Language federation facts for kids
Language federations were groups formed by immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s in the United States. These immigrants mostly came from Eastern and Southern Europe. They all believed in a political idea called socialism, which focuses on fairness and equality for everyone.
Some of these groups joined the Socialist Labor Party of America (SLP). Later, many joined the Socialist Party of America (SPA). After that, some moved to groups that eventually became the Communist Party USA (CPUSA). However, many federations also stayed with the Socialist Party. The Russian and Finnish federations were very important in the early days of the Communist Party.
A Look Back: How Language Federations Started
Language Federations were also a big help for immigrants. They allowed people to stay connected with what was happening in their home countries. They also gave newcomers a place to gather and feel less alone in a new land. Many of these groups had their own halls for dances and social events. Some of these halls still exist today in big cities on the East, West, and in the Midwest.
Each Language Federation started at different times. This happened as people from those specific countries or groups arrived in the United States. These groups usually began at a local level. Then, local groups would join together to form national federations. After that, they would connect with political parties.
These federations often didn't want to be told what to do by the political parties they joined. In fact, at some points, these Language Federations made up a huge part of socialist groups. This made it very hard for the parties to force everyone to follow the same rules.
The Socialist Party of America (SPA) had a tricky relationship with these language federations. The SPA started recognizing them in the early 1900s. They began including them in the party over the next ten years. However, the party sometimes showed signs of nativism. This is a belief that favors native-born citizens over immigrants. This was especially true for Asian workers. But it also affected immigrants from Eastern and Southern Europe.
The SPA often seemed unsure about what to do with these foreign-language groups. So, they mostly let them grow on their own. Even so, these federations grew very quickly during World War I. By 1918, they made up about half of the SPA's members.
In May 1919, the SPA's leaders officially kicked out seven of these language federations. It was clear that these federations supported the "left wing" of the party. This was during a big split within the party. The kicked-out federations formed most of the new Communist Party of America. This party was led by Charles Ruthenberg and Louis Fraina. Another group, the Communist Labor Party of America, started later. It tried to attract more American-born workers.
However, not all federations sided with Ruthenberg. This was during the arguments and disagreements within the CPUSA in the years that followed. For example, the German and Yiddish language federations were linked to a more traditional group. This group was led by Ludwig Lore until he was also kicked out of the party.
In 1924, the CPUSA, then called the Workers Party, tried to break up the federations. They wanted to reorganize the party using a "cell structure." This was a system the Bolsheviks used, following orders from the Comintern (a global communist organization). However, the party faced resistance. The Finnish Federation, in particular, didn't want this change. Its members worried they would lose their influence if they were mixed into a larger English-speaking group. The party did manage to reorganize the federations. But they might have lost half or more of these members in the process.
Even though the SPA became less popular in the 1920s, many of its members were still foreign-born. However, most of the old Language Federations within the SPA had disappeared by the early 1930s.
Important Language Federations in America
The following groups were some of the most important Language Federations:
Finnish Federations
The Finnish Federation first started in Boston, Massachusetts and Minnesota. They began as groups that helped people. They joined the SPA around 1907. While with the SPA, they built their own Workers' College in Minnesota. They also published three newspapers. The federation was divided into three areas, each with different political ideas. Soon, there was a power struggle. The national SPA stepped in and supported the more traditional Eastern District. The Western and Central District branches were stopped from forming their own rival federation. But the active members in the Central District managed to take control of the Workers College.
In 1919, the Federation split. A large number of Finnish members joined the CPUSA. At one point in the 1920s, they made up nearly half of the party's members. They kept their own separate groups, called Finnish Workers' Clubs, until 1941. The Finnish Federation remained the largest foreign language federation within the SPA throughout the 1920s.
German Federations
German-speaking socialists were a very large part of early socialist groups. Because of this, no separate German language group was formed until 1912. This group mainly included organizations from New York and New Jersey. These groups split to join the CPUSA in 1919.
Hungarian Federations
Hungarian language political groups first appeared in the 1890s. They joined both the SLP and the SPA in the next ten years. Some federations that were with the SLP later moved to the Industrial Workers of the World. Most ended up with the SPA. Only a few left to join the CPUSA.
Italian Federations
An Italian language socialist federation was formed as part of the SLP in 1902. But it split from the SLP the next year. Most of the federation's members believed in syndicalism. This is a political idea where workers control industries. These members stayed independent of both parties. A smaller group joined the SPA in 1910. Most of those members stayed with the SPA in 1919. However, the New York City branch joined the CPUSA. It seems there were never enough Italian-speaking members in the CPUSA to form their own separate Federation. Italian-speaking garment workers in New York City also had their own local groups within the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union. This was true both when they were with the SPA and later under Communist leadership in the 1920s.
Jewish Federations
- Main articles: Jewish Socialist Federation and Jewish Socialist Verband.
While Jewish workers from different countries also joined other federations, Jewish workers also formed groups called Arbeiterrings ("Workmen's Circles"). These started in big cities in the late 1800s. However, more formal parties often broke apart. This was due to different political ideas. It was also because of differences between new immigrants, called "greenhorns," who had Bundist politics, and older immigrants who had adapted more. The Bundist ideas eventually became stronger. This happened after thousands of Jewish socialists left Poland and Russia after the failed 1905 Revolution. The Jewish Federation within the SPA, which officially started in 1912, grew quickly. It even published its own weekly newspaper. It split in 1919, with many members staying with the SPA.
Latvian Federation
The Latvian Federation within the CPUSA had many forestry workers. It was the third largest federation in the party in 1921.
Lithuanian Federation
The Lithuanian Socialist Federation started in 1905. It grew quickly as many members came to the United States to escape harsh treatment after the 1905 Revolution. However, the organization faced splits. Some members who believed in anarchism or were more focused on nationalism left. It lost almost half its members when it joined the SPA in 1914. While with the SPA, it published several weekly newspapers and a monthly magazine. The SPA stopped supporting the Federation in 1919. This happened when many members left for the CPUSA. There, the Lithuanian Federation became one of the largest groups.
Polish Federations
The Alliance of Polish Socialists in America was formed by people who had left Poland. Their main goal was to start a revolution in Poland, not in the United States. It joined with the Polish Section of the Socialist Party in 1913. It published a daily newspaper in Chicago and two weekly newspapers. It officially left the SPA in 1916, though a small number of members stayed with the party. A few hundred members joined the CPUSA.
Russian Federations
A formal Russian Federation within the SPA was not created until 1917. It claimed more than 5,000 members in 1919. Most of them joined the CPUSA that year. Many members were lost due to deportation during the Palmer Raids that followed.
The SLP had an early Danish group. However, this group seems to have disappeared during arguments within the party in 1899. The SLP continued to publish in Swedish as late as the 1920s. Much of the SPA's Scandinavian Federation moved to the CPUSA in 1919.
Slovak Federation
The Slovak Socialist Federation started in Chicago in 1904. It remained an independent group until 1913, when it joined the SPA. It continued to grow after joining. It published several newspapers and had more than twenty local groups.
South Slavic Federation
This federation mainly included Croat and Slovenian members. It joined the SPA in 1910. The Slovenian members generally stayed with the SPA after the split. However, many Croat members went to the CPUSA.
