I was saddened to learn that many immigrant children of the past had to drop out of school in order to help contribute to the family’s income. They had no choice: ‘‘But you don’t understand….Every little money that comes into the household counts. Celia must go working. We know it’s hard, but what can we do? There are three more [children] that must go through public school, no? Three more need shoes and shirts and dresses and food. There isn’t enough. My husband makes but very little. He is no more a young one. Wouldn’t we let Celia go if we could? Of course! Don’t talk foolish!” (192). This story broke my heart because the family was desperate and were forced to pull their child out of school in order to survive in the country.

It is terrible that the schools in the past wanted to suppress the immigrants native culture. They wanted them to become fully Americanized. District Superintendent Julia Richman “assigned teachers to patrol lunchrooms, restrooms, and school yards and told them to give demerits when the hated ‘jargon’ was heard; she encouraged teachers to wash out with soap the mouths of those who relapsed” (Foner 207). I think this was way too harsh and was promoting the idea that the American culture is superior above all others. I am glad that in today’s society, multicultural differences are praised. In fact, back in my high school, we had Multicultural day every year. During this day, everyone dressed up in their cultural clothes and brought in foods from their home country.

I found the quote, “Immigrant parents are typically more effective in keeping daughters away from the temptations of American youth culture and the ethos of the street because they subject the young women to greater controls and keep them more tied to the home than sons” (Foner 213) to be particularly interesting. I don’t believe that this quote is true for many cases. I know of many girls who rebel because of the excessive control of their parents. They usually indulge in the so called “American youth culture” and go clubbing, drinking and smoking there, without their parents having a clue about what is going on in their daughter’s lives.

-Anissa Daimally