyond belief. It is not necessary to drive them to study, for after they have taken an interest in the work, they go into it in the thorough foreign manner and they overlook no detail in making themselves proficient in anything they accept." JAPANESE PREDOMINATE Japanese predominate in the Americanization classes here, but the roster shows that men and women of practically all nationalities are included as ; students. Within Ogden city a total of 278 aliens have tgistered under the law passed by the legislature of 1920 compelling all aliens to register, pay $10 and attend the classes, unless exempted. Exemption is- given those under 36 years of age and over 36 years of age, and to those within these ages, providing they can pass fifth grade examinations in reading, writing and English. 18 NATIONALITIES The records show that 160 are attending the night classes at the high school, and that the nationalities and sex are as follows: Greek, male 2.6, female 1. Czecho-Slavs, male 1, female 1. Japanese, male 50 female 31. Chinese, male 11. Austrian, male 1. Italian, male 5, female 1. Hollander, male 9, female 2. Spanish, male 3, female 3. Norwegian, male 1. Swiss, female 2. Syrian, male 1. Jewish, male 1. Danish, male 2. English, male 1. Mexican, male 3 Irish, male 1. German, male 2. Swedish, male 1. |
