CHAPTER VI.

GENERAL PROGRESS AND ASSIMILATION.

Citizenship Ability to speak English-[Text Tables 83 to 86 and General Tables 50

to 52].

CITIZENSHIP.

The extent to which foreign-born employees engaged in railroad and other construction work in the South have acquired or manifested an interest in attaining citizenship is set forth in the following table, which shows, by race, the present political condition of foreign-born male employees who have been in the United States five years or over and who were 21 years of age or over at the time of arrival in this country:

TABLE 83.-Present political condition of foreign-born male employees who have been in the United States 5 years or over and who were 21 years of age or over at time of coming, by race.

The above table shows that of the 32 foreign-born individuals in this locality for whom information was secured but 4, or 12.5 per cent, are fully naturalized and but 3, or 9.4 per cent, have first papers only.

ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH.

The table next submitted shows, by race, the percentage of foreignborn male employees of non-English-speaking races who were able to speak English.

468

The Immigration Commission.

TABLE 84.-Per cent of foreign-born male employees who speak English, by race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only non-English-speaking races with 40 or more males reporting. The total, however, is for all non-English-speaking races.]

The proportion of foreign-born male employees in this locality who speak English is very much larger for the North Italians than for the South Italians.

In the table next submitted a comparison is made possible of the relative proportion of the younger and older immigrants able to speak English. The table shows, by age at time of coming to the United States and race, the per cent of foreign-born male employees of non-English-speaking races who were able to speak English.

TABLE 85.-Per cent of foreign-born male employees who speak English, by age at time of coming to the United States and race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[This table includes only non-English-speaking races with 100 or more males reporting. The total, however, is for all non-English-speaking races.]

Information was obtained in this locality for 463 foreign-born male employees, 40.4 per cent of whom speak English. Of those who were under 14 years of age at time of coming, the entire number now speak English, as compared with only 38.9 per cent of those who were 14 years of age or over at time of coming. Of the South Italians, it will be noted that, of those who were under 14 years of age at time of arrival, the proportion who now speak English is identical with that shown for all male employees, while of those who were 14 years of age or over at time of coming the proportion who now speak English is slightly below the proportion shown by the total.

The advancement manifested by employees of foreign birth and of non-English-speaking races in acquiring an ability to speak English after designated periods of residence in this country is set forth in the table next presented. It shows, by years in the United States and race, the percentage of foreign-born male employees able to speak English.

TABLE 86.-Per cent of foreign-born male employees who speak English, by years in the United States and race.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. This table includes only non-English-speaking races with 100 or more males reporting. The total, however, is for all nonEnglish-speaking races.]

As regards the ability to speak English, by years in the United States, it will be noted from the above table that 31.9 per cent of those who have been in the United States under five years speak English, as compared with 85 per cent of those with a residence of from five to nine years and 100 per cent with a residence of ten years or over in the United States. In the period of residence of under five and from five to nine years, in which the South Italians report a proportion who speak English, it will be noted that said proportions are but slightly below those shown by the total for all foreign-born male employees.

GENERAL TABLES.

I. GENERAL SURVEY: TABLES 1-13.

II.-DETAILED STUDY OF RAILROAD AND OTHER CONSTRUCTION WORK IN THE EAST: TABLES 14-26.

III.-DETAILED STUDY OF RAILROAD AND OTHER CONSTRUCTION WORK IN THE WEST: TABLES 27-39.

IV. DETAILED STUDY OF RAILROAD AND OTHER CONSTRUCTION WORK IN THE SOUTH: TABLES 40-52.