TABLE 121.-Per cent of persons 6 years of age or over who speak English, by sex and general nativity and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only non-English-speaking races with 40 or more persons reporting. The totals, however, are for all non-English-speaking races.]

According to the foregoing table, which presents data for the nonEnglish-speaking races in the bituminous mining industry, 53.4 per cent of all persons 6 years of age or over in the households studied are able to speak English. This rather low percentage is, of course, attributable to the preponderance of the foreign-born, 79.7 per cent of all persons included in the table under consideration having been born abroad. The remaining 20.3 per cent are persons native-born of foreign father. Of this latter class, 92.5 per cent speak English. The race of the second generation showing the lowest per cent of English-speaking people is the South Italian, with but 91.6 per cent thus reported; the Poles follow, with 92.2 per cent, and the Slovaks with 92.3 per cent. The Lithuanians, North Italians, and Magyars rank in the order named and the German households head the list, with 100 per cent of their members able to speak English. The North Italians and Lithuanians show a slightly larger proportion of females than of males able to speak the language of their parents' adopted country, but the reverse is true of the other races; the greatest difference is found in the case of the South Italians of the second generation, only 87.5 per cent of whose females speak the language, though 95.7 per cent of the males can do so.

Among the total foreign-born the percentage able to speak English is 43.4. The Germans rank first with 75 per cent. The Lithuanians follow, with 59.4 per cent, and the Bohemians and Moravians succeed them with 56 per cent. Of the other races only the North Italians,

with 51 per cent, and the Magyars, with 48.7 per cent, exceed the percentage of 43.4 for the total foreign-born. The race which falls furthest below the general average is the Roumanian, only 5.8 per cent of whom can speak English."

The Mexicans with 19.4 per cent, the Russians with 20.8 per cent, and the Ruthenians with 22.4 per cent, show much more progress than the Roumanians, although ranking considerably below the other races. South Italians, Poles, Slovaks, and Croatians also report a less than average proportion of their people able to speak English.

Among the foreign-born, a considerably greater proportion of 'males than of females are able to speak English, the percentages being 48.1 and 35.4, respectively. The Roumanians are the only exception to this general rule. The relatively smaller proportion of females who have acquired the use of English is due to the fact that the females of the households of races of recent immigration are more closely segregated than are the males.

The next table submitted shows the ability to speak English on the part of 48,656 individual mine workers of foreign birth and of nonEnglish-speaking races, from whom detailed information was secured.

TABLE 122.-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.]

Older immigrants and those races which mingle freely with Americans show in this table a larger percentage speaking English than do either the more recent immigrants or the races which segregate themselves in colonies.

Of the 48,656 immigrants reporting complete data, 29,775, or 61.2 per cent, can speak English. In this connection it is interesting to note the races from northern Europe which show the highest average per cent of persons speaking the English language; 96.4 per cent of the Swedes, 90.5 per cent of the Germans, 84.2 per cent of the Dutch, and 70.9 per cent of the French are able to speak English.

a The table on p. 28 shows that no members of this race in the households studied have been in the United States as much as ten years.

48296°-VOL 6-11-14

The remarkable progress made by the Germans is particularly noticeable, as out of a total of 2,639 individuals reporting, 2,387 have mastered the English language. The Swedes show a larger per cent speaking English than do the Germans, but this fact is less significant, inasmuch as information was secured from only 306 members of this race as compared with 2,639 Germans.

The reasons which are considered accountable for the better showing made in the knowledge of English by the races mentioned above are, (1) They have been in the United States in considerable numbers for a longer period than immigrants from other parts of Europe; (2) they do not segregate themselves to the extent of other races, and they mingle more freely with natives; (3) more of them have come to this country with the idea of making it their permanent home, and hence are anxious to learn the English language.

As regards the races from southern and eastern Europe, out of a total of 1,870 Lithuanians furnishing information 1,411, or 75.5 per cent, speak English. This race shows a marked inclination toward early Americanization, and seems very desirous of learning English as soon as possible after arrival in this country, this tendency being especially noticeable in the Southwest. Although Lithuanians live in colonies and settlements to themselves, they associate more with natives than do Italians and the Slavic races and hence are able to master the language in a shorter time. A slightly larger percentage of North Italians than of South Italians speak English. Of the 6,528 North Italians shown in the table, 4,059, or 62.2 per cent, speak English. From the returns of the 4,188 South Italians who give complete data, it is seen that 2,548, or 60.8 per cent, speak English. Both North and South Italians usually live in segregated communities, trade at stores owned by members of their own race wherever possible, have little association with Americans, and, consequently, hear very little English spoken. Many come to the United States with the intention of remaining only a few years and have no desire to learn the language. Italians seem to learn English much more quickly than the Slavic races, and it is noticeable in mining districts, where representatives of all the races have lived for an equal length of time, that Italians are more proficient in the use of English than are Slavs. Slavic races in the table are the Croatian, Magyar, Polish, Russian, Slovak, Slovenian, Ruthenian, Bulgarian, Bohemian and Moravian, and other races from which only a few individuals report complete data. It is apparent that there is a smaller average percentage of individuals belonging to these races able to speak English than that shown in the table of percentages for races from northern Europe and from North and South Italy. The table shows 735 Bohemians and Moravians, of whom 531, or 72.2 per cent, speak English. This race is followed by the Slovenians, of which race 1,136, or 60.9 per cent, are able to speak English. The Russians, numbering 1,810, follow with a percentage of 60.4. Particular attention is directed to the Slovaks. Out of 11,137 reporting, only 6,522, or 58.6 per cent, can speak English. Some 1,384, or 57.8 per cent, of the Croatians speak English out of a total of 2,394 reporting. Of the Magyars 4,470 report complete data, showing 2,322, or 51.9 per cent, speaking English. Of the 7,190 Poles shown in the table 3,746, or 52.1 per cent, speak English. Other Slavic races have reported in limited numbers,

and no fair conclusion can be drawn as to their relative or proportionate ability to speak English.

Reasons assigned for the low percentage of the Slavic races speaking English are, (1) They are the more recent immigrants and, having been in this country a shorter time than races from northern Europe, have not had time to acquire the language; (2) they live in colonies by themselves where English is rarely spoken, and are usually segregated at work, so that there is little association between them and Americans; (3) the Slavic races seem to have more difficulty in learning the language than have immigrants from other countries. The Mexicans and Greeks reporting complete data show percentages of 74.8 and 66.7, respectively, who speak English.

In reviewing the table it will be seen that of the three larger racial groups the races from northern Europe show the highest average percentage of those who speak English, followed by North and South Italians and the Slavic races in the order named. Individual races, according to the table, have progressed in the knowledge of English in the following order: Swedes, Germans, Dutch, Lithuanians, Mexicans, Finnish, Bohemians and Moravians, French, Greeks, North Italians, Servians, Slovenians, South Italians, Russians, Italians not specified, Slovaks, Croatians, Poles, Magyars, Roumanians, Ruthenians, Montenegrins, and Bulgarians. Of the last named race, only 30.2 per cent are able to speak English.

In the following table the ability to speak English of the members of the households studied is shown by locality and by sex and race. TABLE 123.-Per cent of persons 6 years of age or over who speak English, by locality and by sex and general nativity and race of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only non-English-speaking races with 40 or more persons reporting in each of two or more localities. The totals, however, are for all non-English-speaking races.]

This total includes persons in households not given in the locality, because within a locality no race was tabulated unless 10 or more schedules were secured.

Not computed, owing to small number involved.