X

stituted 52.8 per cent of the total number coming to this country. From 1901 to 1910, immigrants from southern and eastern Europe constituted 71.7 per cent of the whole number. Between 1890 and 1910 the number of immigrants unable to speak English increased by 1,581,967, or 115 per cent, as opposed to 47 per cent, the rate of increase of the total foreignborn population ten years of age and over.

The great problem of the non-English-speaking immigrant is comparatively recent, and complicated by several factors: first, the increase of all immigration; second, the preponderance of immigrants from non-English-speaking nations; and, third, the fact that our newer immigrants have come from countries having a high degree of illiteracy. The recent amendment to the immigration law (May, 1917) denies admission to illiterates; but before this measure was enacted there had been added to our population a large number of persons who came with the double disability of illiteracy in any language and non-English speech.

The most profound difficulty of all lies in the relatively high ages of the immigrants who come to us. It is obvious that if all immigrants came young enough there would be no problem of a common language, since the compulsoryschool laws would guarantee both literacy and ability to speak English. But our immigrants are to a large extent past the compulsory-schoolattendance age when they arrive. Of the 2,953,011 non-English-speaking immigrants re

ported in the census of 1910, 2,565,612 were twenty-one years of age and over, well beyond the compulsory-school-attendance age. Adults may attend evening schools, it is admitted, provided there are such facilities and the immigrant chooses to attend. We have seen how small is the number of adults attending any school.

What are some of the facts regarding maturity of immigrants and ability to speak English? The twenty-year-old immigrant shows the highest percentage of inability—i.e., 40 per cent. One in three between the ages of fifteen and twenty is unable to speak English; for the age group between twenty-one and twenty-four, the same proportion is found; for the age group between twenty-five and forty-four, the figure is one in four. The poorest showings are shown in the West South Central, the Mountain, the South Atlantic, and the East North Central divisions as designated by the United States census. Of the states having a foreign-born population of 250,000 or more, the states that make the best showing are Minnesota, Iowa, Massachusetts, and California. Among large cities, Boston ranks first, reporting inability to speak English for only 17 per cent of her foreign-born population of the age group between fifteen and twenty years of age, for 16 per cent of those between twenty-one and twenty-four years of age, and for 11 per cent of those between twentyfive and forty-four years of age.1 The census 1 Thirteenth Census of the United States, vol. i, pp. 438, 1275.

of 1910 reveals the significant fact that English is the mother tongue of but 31 per cent of the foreign-born white stock in this country, whereas German is the mother tongue of 27 per cent. From 4 to 7 per cent of our foreign-born white stock are assigned to each of the following language groups: Italian, Polish, Yiddish, Swedish, and French.

ADULT ATTENDANCE NEGLIGIBLE

What are some of the facts concerning the number of immigrants past the compulsory school age who are attending school? The poor showing for adult immigrants has already been noted. There is considerable variation in practices of control in various sections of the country. Few states have, as has Massachusetts,1 compulsory evening schools for all minor illiterates. The poorest percentages of attendance for immigrants of the age group from fifteen to twenty years, and for those over twenty-one, are found in the South Atlantic, East North Central, and West South Central, and Pacific divisions. The best showings by states are those of Minnesota, California, New York, Michigan, and Massachusetts. For cities the ranking is in the following order: Boston, New York, San Francisco, Buffalo, Newark. Boston-which holds the same priority as regards school attendance for all three elements of her population, foreign born, native born of foreign parentage, and native born of native parentage-is notable, among all cities 1 See chap. ix, p. 302

re

gn-born population of 100,000 or chool-attendance figures for these Yet although more than half the n that city are between the ages forty-four, only 6 per cent of those Of foreign-born children between rty years of age, only 19.1 per cent 's compared with 31.3 per cent of ldren of foreign-born or mixed 1.7 per cent of native-born children

Je.

ed factors-namely, failure to illiteracy in any language, and ›peech, result in a condition which view without concern. Our more aigrants have a more difficult road to reach citizenship than those who came with fewer handicaps. Assuming that the later immigrants are just as willing and possessed of as much inherent capacity as the earlier groups, it is obvious that it is necessary to do more through organized forces for those who come with greater disadvantages.

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The literacy provision in the new immigration law is designed to meet one of the problems noted above-namely, illiteracy in any language. Should this law be strictly applied, a large number of immigrants from nations in which there is a high degree of illiteracy would be denied entrance. This would shut out probably a third of the immigrants from southern and eastern Europe, whence the great mass in recent years has come. The provisions of the new

immigration law which make exceptions for immigrants fleeing from religious and political persecution modify somewhat the operation of the law. During the fiscal year 1917-18, 88,421 aliens were admitted; the number debarred on account of illiteracy was 1,263, or 1.4 per cent of the total number admitted-a considerable reduction in the proportionate number of illiterates seeking admission into this country.

To summarize: The census of 1910 reveals that we have in our country people of practically every racial origin, the bulk of them now coming from countries with the lowest of educational standards. There has been an increase, in the last decennial period, of 53 per cent in the number of immigrants from southeastern Europe, with the resulting increase, in every part of the country, of a population unable to speak English. In 1910, one immigrant in eight was unable to write in any language, and one in four was unable to speak English. Few immigrants over the compulsory-attendance age are found in any school. We have depended, and are depending, upon casual and automatic forces for the assimilation of the foreign born. Have we not sufficient reason to urge a constructive and definite program to accomplish deliberately and certainly that which is now left to chance, and which consequently is often not accomplished at all?

PROVISION INADEQUATE

The extent of the problem and the need for Americanization have been indicated above.