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CHAPTER XVIII.

GENERAL PROGRESS OF IMMIGRANTS IN THE COMMUNITY.

Property holdings-Bank deposits-Money sent abroad-Immigrants in businessAbility to speak English of foreign-born employees-School attendance and progress-Literacy Citizenship and interest in political and civic affairs-Church facilities-Americanization-[Text Tables 269 to 285.]

PROPERTY HOLDINGS.

The Italians, North and South, show a greater tendency to save than any other race represented in the community. The majority of the South Italians save their money and send it abroad, while most of the North Italians buy real estate with their savings. Next to the Italians, the Slovaks show the greatest tendency to save their earnings, usually investing them in real estate. Table 269 shows property holdings of the foreign races in the urban center. The fact that the Slovak holdings are greater than those of the combined Italian races is accounted for by the fact that the Slovaks outnumber the Italians. The figures represent taxable property only, but may be accepted as exhibiting the extent to which the several races in the community invest in real estate.

TABLE 269.-Immigrant property holdings in the urban center of Community A, by race.

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The disposition to purchase homes is most noticeable among the North Italians, Slovaks, Scotch, and Magyars. These races, in the order named, own the largest amount of taxable property in the town. Immigrants of all races invest in land, even the South Italians, who send most of their savings to Italy to purchase land in that country, or to redeem mortgages and pay taxes on property which they already owned abroad.

BANK DEPOSITS.

An interesting showing is also furnished by estimates of local bankers as to the amount of money deposited by immigrants.

TABLE 270.-Average monthly deposits of immigrants on open accounts in the banks of the urban center of Community A, by race.

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As regards the amount of money sent abroad, the following table shows the amount of postal money orders issued in the urban center, by countries, for a period of two years. Of the total value of foreign orders issued, nearly 86 per cent was drawn on Italy alone.

TABLE 271.-Postal money orders issued during a period of two years in the urban center of Community A.

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The two national banks located in the urban center together transmit to Italy an average of $3,750 per month. These banks send money to no other foreign country. The Slovak bank already mentioned transmits per week to other sections of the United States and abroad, through an express company, the amounts given in the table following.

TABLE 272.-Express money orders issued per week by the Slovak bank in the urban center

of Community A.

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From these tables it will be seen that the North and South Italians send by far the largest amount of money abroad. Eighty-six per cent of the amount of foreign postal money orders issued in the community go to Italy, about $45,000 is annually transmitted to Italy through the national banks of the community, and the only foreign bank in the urban center sends the largest portion of its foreign remittances to the same country.

The money sent abroad is generally used in paying taxes on land and in purchasing land, in helping relatives and friends, and in assisting others to come to the United States. This is true of all races sending money to Europe, but particularly of the North and South Italians.

IMMIGRANTS IN BUSINESS.

The table which immediately follows shows the immigrants in business in the community, by race. It will be noticed that the Italians numerically outrank other foreign groups in the business field, the Slovaks standing second. The Italians thus engaged in business are the more capable North and South Italians.

TABLE 273.--Immigrants in business in Community A, by race and class of business.

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The unanimous opinion of the native American population of the urban center is that the immigrants engaged in business in the community are lax in their methods as compared with the natives in the same business. Especially is this true of the credit system in vogue among the foreign business men. The immigrant in business in the community is often not above taking advantage of ignorance when, by so doing, he will better his financial condition. Business association among men of different races is seldom found in the community. Italians prefer to deal with Italians, Slovaks with Slovaks, and Magyars with Magyars; but this policy is not strictly adhered to, the Slovaks showing the greatest tendency to depart from it. Men of a race not represented among the immigrant business men of the community will deal with native stores rather than patronize the establishment kept by a member of another foreign race.

ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH OF FOREIGN-BORN EMPLOYEES.

As showing relative ability to speak English, information was received from 2,784 foreign-born mine workers in the community. From the data thus secured, a table has been prepared and is presented below, which classifies these persons according to age at the time of arrival in this country:

TABLE 274.-Ability to speak English of foreign-born male employees, by age at time of coming to the United States and race.

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Of the total of 2,770 mine employees who reported complete data, only 82 were under 14 years of age at the time of arrival in this country, while 2,688 were 14 years of age or over. In the first group about nine-tenths of the total are able to speak English. The only employees unable to speak English are 3 Slovaks, 3 Poles, and 2 North Italians. The showing made by the second group is in strong

contrast with the first. Almost one-half of the persons who were 14 years of age or over at the time of arrival in the United States are unable to speak English. The Poles in this group report more than half of their number unable to speak English, while the Magyars, North Italians, South Italians, and Slovaks show even larger proportions who have not learned the language, those in the last-named race being most numerous. The general conclusion is therefore plain, both as regards the different races and the whole group of foreignborn persons, that the immigrants arriving earlier in life acquire the use of English much more quickly and in larger numbers than persons coming at a later period of life.

The following table shows the English-speaking ability of foreignborn persons in Community A according to the period of time that they have been in the United States.

TABLE 275.—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.]

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Examination of the preceding table shows that less than four-tenths of the total number of employees who have been in the country under five years are able to speak English, as compared with more than nine-tenths of the total number who have been in the country ten years or over, and over seven-tenths of the total number who have had a period of residence from five to nine years. It is clearly evident that, as the period of residence for all foreign-born is extended, the proportion of their number able to speak English tends to increase. This tendency is especially noticeable in the case of the Magyar, North and South Italian, and Slovak races.

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