They are clear about that. and we have been clear about that for more than 200 years. When we have large numbers of new people coming into our country. as we did just 100 years ago. which was the last time we had such a large percentage of foreignborn people living in the United States. we went to great efforts to try to help them become Americans. Albert Shanker. the late president of the American Federation of Teachers. once said in a meeting in Rochester. which I attended. that the common school. our public school. was created primarily for the purpose of helping immigrant children learn the three Rs--reading. writing. and arithmeticand what it meant to be an American. with the hope they would go home and teach their parents. The common school was an "Americanizing" institution. So was Ford Motor Company 100 years ago. as were many businesses.
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immigrant