The Character of Our Immigration 



7 



racial characteristics and the motives 

 which actuate their coming. 



From Italy, Austria, and Russia, in 

 the order named, we are receiving the 

 present immigration. 



Italy encourages emigration and de- 

 rives much benefit therefrom. 



The economic conditions of Austro- 

 Hungary are such that there is every 

 inducement for the peasant class to seek 

 the prosperity which this country offers. 



Attempts have been made to provide 

 employment by large appropriations for 

 state railroads and canals, but without 

 apparent effect. Seen from this side, 

 there seems to be an unceasing war be- 

 tween Bohemian and German, Croat, 

 Pole, and Hungarian , whichpermanently 

 -threatens the nation's progress, while 

 parliamentary efforts seem to be limited 

 to the playful exchange of inkpots, rules, 

 and cuspidors between opposing factions. 



The real Russian never comes to the 

 United States, except an occasional stu- 

 dent or business man. The govern- 

 ment's policy is to encourage those racial 

 elements who do not accept the national 

 religion and customs to leave, and keep 

 the others at home. There are at least 

 50 well-defined races in Russia, each 

 with a different language. It is not nec- 

 essary to do more here than to call atten- 

 tion to the mighty strides with which 

 Russia is pushing to the front in com- 

 merce and modern methods. Like Eng- 

 land and Germany, this country will use 

 every effort to keep those of its citizens 

 who will fight within the jurisdiction of 

 its flag. 



First of all racially, in numerical im- 

 portance in the year just passed, stand 

 the Italians, with 196,208 arrivals — 

 159,329 being southern Italians, accord- 

 ing to our classification, and comingfrom 

 Sicily and that portion of Italy south of 

 Rome. 



This part of Italy was already repre- 

 sented in the immigration twenty years 

 ago, but was composed chiefly of arti- 

 sans, barbers, restaurant keepers, fruit 



venders, etc. Now the majority of Ital- 

 ian immigrants enter the field of un- 

 skilled labor. 



A people who have contributed a 

 share at least toward bringing an undi- 

 vided country out of the turmoil of 2,000 

 years of European wars and politics 

 deserve the right to be regarded favor- 

 ably in a consideration of their ultimate 

 influence upon the national life of their 

 adopted land. 



The Italians come here to work and 

 they do work, and their potentiality for 

 improvement and progress is remarka- 

 ble, and while they are " birds of pass- 

 age," this tendency is lessening year by 

 year. The objection to this race is in 

 its adherence to the idea that they are 

 colonists of the mother land, and while 

 here, subject to her authority. The 

 " La Colona " idea makes the assimila- 

 tion of the Italian much more difficult. 



Our history shows that while our 

 early colonial settlers were dependent 

 upon their government entirely for sup- 

 port, they were a motley set of shiftless 

 adventurers. Left to themselves, they 

 became brave and daring pioneers. 



The northern Italian is a type which 

 belongs to the older period of immigra- 

 tion, and has little to differentiate him 

 in economic possibilities from the Swiss, 

 French, or Germans. It is interesting 

 to note, however, that the Italian an- 

 archist is the product of northern, rather 

 than of southern, Italy. 



Next in numerical importance stand 

 the Hebrews, with 106,236, who, with 

 the exception of a few hundred, belong 

 to that branch of the Hebrew race which 

 for centuries has found its home in Rus- 

 sia, Austria, and Roumania. A Hebrew 

 element has existed in our population 

 from its earliest history. The immigra- 

 tion of this particular branch, however, 

 dates back scarcely twenty years, and is 

 distinctive from the fact that it has been 

 largely artificial and assisted from the 

 start. They come to stay, to cast their 

 lot with us for weal or woe. They come 



