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These figures, taken as a whole, are especially reassuring. Complaint has been made that in many instances the children are taught by foreign-born teachers whose knowledge of English is so imperfect that the children are sure to fail to acquire a satisfactory knowledge of the language which they should use with accuracy. Altho, doubtless, there are individual instances where this is the case, the figures given above show that inasmuch as less than 6 per cent. of the teachers are foreign-born, this can not be a factor so significant as is often imagined. Generally speaking, the native-born of foreign parents speak English with substantially the same accuracy as those nativeborn of native parents. In other regards there is no reason for believing that the equipment of either the foreign-born or of the native-born of foreign parents for the work of teaching is materially less satisfactory than that of the native-born.

ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH

Inability to speak English, as a matter of fact, is the greatest obstacle to the proper distribution of the recent immigrant population. It causes segregation of the immigrant races in industrial towns and large cities, and prevents proper contact with American life and institutions. Moreover, the recent immigrant, until he has acquired a knowledge of English, must remain in the ranks of unskilled labor, even if he has been a farmer or has had technical training abroad. As soon as a knowledge of English is obtained, not only standards of living change, but there also occurs a distribution and proper adjustment upon an industrial basis. This condition of affairs is quite plainly seen among members of races of southern and eastern

Europe who have had a long period of residence in this country.

There is a rapid advancement in the proportion of persons able to speak English corresponding to an increased period of residence in the United States. Of the total number of 211,000 immigrant wage-earners in mines and factories studied by the Immigration Commission who had been in this country less than five years, only 28.6 per cent. could speak English, as contrasted with 59.6 per cent. with a residence of five to nine years and 83.1 per cent. who had been in the United States ten years or over. The smallest proportion of employees able to speak English with a residence under five years were, in the order named, the Cuban, Portuguese, Bulgarian, Turkish, Ruthenian, Polish, Macedonian, Greek, Finnish, Lithuanian, South Italian, Russian and Rumanian races, all of which fall below the general showing for the total number of foreign-born wage-earners who have been here that length of time. Of the employees with a residence of five to nine years, the Cubans exhibited a percentage of only 15.2, and the Spaniards of 16.4, with ability to speak English, while the French-Canadians, South Italians, Montenegrins, Poles, Portuguese, and Ruthenians showed less than that for the average within this residence period. Of the employees who had been in the United States ten years or longer, the Cubans, Spaniards, Mexicans, Portuguese, South Italians, Servians, Syrians, Poles, French-Canadians and Magyars, all of whom had less than four-fifths of their number able to speak English, indicate, in the order mentioned, the least progress in this regard.

As regards the males from southern and eastern Europe with a residence of ten years or over, the

smallest proportion of wage-earners able to speak English was exhibited by the Servians; the showing of the Poles, gese, Magyars and South Italians being but slightly more favorable. The lowest percentages of all are found in the case of the Cubans and Spaniards, almost three-fifths of whom can not speak English.

The males not only show a larger proportion than the females in each period of residence, with the ability to use our language, but exhibit greater progress in acquiring it after specified periods of residence. This is due, of course, to the greater segregation of the females and their more limited opportunities for contact with American life and institutions. Of the southern and eastern European females who have been in this country ten years or longer, the South Italians exhibit the smallest proportion with ability to speak English. The Polish, Portuguese, Finnish and Syrian women make a somewhat better showing than the South Italians, but fall below the proportion for the total foreign-born females.

A much greater proportion of immigrants who were under fourteen years of age when they came to the United States can speak English at the present time than those who were fourteen years of age or over when they immigrated to this country. This is due, as might be expected, not only to the greater adaptability of the younger immigrants, but also to their greater opportunities in the way of attending the public schools and in mingling with native Americans.

Progress and assimilation along all lines is conditioned more upon knowledge of our language than upon any other factor. Congestion in large cities and industrial localities as well as the establishment of

immigrant colonies arises largely from the inability of the southern and eastern European to use English readily. Immigrant banks and similar institutions have their origin in the same cause. The exploitation of the immigrant has its foundation upon the same lack of English-speaking ability. On the other hand, with a larger proportion of immigrants who can speak the language, a much greater dissemination of the foreign-born population may be expected together with its more rapid absorption and assimilation. Progress in industry, in business, in the trades and professions and in the accumulation of property, are all primarily dependent upon the development in the recent immigrant population of an English-speaking ability.

Summary Conclusions

The causes opposing the Americanization of the recent immigrant population may be briefly summarized as follows:

(1) Isolation from the natives of a large part of the immigrant population.

(2) Indifference, and to some extent prejudice, on the part of natives toward immigrants.

(3) Illiteracy of a large proportion of immigrants. (4) Ignorance resulting from the peasant origin of nearly all of the southern European immigrants, and their unpreparedness for so decided changes in environment.

(5) The influence of immigrant churches and parochial schools in emphasizing and maintaining racial and denominational distinctions.

(6) Inability to speak English.

Those factors favorable to the Americanization of the southern and eastern European are:

(1) Employment of immigrants in American industries.

(2) Employment of immigrant women as servants in American households.

(3) Residence to some extent of immigrants among natives and the association resulting therefrom.

(4) Attendance of immigrant children in American public schools and the teaching of the English and American branches in the immigrant parochial schools.

(5) The influence of immigrant priests and pastors in bringing about permanency of residence through the stimulation of property owning and home-making.

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