Teaching The Roaring Twenties

Instructions for You

Objective: Should immigrants work to blend into a new culture, or should they work to preserve their own cultures within new societies? In other words, assimilation or multiculturalism? 

It's a constant topic of debate, as evidenced by this August 1914 Punch Magazine cartoon, which is just as apt today as it was then. (The caption for the cartoon is "A Quick Change of Front.")

Today, your students will examine a statement made by Henry Ford on precisely this topic back in the 1920s. They'll consider Ford's practices and his approach to encouraging (ahem, forcing?) immigrants to embrace Americanism, and then they'll debate the merits of his beliefs.

Length of Lesson: 1-2 class periods

Materials Needed:

• Shmoop's Immigration in the 1920s
• Basic details of Henry Ford's approach to immigration, provided in Step Two below
• Resolution to be debated, provided in Step Three below
• Sample debate formats
• (Optional) Atlantic article "Should Immigration Require Assimilation?"

Step One: Begin by having your students read Shmoop's section on Immigration in the 1920s for background.

Step Two: Next, describe to them Henry Ford's approach to immigration as practiced with his employees. Here are the details you'll want to emphasize:

As your students read in Shmoop's Immigration in the 1920s, Henry Ford welcomed immigrants but believed that they needed to be aggressively introduced to "Americanism"—the English language, American customs, values, and behaviors. To promote this, inspectors from the "Ford Sociological Department" were dispatched to workers' homes (usually with an interpreter to facilitate discussion with the foreign-born employee) to ensure that a proper American household was being maintained. That meant the couple must be married, free of debt, and moderate in their use of alcohol. Proper housekeeping was encouraged and keeping boarders (an old world and "low-class" practice) was discouraged.

To a certain extent, Ford treated his immigrant workers much like every other part of the production process at his factories. He endlessly tinkered with his assembly lines to make them more efficient. Intruding on employees’ private lives was aimed largely at making them more efficient workers. Moreover, he rewarded them for adopting "American lifestyles" (or punished them if they did not). A passing grade from the inspector was necessary for an employee to receive Ford’s top pay rate of $5 a day.

Today, many view Ford’s approach as heavy-handed and disrespectful of the immigrants and the cultures they brought with them. Diversity is now often celebrated as a source of cultural richness rather than a threat to prevailing American values. Rather than demanding acculturation, many public institutions make concession to the languages and traditions immigrants bring with them to the United States. For example, government manuals, voter guides, and school materials are today offered in several languages.

Many, however, argue that Ford had it right—that both America and its immigrants are better served by rapid acculturation.

Step Three: After answering any questions your students may have, provide them with the resolution to be debated.

"These men of many nations must be taught American ways, the English language, and the right way to live." - Henry Ford, speaking of immigrants

Take a quick class poll to see who agrees with this statement and who disagrees. Count hands and write down the results for future comparison.

Step Four: Help students divide into teams and assign each team to one side of the debate: either arguing in favor of the resolution or against it. Be sure to let them know what debate format you'll be using so they can prepare properly. (More on debate formats in Step Five, below).

Give teams 15-20 minutes to prep for the debate. Here are some questions they might want to be ready to take a stance on, just in case they come up during the debate:

• Was Ford's approach an appropriate role for employers to play?
• Should pay be linked to lifestyle?
• Are employers and the marketplace the entities best suited to bring about rapid adaptation to American life?
• Is America and its immigrant population best served by encouraging/demanding acculturation or accepting a culturally, and even linguistically, diverse population? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each? (You'll want to be prepared to argue for your side and against the other.)

Step Five: Debate time. Hold the debate according to your own format or one of these sample debate formats. Personally, we recommend the Team Policy format. This will allow four people per team to present arguments (constructive or rebuttal), although the whole team can work together to come up with the arguments prior to the debate.

Step Six: Following the debate, poll the class again and see if the numbers have changed. Then follow up by asking students to identify the arguments they found most and least persuasive and why. 

Step Seven (Optional): Have students read and discuss the 2015 Atlantic article "Should Immigration Require Assimilation?"

