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During World War I, This Woman Asked Americans to Welcome Immigrants—and Urged New Arrivals to Assimilate
Key takeaways
- Between 1915 and 1918, communities across the United States combined commemorations of the nation’s founding with Americanization Day, a holiday held to encourage immigrants to fully assimilate into American society.
- Centered on the motto “many peoples—but one nation,” the celebration arrived on the heels of a decade-long immigration boom that brought an average of one million newcomers to the U.S.
- More than a century later, few people know the name of the driving force behind Americanization Day: Frances Kellor, a progressive social reformer and activist.
Between 1915 and 1918, communities across the United States combined commemorations of the nation’s founding with Americanization Day, a holiday held to encourage immigrants to fully assimilate into American society.
Centered on the motto “many peoples—but one nation,” the celebration arrived on the heels of a decade-long immigration boom that brought an average of one million newcomers to the U.S. annually, ending only with the outbreak of World War I in 1914.
More than a century later, few people know the name of the driving force behind Americanization Day: Frances Kellor, a progressive social reformer and activist. Although Americanization—the idea that immigrants should detach themselves from their heritage to adopt American customs—is often associated with anti-immigrant sentiment today, Kellor had a different goal in mind.