ka ▁B ene vol ent ▁Society . ▁They ▁provided ▁funds ▁and ▁help ▁with ▁those ▁who ▁might ▁be ▁in ▁want . ▁During ▁the ▁early ▁years , ▁ant if oreign er ▁sentiment ▁was ▁felt ▁for ▁non - English ▁speak ers ▁and ▁as ▁t ensions ▁rose ▁some ▁anti - F rench ▁violence ▁was ▁threatened . ▁ ▁Civil ▁law ▁cal med ▁the ▁situation , ▁but , ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 1 , ▁Simon ▁with ▁his ▁multi - ling ual ▁brothers ▁became ▁American ▁citizens , ▁he ▁said ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁" a ▁mere ▁form ality , ▁but ▁the ▁law ▁required ▁me .” ▁Simon ▁became ▁active ▁in ▁the ▁People ’ s ▁Reform ▁Party , ▁organized ▁to ▁expose ▁fra ud ▁in ▁local ▁government , ▁cut ▁tax es , ▁and ▁expand ▁the ▁liberal ▁vote . ▁He ▁also ▁was ▁active ▁later ▁in ▁the ▁French ▁B ene vol ent ▁Society ▁of ▁California . ▁Laz ard ▁Fr ères ▁also ▁don ated ▁funds ▁to ▁an ▁odd ▁mix ▁of ▁causes : ▁the ▁Polish ▁independence ▁movement , ▁the ▁National ▁San it ary ▁Fund ▁of ▁the ▁Civil ▁War ▁era , ▁a ▁Jewish ▁child ▁threatened ▁by ▁Italian ▁pri ests ▁in ▁Rome , ▁and ▁a ▁national ▁French ▁Patri ot ism ▁movement ▁of ▁the ▁Franco - Pr uss ian ▁War ▁era . ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 1 , ▁when ▁those ▁in ▁San ▁Francis c ans ▁raised ▁funds ▁to ▁aid ▁the ▁vict ims ▁of ▁the ▁Franco - Pr uss ian ▁war ▁in ▁France , ▁they ▁sent ▁the ▁ 1 1 2 , 0 0 0 ▁fran cs ▁to ▁Simon ▁to