Letters and email · December 10, 1983
Gazin letter opposing expansion of multilingual services
Letter to Linda Crismond states it conveys executive committee concerns and argues against expanded services for recent Asian immigrants.
Names in this record: Patricia A. Gazin is Pat Gazin.
Text
Transcribed from the scans and checked against them by Claude. Typed text comes first; handwritten notes follow it. [illegible] marks words that cannot be read and [?] an uncertain reading.
1250 First St.
Hermosa Beach, Calif. 90254
Dec. 10, 1983
Ms. Linda Crismond
County Librarian
Los Angeles County Library
7400 E. Imperial Hwy.
Downey, Calif. 90241
Dear Linda:
The executive committee of the Hermosa Beach Friends of the Library has asked me to express their concern re the expanding program of library services for recent Asian immigrants. We are not in sympathy with the notion of extending such programs at the expense of services of U.S.-English culture.
Past generations of immigrants strove mightily to learn American ways; to learn U.S. ENglish, to assimilate into the community. We do not sympathize with any effort which would help establish islands of foreign culture at the sacrifice of our American heritage.. whihc includes all strains of European and Asaisn cultures. These groups should indeed be enccouraged.. to merge into our general society and accommodated with services common to all rather than being served with expensive separate services which are of no value to general library users.
Printing foreign language ballots, encouraging islands of foreign elements to build a separate society.. are divisive and entirely in contradiction to the aims of our founding fathers.
If there is any other nation in the world which accommodates aliens with foreign language ballots, I do not know of it. This is also true of foreign libraries. Main collections are always in the natiive language and the libraries are not exercised about accommodating foreigners who do not use the native tongue.
Let's bolster our American heritage and culture.
Most cordially,
Patricia A. Gazin,Commissioner, SW Region
cc: Deane Dana
Handwritten notes
• (top right) 1983
• (signature) Patricia A. Gazin
Show the original machine reading
Source scan page 26
1983 1250 First St. Hermosa Beach, Calif. 90254- Dec. 10, 1983 Ms. Linda Crismond County Librarian Los Angeles County Library 7400 E. Imperial Hwy. Downey, Calif. 90241 Dear Linda: The executive committee of the Hermosa Beach Friends of the Library has asked me to express their concern re the expanding program of library services for recent Asian immigrants. We are not in sym- pathy with the notion of extending such programs at the expense of services of U.S.-English culture. generations of immigrants strove mightily to learn American ways; to learn U.S. ENglish, to assimilate into the community. We do not sympathize with any effort which would help establish islands of foreign culture at the sacrifice of our American heritage.. whihe includes all strains of European and Asain cultures. These groups should indeed be enccouraged.. to merge into our gen- eral society andaccommodated with services common to all rather than being served with expensive separate services which are of no value to general library users. Printing foreign language ballots, encouraging islands of foreign elements to build a separate society.. are divisive and entirely in contradiction to the aims of our founding fathers. If there is any other nation in the world which accommodates aliens with foreign language ballots, I do not know of it. This is also true of foreign libraries. Main collections are always in the natiive language and the libraries are not exercised about accommodating foreigners who do not use the native tongue. Let's bolster our American heritage and culture. Most cordially, Patricia A. Gazin, Commissioner, SW Region Seducial Legin cc: Deane Dana