CHAPTER II. RACIAL DISPLACEMENTS. History of immigration-Period of residence in the United States of members of immigrant households studied-[Text Table 150 and General Table 97]. HISTORY OF IMMIGRATION. The estimated population of Community B in 1909 was 1,000 individuals, of whom about 80 per cent were of foreign birth. The town was established in 1898, when the erection of the plate-glass works was begun. At that time the native American element composed about 25 per cent of the population. Within five years after the founding of the permanent town the American portion of the population decreased about 5 per cent, leaving the conditions practically as they are found at the present time. The plate-glass plant is the only industrial establishment located in the community, and the racial composition of this plant has almost entirely governed that of the town. This is seen in the fact that the employees of the plant are composed principally of Poles, who compose over 60 per cent of the total population of the town. Slovaks and Magyars constitute together about 20 per cent of the population, while the remaining 20 per cent is composed of natives and two or three Belgian families. A few Bulgarians have been employed in the glass works, but the superintendent of the plant states that they did not prove satisfactory and were not encouraged to stay. The history of the employment of immigrants in this plate-glass plant is interesting in that it affords a contrast with conditions in the Pennsylvania plate-glass plants. In the Pennsylvania plants the basic foreign element was Belgian and, to a limited extent, German and English, while in Community B Poles compose the chief labor supply. The reason for this difference is seen in the fact that the Pennsylvania plants were started at a time when experienced glass workers could not be found in the United States and it was necessary to import skilled labor from abroad. These early companies. first imported skilled glass workers from England and afterwards Belgians and Germans, when the English glass-making methods were superseded by the Belgian. The plant in Community B was placed in commission in comparatively recent years and was able to draw skilled American machine operators and a group of Polish "layers" from the older plants in the United States in sufficient numbers to begin operations. Machines, overhead electric cranes, and other recent appliances, together with grinding and improved methods of operation, were used in the community from the start. Consequently the large number of skilled workers who were required in the older plants were not a See Community A, Chapter II. needed in the new establishment. The unskilled portion of the labor in the factory of Community B was supplied by the Poles, Slovaks, and Magyars, secured principally in the adjoining city and the vicinity. No Italians have ever been employed in this plant, and Bulgarians, as stated above, only to a very limited extent for a brief period of time. PERIOD OF RESIDENCE IN THE UNITED STATES OF MEMBERS OF IMMIGRANT HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED. The character of recent and past immigration to the community is set forth in the table submitted below, which shows, by race of individual, the percentage of foreign-born persons in the households studied who had been in the United States each specified number of years. The period of residence in this country and in the community are not necessarily identical, but the two periods closely approximate each other. TABLE 150.-Per cent of foreign-born persons in the United States each specified number of years, by race of individual. (STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.) [By years in the United States is meant years since first arrival in the United States. No deduction is made for time spent abroad. This table includes only races with 20 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.] This table shows a report from 285 persons of foreign birth, of whom 38.2 per cent have been in the United States under five years, 70.5 per cent under ten years, and 85.3 per cent under twenty years. Νο Germans are reported as having been here under five years, while 61.2 per cent of Magyars and 47.1 per cent of Poles have resided here less than that number of years. Over 90 per cent of Magyars and Poles have lived here under ten years, while only 12.5 per cent of Germans have been here so short a period. All Magyars and 98.3 per cent of Poles are reported as having lived in the United States under twenty years, and only 50 per cent is shown for the Germans. Of course the latter race represents the older immigration and the two former are of the newer immigrants. CHAPTER III. ECONOMIC STATUS OF MEMBERS OF HOUSEHOLDS. Industrial condition abroad of members of immigrant households studied-General occupation of males at present time in the households studied-General occupation of women at present time in the households studied-First and second generation compared-Annual earnings of male heads of families studied-Annual earnings of males 18 years of age or over in the households studied-Amount of family incomeWives at work-Relation between the earnings of husbands and the practice of wives in keeping boarders or lodgers-Sources of family income-Relative importance of the different sources of family income-[Text Tables 151 to 168 and General Tables 98 to 107]. INDUSTRIAL CONDITION ABROAD OF MEMBERS OF IMMIGRANT HOUSEHOLDS STUDIED. In order to understand intelligently the present economic status of immigrant employees and the members of their households in the community, it is first necessary to study their general industrial condition before they immigrated to the United States, and in the following series of tables the general industrial condition and principal occupations while abroad of both males and females in the households studied in Community B are set forth according to race. The first table submitted shows, by race of individual, the industrial condition before coming to the United States of foreign-born males in the households studied who were 16 years of age or over at time of arrival in this country. TABLE 151.-Industrial condition before coming to the United States of foreign-born males who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming, by race of individual. (STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.) [This table includes only races with 20 or more males reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.] The above table, showing the general industrial condition of the foreign-born males in the households studied before coming to this country, shows that the larger proportion of all races were working for wages, the next highest percentage were working without wages, and the lowest were working for profit in their native land. The table which is next presented analyzes the three general industrial groups into the principal occupations of each and shows, by race, the per cent of males in the households studied who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming to this country who were in each occupation abroad. TABLE 152.-Occupation before coming to the United States of foreign-born males who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming, by race of individual. (STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.) [This table includes only races with 20 or more males reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign-born.] It is at once evident from the table above that by far the larger proportion of all races now employed in the glass factories of the community were farmers or farm laborers in their native country. None of the Magyars or Poles had ever worked in glass manufacturing abroad and only 8.7 per cent of the Germans were glass-factory operatives before immigration to this country. The Germans, as well as the Poles, who were working for wages abroad show considerable proportions who were in the hand trades or in similar occupations, and all three races exhibit small proportions of those who were working for profit who were engaged in other work than farming. The significant fact set forth by the table is, however, that none of the Magyars or Poles and only a small percentage of Germans had any experience abroad in the industry in which they are now engaged. The following table shows, by race of individual, the industrial condition before coming to the United States of foreign-born females in the households studied who were 16 years of age or over at time of arrival in this country: TABLE 153.-Industrial condition before coming to the United States of foreign-born females who were 16 years of age or over at time of coming, by race of individual. (STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.) [This table includes only races with 20 or more females reporting. The total, however, is for all foreign born.] |