(Lesson aligned with CA History-Social Sciences 9th-12th grade chronological and spatial thinking standard 1; historical research, evidence, and point of view standard 4; historical interpretation standards 1, 3, 4; 11th grade American History standard 11.5.2)

Instructions for Your Students

You know those "spot the differences" cartoons? Yeah, well...this isn't one of those, but you can pretend it is if you want.

The differences between these two images are pretty easy to spot, so there's not much of a challenge, but then, that's not the point. The point is to raise the question: 

• Should immigrants work to blend into a new culture, or should they work to preserve their own cultures within new societies? 
• In other words, should we encourage assimilation or multiculturalism? 

It's a constant topic of debate, which becomes obvious when you realize this cartoon is from 1914 and we're still talking about this issue over 100 years later. 

Today, you'll examine a statement made by Henry Ford on precisely this topic back in the 1920s. You'll consider Ford's practices and his approach to encouraging (ahem, forcing?) immigrants to embrace Americanism, and then you'll debate the merits of his beliefs.

Step One: Begin by reading Shmoop's section on Immigration in the 1920s (if you haven't already) for background.

Step Two: Next, discuss Henry Ford's approach to immigration as practiced with his employees. Here are the details you'll want to consider:

As you read in Shmoop's Immigration in the 1920s, Henry Ford welcomed immigrants but believed that they needed to be aggressively introduced to "Americanism"—the English language, American customs, values, and behaviors. To promote this, inspectors from the "Ford Sociological Department" were dispatched to workers' homes (usually with an interpreter to facilitate discussion with the foreign-born employee) to ensure that a proper American household was being maintained. That meant the couple must be married, free of debt, and moderate in their use of alcohol. Proper housekeeping was encouraged and keeping boarders (an old world and "low-class" practice) was discouraged.

To a certain extent, Ford treated his immigrant workers much like every other part of the production process at his factories. He endlessly tinkered with his assembly lines to make them more efficient. Intruding on employees’ private lives was aimed largely at making them more efficient workers. Moreover, he rewarded them for adopting "American lifestyles" (or punished them if they did not). A passing grade from the inspector was necessary for an employee to receive Ford’s top pay rate of $5 a day.

Today, many view Ford’s approach as heavy-handed and disrespectful of the immigrants and the cultures they brought with them. Diversity is now often celebrated as a source of cultural richness rather than a threat to prevailing American values. Rather than demanding acculturation, many public institutions make concession to the languages and traditions immigrants bring with them to the United States. For example, government manuals, voter guides, and school materials are today offered in several languages.

Many, however, argue that Ford had it right—that both America and its immigrants are better served by rapid acculturation.

Step Three: Discuss any questions you may have about Ford's approach with your teacher and classmates, and then take a look at the resolution you'll be debating today.

"These men of many nations must be taught American ways, the English language, and the right way to live." - Henry Ford, speaking of immigrants

Take a quick class poll to see who agrees with this statement and who disagrees. Count hands and write down the results for future comparison.

Step Four: With your teacher's help, divide into teams. Each team will be assigned to one side of the debate: you'll either be arguing in favor of the resolution or against it. Make sure you know what side you're on, and then listen up to find out how the debate will go down (probably using one of these debate formats).

Working with your team, take 15-20 minutes to prep for the debate. Here are some questions you might want to be ready to take a stance on, just in case they come up during the debate:

• Was Ford's approach an appropriate role for employers to play?
• Should pay be linked to lifestyle?
• Are employers and the marketplace the entities best suited to bring about rapid adaptation to American life?
• Is America and its immigrant population best served by encouraging/demanding acculturation or accepting a culturally, and even linguistically, diverse population? What are the benefits and drawbacks of each? (You'll want to be prepared to argue for your side and against the other.)

Step Five: Debate time. Speak slowly (not too slowly) and clearly (very clearly). The way you present your argument is half the battle—so do it with as much confidence and clarity as possible. 

Pro tip: When the other team is presenting an argument, take notes so you'll be ready to rebut it when your chance comes.

 Step Six: Following the debate, take another class poll and see if the numbers have changed. Then follow up by chatting with your teacher and classmates about the arguments you found most and least persuasive and why.