CHAPTER VII.

SALIENT CHARACTERISTICS.

Literacy-Conjugal condition-Age classification of households studied-General effect of immigration on the community Charity-Diseases peculiar to immigrantsVital statistics-Criminality-[Text Tables 137 to 144 and General Tables 120 to 124].

LITERACY.

The general literacy of the persons in the households studied is set forth in the following table, which shows, by sex, general nativity, and race of individual, the percentage of persons 10 years of age or over who read and the percentage who both read and write:

TABLE 137.—Per cent of persons 10 years of age or over who read and per cent who read and write, by sex and general nativity and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 40 or more persons reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.}

General nativity and race of individual.

Native-born of native father,

Male. Female. Total. Male. Female. Total. Male. Female. Total.

White..

55

51 106 100.0

100.0 100.0 100.0

100.0 100.0

Canadian, French.

77

German.

Italian, South.

Polish.

The foregoing table shows 91.6 per cent of persons who read as compared with 90.3 per cent who can both read and write. In each instance the proportion of males who can read and who can both read and write is somewhat larger than that of the females. The group native-born of native father show all persons reporting can

both read and write; native-born of foreign father follow with a slightly smaller percentage, while foreign-born show considerably smaller proportions than native-born of foreign father who can read and who can both read and write. Of the native-born of foreign father each race shows 100 per cent of males who can both read and write. French Canadians and Poles show a somewhat smaller proportion of females who have this ability than of males. Of the foreign-born races Swedish alone show 100 per cent of both males and females who can read and write, while French Canadians show a slightly higher percentage of females than of males who can read and also read and write. The greatest illiteracy is noted among the Poles, slightly over 60 per cent of the males and less than 40 per cent of the females being able to read and to read and write.

The degree of literacy which prevails among persons of foreign birth after designated periods of residence in this country may be seen from the next table presented. This table shows, by years in the United States and race of individual, the percentage of foreignborn persons 10 years of age or over in the households studied who read and the percentage who both read and write.

TABLE 138.-Per cent of foreign-born persons 10 years of age or over who read and per cent who read and write, by years in the United States and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes only races with 40 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.]

From the data presented in the above table it appears that the proportion of all foreign-born persons for whom information was secured who are able both to read and to read and write increases with length of residence in the United States. In the case of the Germans, South Italians, and Poles, however, a larger proportion of individuals who have been in the United States from five to nine years than of those who have been here ten years or over are able both to read and write, and in the case of the Germans and South Italians a larger proportion of individuals who have been here from five to nine years than of individuals who have been here ten years or over are able to read only. The proportion of French Canadians who read and read and write is largest for individuals who have been in the United States under five years, second largest for individuals who have been here from five to nine years, and smallest for individuals who have been here ten years or over.

The literacy of foreign-born persons, according to their ages at the time of arrival in this country, is set forth in the table next presented. This table shows the percentage of foreign-born persons ten years of age or over, in the households studied, who could read and the percentage who could both read and write, by race and age of individual at the time of coming to the United States.

TABLE 139.-Per cent of foreign-born persons 10 years of age or over who read and per cent who read and write, by age at time of coming to the United States and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 40 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all foreignborn.]

The above table shows that 96.9 per cent of the persons reporting who were under 14 years of age at the time of coming to the United States can read as compared with 82.3 per cent who have this ability and who were 14 years of age or over at the time of arrival in this country. Of those who can both read and write 96.2 per cent were under 14 years of age at the time of coming to the United States and 79.7 per cent were 14 years of age or over. Germans, Poles, and Swedes report that all persons who were under 14 years of age at the time of arrival in this country can read, a slightly smaller percentage of French Canadians have this ability, while only 88 per cent of South Italians who were under the above specified age can read. Only one race, the Swedish, reports that all members who were 14 years of age or over at the time of coming to the United States can read, while the South Italians show only 43.4 per cent of persons who were of the above specified age at the time of arrival can read. The table further shows about the same proportions as those given above of persons who can both read and write. In each instance the percentage of sons who were under 14 years of age at the time of arrival in this country is considerably higher than the percentage of those who were 14 years of age or over and who can both read and write. The Swedes are the only exception to this rule, 100 per cent of persons of each specified age being able both to read and write.

CONJUGAL CONDITION.

per

The table next submitted shows, by sex, age groups, and by general nativity and race of individual, the percentage of persons in the households studied who were in each conjugal condition.

TABLE 140.-Per cent of persons in each conjugal condition, by sex, age groups, and by general nativity and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 80 or more persons reporting. The totals, however, are for all races.]

The preceding table shows that of 1,104 persons for whom information was secured, 77.4 per cent are married and 4.4 per cent are widowed. Of the persons who are from 20 to 29 years of age, 53.5 per cent are married and 0.3 per cent are widowed; of those from 30 to 44 years of age, 91.9 per cent are married and 2.1 per cent are widowed; and in the group of those 45 years of age or over, 84.1 per cent are married and 13.8 per cent are widowed. In the group of persons from 20 to 29 years of age those of foreign birth show by far the highest percentage who are married, followed by the persons who are native-born of foreign father in much smaller proportions. Only a small proportion of the native-born of foreign father, and none of the foreign-born, are widowed. Individuals of foreign birth, in the group from 30 to 44 years of age, show a slightly higher percentage of persons married and widowed than do the native-born of foreign father. All persons native-born of foreign father, 45 years of age or over, are married, while the foreign-born only show 81.6 per cent in this state, and 15.8 per cent widowed. In the totals of all who are 20 years of age or over, the foreign-born show a considerably higher per cent, both married and widowed, than the native-born of foreign father.

In the group of foreign-born persons from 20 to 29 years of age, the South Italians show the highest and the French Canadians the lowest percentage married, while none of any race in this group are widowed. Again, in the group including those from 30 to 44 years of age, the South Italians show the highest and the French Čanadians the lowest percentage married; but the French Canadians, Germans, and Poles show small proportions widowed. In the group of individuals 45 years of age or over the Swedes show the highest and the Germans the lowest percentage married, and the Germans show a considerably larger proportion widowed than the French Canadians, South Italians, Poles, or Swedes. Of all persons 20 years of age or over, the South Italians show the highest and the French Canadians the lowest percentage married; and the Germans the highest and the Poles the lowest percentage widowed.

In the groups including persons from 20 to 29 and from 30 to 44 years of age, the females show larger proportions married and widowed than do the males. The males show the highest percentage married, but the females by far the largest proportion widowed, among persons 45 years of age or over. Of all individuals 20 years of age or over, the females show a larger proportion married and widowed than do the males.

AGE CLASSIFICATION OF HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

The table next presented shows, by sex and general nativity and race of head of household, the percentage of persons in the households studied who are within each specified age group.