CHAPTER XII.

GENERAL PROGRESS AND ASSIMILATION.

Ownership of homes-School attendance Status of children in the households studied Citizenship-Ability to speak English-[Text Tables 177 to 187 and General Tables 114 to 122].

OWNERSHIP OF HOMES.

Home ownership by families the heads of which were of foreign birth may be considered as a strong indication of permanent settlement, and the facts in this connection relative to the families the heads of which were employed in the shoe industry are set forth in the following table according to general nativity and race of head of family:

TABLE 177.-Number and per cent of families owning home, by general nativity and race of head of family.

Of 525 families from whom information was secured, 14.1 per cent own homes. Families the heads of which are native-born of foreign father show the highest percentage owning homes, followed by families whose heads are foreign-born and the families whose heads are native-born whites of native father. Of families whose heads are foreign-born, the Irish show over 50 per cent owning homes, the Syrians show the next largest proportion, or 20 per cent, and the

English show 19.4 per cent owning homes. Families whose heads are Lithuanians, Hebrews, Poles, or French Canadians show between 10 and 11 per cent owning homes, while families the heads of which are Armenians or Greeks show between 7 and 8 per cent and families the heads of which are South Italians only 2.1 per cent who own homes.

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE.

The table next presented shows, by general nativity and race of father of pupil, the number and percentage of pupils in the schools of Community A.

TABLE 178.-Number and per cent of total pupils in school in Community A, by general nativity and race of father of pupil.

In this locality information was secured as to general nativity and race of father of 9,583 pupils in public and 2,959 pupils in parochial schools. The proportion of pupils of foreign parentage is 44.2 per cent in public schools and 68.4 per cent in parochial schools and the proportion of children of native whites is 54.7 per cent in public and 31.6 per cent in parochial schools. None of the children in parochial schools and only 1.1 per cent of those in public schools are of negro parentage. Of the foreign races, the Canadian other than French, Irish, Russian Hebrew, English, and Swedish have the largest representation in public schools, while in the parochial schools the Irish and French Canadian, in the order mentioned, are the principal races.

STATUS OF CHILDREN IN THE HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED.

The following table shows, by general nativity and race of father and by birthplace of child, the number and percentage of children in the households studied 6 and under 16 years of age who were at home, at school, and at work:

TABLE 179.-Number and per cent of children 6 and under 16 years of age at home, at school, and at work, by general nativity and race of father and by birthplace of child.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[This table includes only races with 20 or more children born in the United States and also 20 or more born abroad. The native-born of native father are shown for comparative purposes.]

A larger proportion of the native-born of native father, white, than of those either native-born or foreign-born whose fathers are foreignborn Hebrews are at school, while a larger proportion of both those who were native-born and those who were foreign-born whose fathers are Hebrews than of those native-born of native father are at home or at work.

CITIZENSHIP.

The following table shows, by race, the present political condition of foreign-born male employees who had been in the United States five years or over and who were 21 years of age or over at time of coming to this country:

TABLE 180.-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.

(STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.)

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States.]

TABLE 180.-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-Continued.

Of the total number of foreign-born male employees in this locality who have been in the United States five years or over and who were 21 years of age or over at the time of coming, for whom information was secured, 30.6 per cent are fully naturalized and 20.9 per cent have first papers only. Information was secured for 40 or more individuals of only one race, the South Italian. The proportion of the individuals of this race who are fully naturalized is 8.8 per cent and the proportion having first papers only is 17.5 per cent.

The following table shows, by race of individual, the present political condition of foreign-born males in the households studied who had been in the United States five years or over and who were 21 years of age or over at time of coming to this country:

TABLE 181.-Present political condition of foreign-born males 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 of individual.

(STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.)

[By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States.]