TABLE 84.-Per cent of foreign-born employees who speak English, by sex, age at time of coming to the United States, and race. (STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.) [This table includes only non-English-speaking races with 200 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all non-English-speaking races.] a Not computed, owing to the small number involved. Information was obtained in this locality for 8,049 foreign-born persons, of which number 49.3 per cent speak English. Of those who were under 14 years of age at time of arrival, 94 per cent now speak English, as compared with 45 per cent of those who were 14. years of age or over at time of arrival. Of the males, 49.7 per cent speak English, as compared with 41.1 per cent of the females. The males report 94.1 per cent of those who were under 14 years of age and 45.8 per cent of those who were 14 years of age or over at time of coming to the United States who now speak English, as compared with 93.5 and 21.2 per cent of the females who were under 14 and 14 years of age or over, respectively. Among the females it will be noted that all Germans, South Italians, and 93.5 per cent of the Poles who were under 14 years of age at time of coming to the United States now speak English, as compared with 40, 57.1, and 23.5 per cent, respectively, of those who were 14 years of age or over at time of coming. None of the Greeks or Lithuanians, as compared with 5.6 per cent of the Slovenians and 14.3 per cent of the Magyars who were 14 years of age or over at time of coming to the United States, speak English, the proportions of both Magyars and Slovenians, as contrasted with the proportions of the other races who now speak English, being very small. The progress made by employees of non-English-speaking races in acquiring the ability to speak English after designated periods of residence in the country is set forth in the following table, which shows, by sex, years in the United States, and race of individual, the per cent of foreign-born employees who speak English. TABLE 85.-Per cent of foreign-born employees who speak English, by sex, 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 200 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all nonEnglish-speaking races.] MALE. Information was obtained in this industry for 8,049 foreign-born employees, of which number 49.3 per cent speak English. Of those who have been in the United States under five years, 24.4 per cent speak English, as compared with 55.5 per cent of those who have been in the United States from five to nine years and 80.3 per cent of those who have been in the United States ten years or over. Among the males, the proportions in each age group vary only slightly from the proportions shown for all persons. The Slovenians show the smallest proportion with ability to speak English among those who have been in the United States from five to nine years, while the largest proportion, or 95.5 per cent, is shown by the Swedes. Following the Swedes are the Greeks, 71.4 per cent of whom speak English. This proportion, it will be noted, is slightly in excess of that shown by the South Italians or North Italians, and very largely in excess of that shown by the Lithuanians or Slovenians. Among those with a residence of ten years or over, the Swedes with 99.6 per cent and the South Italians with 92.6 per cent show the largest proportions, while the smallest proportion, or 69.3 per cent, is shown by the Poles, the proportions of the other races ranging from 89.2 per cent of the Slovaks to 73 per cent of Magyars. Among the females, 41.1 per cent of whom speak English, it will be noted that of those with a residence of less than five years, 17.5 per cent speak English, as compared with 72.2 per cent with a residence. of from five to nine years and 91.3 per cent with a residence of ten years or over. No Germans, Greeks, or Lithuanians, and only very small proportions of Slovenians and Magyars, as compared with 24 per cent of the Poles and 71.4 per cent of the South Italians, with a residence of less than five years, speak English. The German females, with a residence of ten years or over, report their entire number as being able to speak English. |