FACIAL TYPES IX THE POPULATIOX OE THE U.S. 



431 



contain tlie smallest proportion of for- 

 eign stoL-k accommodate the laravst 

 proportion of the Xegro population 

 (see niap ".' ) . ^o then, even with this 

 un('([ual ilistribulion of our foreign 

 stock, the samples for the most ])art 

 renuiin of suflicient size for a working 

 basis. 



Another objection (o the method is 

 tlie common belief that immigration is 

 rather irregular and spasmodic in its 

 actions. A careful study of our immi- 

 gration records from IS'^O to 1917 does 

 not uphold this conception. Innnigra- 

 tion advances comparatively slowly and 

 steadily along very definite and well- 

 beaten paths. Marked changes in the 

 source or direction of migration are 

 slow in gaining momentum and equally 

 slow in being retarded. It is true that 

 in the last fifty or one hundred years 

 changes have occurred, notably in the 

 increase of immigration from Russia, 

 Italy and Austria, yet such are slow in 

 effecting marked differences in the 

 total population.! 



First in numerical importance as a 

 source of our foreign population is 

 Germany, which contributed a little 

 more than 25 per cent of that element 

 of our population. With the exception 

 of the New England states and a few 

 of the mountain states individuals of 

 German origin outnumljcr all other 

 nationalities. However, were we to re- 

 gard the natives of the British Isles as 

 a unit the honors would be about 

 equally divided between them and Ger- 

 many. Since the proportions furnished 

 1)y Ireland, England, Scotland, and 

 Wales are so unefjual it has seemed 



' On maps 3 to 14 I have plotted the principal 

 sources of our foreign population by nationality 

 and indicated the relative numerical proportion of 

 each nationality in the various states. To avoid 

 confusion in shading, only the four most important 

 nationalities in each state are indicated. Almost 

 invariably these first four nationalities comprise 

 50 per cent and in some instances as much as 85 

 per cent' of the foreign population. More than 

 that, in each state some one nationality leads all 

 others by a generous margin, individuals of Ger- 

 man, Irish, or Canadian origin oftr-n making up 

 more than 50 per cent of tlie foreign population in 

 different states. 



better to treat them as independent 

 sources. 



Jrclaiid is the second great source of 

 our i 111 migrants, furnishing 14 per cent 

 of our foreign stock. They, too, form 

 a very important element in the greater 

 number of our states. Canada is third 

 with 9 per cent. Of late 3'ears Canada 

 lias formed an intermediate station for 

 iimiiigrants of English, Irish, Scotch, 

 WcUh. and French descent. As yet they 

 have not penetrated very far to the south 

 and indeed they are unlikely to do so. 



Eussia is one of our most recent 

 sources of population. In 1910 natives 

 of Russia formed 8 per cent of our for- 

 eign stock. As yet the Russians have 

 not penetrated very far inland, being 

 distributed for the most part along the 

 eastern coast. It seems reasonable to 

 say that they have not yet reached the 

 final stage of their migration but ulti- 

 mately will present an entirely differ- 

 ent distribution. 



Direct immigrants from England are 

 becoming fewer in number although 

 many of our Canadian immigrants are 

 of English origin. The English formed 

 7 per cent of our foreign stock, how- 

 ever, at the last census and their dis- 

 tribution would indicate that they have 

 penetrated all parts of our country. 



Map 8, indicating the distribution of 

 Italians, does not really convey the 

 actual importance of this element of 

 our population. The total of 6i/^ per 

 cent is widely distributed but is concen- 

 trated only in the states indicated. This 

 is one of the few cases in which the im- 

 migration reports distinguish between 

 different geographical areas in a for- 

 eign country and designate the propor- 

 tion of north and south Italians. The 

 south Italians are much more numerous 

 among our immigrants than are the 

 north Italians. 



Austria also furnished more than 6 

 per cent of our foreign stock. The 

 greater number of the Austrians seem 

 to be concentrated in the north central 

 states. 



