other language who speak English, by years in the United States and by race.

TABLE 13.-Ability to speak English of foreign-born male employees, by years in the United States and race.

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes only non-English-speaking races.]

Among those who had been in the United States less than five years the Japanese and Koreans show relatively great progress. Of the members of these races reported in this residence group, 56.8 per cent of the former and 51 per cent of the latter speak English, as opposed to 64.9 per cent of the Armenians, 59.5 per cent of the Greeks, 43.5 per cent of the Germans, 40 per cent of the South Italians, 33.9 per cent of the East Indians, 22.6 per cent of the North Italians, and 21.7 per cent of the Mexicans.

Moreover, among those who had been in the United States for longer periods, the Japanese showed more progress than other races except the North Europeans. For example, 73.1 per cent of the Japanese whose period of residence here was from five to nine years, spoke English as opposed to 72.7 per cent of the Koreans, 63.5 per cent of the North Italians, 56 per cent of the South Italians, 41.2

per cent of the Mexicans, and 88.7 per cent of the Germans. Somewhat modified, the same distinctions appear among those who have lived in this country ten years or over, where 83.3 per cent of the Japanese speak English, as opposed to 81.7 per cent of the North Italians, 79.2 per cent of the South Italians, and 58.6 per cent of the Mexicans. On the other hand, 98.2 per cent of the Germans and most of the other North Europeans in this group spoke English. Of the Chinese who had been in this country ten years or over (and most of them had been here twenty years or more), only 66.9 per cent could speak English.

The slow progress of the Chinese and Mexicans in this regard stands in striking contrast to the rapidity with which the Japanese have acquired our language, especially since these races have always been employed in much the same kind of seasonal work and have lived under much the same conditions. The Chinese have always been self-satisfied and have looked back toward their old civilization as the only culture worth the while. The Mexican laborers, on the other hand, are notoriously indolent and unprogressive in all matters of education and culture, and evince little desire to learn to speak English.

The rapidity with which the Japanese acquire a speaking knowledge of English is due largely to their attitude in the matter. Although they work together in "gangs" of their own race very largely and come into little contact with English-speaking people, they are eager to learn English, and make use of every opportunity to do so. Yet the contrasts pointed out exaggerate the progress made by the members of this race, for a large number of those who work in the orchards and on the farms have been of the student class, and in many cases have had a high-school education before immigrating to this country. Since English occupies a prominent place in the curriculum of the Japanese high schools, those who have had such advantages possess a rudimentary knowledge of English before coming to this country, and because of this acquire the use of the language far more easily than do many of the European races who have had no such opportunities in their native lands. Moreover, many of the Japanese have come to this country by way of the Hawaiian Islands or Canada, where they have had more or less contact with English-speaking people. The same is true to a less extent of the Koreans.

The East Indians also have some opportunity to learn the English language before immigration, since India is under British rule. Some of the East Indians who come to this country have served as soldiers under the English flag and some have attended schools in which English is taught. Furthermore, a large percentage of them have come to this country by way of Canada. Since most of those reported had lived in the United States two years or less, it is safe to say that the greater part of the 33.8 per cent who spoke English acquired the fundamentals of the language before their arrival here.

The relatively slow progress shown by the Italians, Greeks, Portuguese, and Spanish is due primarily to educational conditions in their native lands, to the clannishness of their life in this country, and to the fact that the vast majority of them have immigrated as

adults and as a consequence have not had the advantages of the American schools. The Germans and other north Europeans were for the most part older immigrants, and since they usually migrated with the intention of becoming permanent settlers here they came with their families. Thus a greater proportion than of the_more recent south European immigrants were children of school age, who readily learned to use the English language. Moreover, their free association with English-speaking people after their arrival here has aided the adults in learning to speak English. The Armenians, who rank very high in this regard, are for the most part of the educated class, and are very progressive and intelligent. The number of female immigrants speaking English whose mother tongue is some other language is shown in the table following, by race and by years in the United States.

TABLE 14.-Ability to speak English of foreign-born female employees, by years in the United States and race.

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes only non-English-speaking races.]

Although a large majority of these females employed in agriculture had been in the United States five years or over, and almost one-fourth ten years or over, only 53.6 per cent as opposed to 61.8 per cent of the males spoke English. This difference is largely traceable to the lower educational standards of immigrant women, and to the fact that they ordinarily have less opportunity for association with English-speaking people than do the men. The number of representatives of the several races is too small to afford an adequate basis for comparisons among them.

The data relative to the ability to speak English for both males and females are presented by way of summary in the table next presented.

TABLE 15.-Ability to speak English of foreign-born employees, by years in the United States and race.

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes only non-English-speaking races.]

Literacy in the English language is far less common among agricultural laborers than is the ability to speak English. While 61.8 per cent of the immigrant males of non-English-speaking races from whom data were secured could speak English, only 21.2 per cent could read, and only 19.5 per cent could read and write the language. This difference is due to the relative efforts required in attaining these arts. The spoken language can be acquired through association with English-speaking people without great effort on the part of the immigrant. The written language, on the other hand, can not be learned. so easily. It requires definite educational activity. For this reason, few immigrants who were adults at the time of coming to this country have learned to read and write English. Those immigrants who possess this ability are for the most part those who learned English as part of their schooling abroad, or those who entered this country as children and attended American schools.

The following table shows the number of male immigrants of nonEnglish-speaking races who read, and who read and write, English, by race.

TABLE 16.-Number of foreign-born male employees who read English and number who read and write English, by general nativity and race.

The north European immigrants were for the most part residents of long standing, and many entered this country as children and had the advantages of an American schooling. With these facts in mind, it is not surprising to note that they reported the largest percentages who read and write English, namely, 73.9 per cent of the Swedes, 71.4 per cent of the Danes, and 58.1 per cent of the Germans. On the other hand, the south Europeans are more recent immigrants, and have immigrated for the most part as adults, thus losing the school advantages for learning to read and write English enjoyed by many of the north Europeans. For this reason, primarily, the percentage who read and write English is small. Of the Greeks, 29.1 per cent, of the South Italians, 20.9 per cent, of the Portuguese 15.7 per cent, and of the North Italians 13.9 per cent read and write English. The fact that only 5.3 per cent of the Mexicans read and write English is due to their consistent lack of ambition in matters of culture. Although a considerable number of this race have immigrated as children, a large percentage of them have not taken advantage of the opportunities offered by American schools.