TABLE 58.-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-Continued. General nativity and race of individual. Number reporting com- Per cent who read. Per cent who read and write. Foreign-born-Continued. Male. Female. Total. Male. Female. Total. Male. Female. Total. French.. 208 German. 1.218 Greek. 96.2 Hebrew. 41.2 72.5 Irish. 85.4 Italian, North. 92.2 93.6 93.5 91.5 92.5 Italian, South. 79.8 84.1 86.7 Japanese.. 55.9 60.4 Lithuanian. 100.0 100.0 Macedonian. 1,635 61.2 41.8 54.1 Magyar.. 69.2 69.2 69.2 Mexican. 87.0 88.9 89.5 Norwegian.. 51.0 65.6 Polish. 100.0 100.0 Portuguese. Roumanian. 59.7 60.8 Russian. 75.1 79.9 Ruthenian. 69.8 Scotch. 54.4 60.8 62.5 50.9 57.5 Servian. 99.5 99.5 99.5 98.9 99.2 Slovak. Slovenian. 78.1 81.4 82.3 Spanish.. 229 93.1 91.3 91.8 91.5 Swedish. 97.2 100.0 91.9 97.2 Syrian.. 99.6 99.4 99.5 Turkish. 71.5 84.2 45.8 69.2 Welsh.. 4.5 4.5 4.5 98.2 a Not computed, owing to small number involved. Upon referring to the foregoing table it is at once evident that a considerably higher degree of literacy prevails among the native-born wage-earners than among those of foreign birth. Of the total number of persons both male and female who were born in this country 98.2 per cent were able to read and 98 per cent able to read and write, as contrasted with only 77.5 per cent of persons of foreign birth with ability to read and 74.8 per cent who were able both to read birth, but a somewhat smaller proportion of foreign-born women born negro shows a higher degree of illiteracy than the wage-earners of foreign birth, while the industrial workers of native birth and of over those of native birth but of foreign father. Among the representatives of races of foreign birth only 62 per cent of the Croatian males and 56.2 per cent of the females, 79.8 per cent of Greek males males and 45.6 per cent of the females, 61.8 per cent of the Portuguese and 41.2 per cent of the females, 61.9 per cent of the South Italian males and 57.6 per cent of the females, 65.8 per cent of the Ruthenian males and 54.4 per cent of the females, 56.3 per cent of the Servian males and 42.9 per cent of the females, and only 4.5 per cent of the The following table shows, by years in the United States and race of individual, the proportion of foreign-born persons in the households studied who were able to read and who were able both to read and write: TABLE 59.-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.] a Not computed, owning to small number involved. A comparison of the totals in each period of residence shows a considerable degree of advancement both in ability to read and to read and write corresponding to length of residence in the United States. Of those who had been in this country under five years, 71 per cent could read and 68.6 per cent could read and write, as compared with 77.3 per cent with ability to read and 74.4 per cent with ability to read and write of those with a residence of five to nine years, and 84.5 per cent who could read and 81.5 per cent who could both read and write of those who had been in the United States ten years or longer. The table which immediately follows affords a comparison of the present degree of literacy among younger and older immigrants according to their age at the time of arrival in this country. It shows, by age at time of coming to the United States and race of individual, the per cent of foreign-born persons 10 years of age or over who were able to read and the per cent able to both read and write: TABLE 60.-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 foreign born.] A study of the foregoing table, which reveals returns from 45,042 foreign-born persons who were 10 years of age or over, shows a higher degree of literacy at the present time among those who were under 14 years of age when they arrived in the United States as compared with those who were 14 years of age or older. Of those who were less than 14 years old when they came to this country, 91.7 per cent can now read and 90.7 per cent can now both read and write. On the other hand, of those who were 14 or over 14 years of age, only 74.9 per cent can read and 71.8 per cent can both read and write at the present time. The Flemish, Mexican, Scotch, Slovenian, and Swedish races, of all others, show a greater proportion among those 14 years of age or over who can read or read and write, but in the case of these races the difference between the two age groups is very small. The Norwegians alone, without regard to age, are all able to read and to write. CONJUGAL CONDITION. The table following shows, by sex, age groups, and general nativity and race of individual, the per cent of persons in the households studied who were single, married, or widowed. TABLE 61.-Per cent of persons in each conjugal condition, by sex, age groups, and general nativity and race of individual. Total native-born of foreign father... Total native-born. Total foreign-born.. 166 56.0 42.8 1.2 11,340 51.2 48.5 28 3.6 96. 4 .0 7 (a) (a) (a) 58 .0 94.8 5.2 .311,374 9.2 89.8 1.1 4,387 2.0 92.3 5.7 27, 101 25.672.9 1.5 989 81.2 18.3 .5 491 18.9 79.2 1.8 194 3.1 92.8 4.1 1,674 53.9 44.8 1.3 1,551 68.5 31.1 4 1,555 12.4 86.2 1.4 559 2.1 93.2 4.7 3.265 37.3 61.2 1.5 .3 10,219 8.8 90.2 1.1 3,828 1.9 92.2 3.923, 836 24.0 74.5 1.5 9,789 48.5 51.3 a Not computed, owing to small number involved. |