Browse Items (17 total)

This article describes the work and goals of the "friendly rent collectors" of the Octavia Hill Association in Philadelphia. These women go to the houses of immigrants to collect rent and in doing so inspect the properties and tenants giving them…

Detail from St. Martha's House annual report. Caption: "They Teach Us to be Americans." Girl holding American flag.

The children in this photo appear to be studying a lesson on immigration. In this photo, a boy stands in front of a chalkboard with “America—The Melting Pot” written on it. To the left is a chalk illustration of a group of immigrants, and written…

Newspaper article that discusses the importance of eliminating illiteracy among adult immigrants. Dr. Edwin C. Broom pushed the idea of using "Pershing's Rule". General Pershing ordered compulsory studies for army soldiers who could not read or…

The document outlines how to become a citizen of Philadelphia, and what residents need to know in order to live a happy and prosperous life. It outlines detailed information regarding health, water supply, cleaning and waste disposal, recreation, and…

Doris Barish (left) is acting as an interpreter showing Magdalina Gil how to handle an English telephone.

This newspaper article explains the topic of discussion during the luncheon of the Member's Council of the Chamber of Commerce at the Bellevue-Stratford luncheon. In it, several members lay out the benefits of the Americanization movement.

This photo depicts immigrants taking classes in night school. When Gruenberg and her family arrived in Minnesota, her mother took classes to polish her English.

This photo depicts adult immigrants learning English in a classroom. Gruenberg had to teach Irishmen how to read and write.

The OHA shows how they improved living conditions in Philadelphia, and they asked people to invest in their company stock