Information secured from 141 individuals in the preceding table indicates that 67.4 per cent are fully naturalized and 11.3 per cent have first papers only, leaving 21.3 per cent who evinced no interest in citizenship. Of the several races for which computation was made, 100 per cent of the Irish are fully naturalized, while each other race shows a much larger proportion fully naturalized than having first papers only. No race, except the Irish, however, shows its entire number to be sufficiently interested in citizenship to have either taken out first papers or to have become fully naturalized. ABILITY TO SPEAK ENGLISH. The extent to which the foreign-born glove-manufacturing employees and members of their households of non-English-speaking races are able to speak English is set forth in the following series of tables. The table following shows, by race, the percentage of persons 6 years of age or over in the households studied who speak English. TABLE 66.-Per cent of persons 6 years of age or over who speak English, by sex and general nativity and race of individual. (STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.) [This table includes only non-English speaking races with 40 or more persons reporting. The totals, however, are for all non-English-speaking races.] In a total of 605 persons reporting complete data in the above table 96.4 per cent of the males and 87.8 per cent of the females speak English. The native-born of foreign father all speak English, while only 95.4 per cent of the males and 83.9 per cent of the females of foreign birth speak English. A larger proportion of the males than of the females of each race, except the French, all of whom speak English, have this ability. The table next submitted shows, by age at time of coming to the United States and race of individual, the percentage of foreign-born persons 6 years of age or over in the households studied who speak English. TABLE 67.-Per cent of foreign-born persons 6 years of age or over who speak English, by age at time of coming to the United States and race of individual. (STUDY OF HOUSEHOLDS.) [This table includes only non-English-speaking races with 40 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all non-English-speaking races.] From computations based upon a total of 469 foreign-born persons reporting complete data in the above table it is seen that a larger proportion of those who were under 14 than of those who were 14 years of age or over at time of coming to the United States. speak English. The Hebrew is the only race showing a proportion of those who were under 14, while each race except the French shows a certain proportion of those who were 14 years of age or over at time of coming to the United States who can not speak English. The Italian shows the largest proportion of those of the latter age period who can not speak English, while the French show none. The table next presented shows, by years in the United States and race of individual, the percentage of foreign-born persons 6 years of age or over in the households studied who speak English. TABLE 68.-Per cent of foreign-born persons 6 years of age or over who speak English, 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 non-English-speaking races with 40 or more persons reporting. The total, however, is for all nonEnglish-speaking races.] The above table shows that of the 469 individuals reporting complete data, 77.6 per cent of those who have been in the United States under five years, 93.2 per cent of those with a period of residence of from five to nine years, and 94.1 per cent of those with a period of residence of ten years or over, speak English. The French is the only race showing its entire number speaking English. The Hebrew and Slovak races show their entire numbers with a period of residence of five years or more to be speaking English, while the South Italian shows only slightly more than 75 per cent of its number with this period of residence who speak English. The Germans present a unique condition in that a smaller proportion of those with a period of residence of from five to nine than either of the other specified numbers of years speak English. The progress made by the members of non-English-speaking races in acquiring the ability to speak English after stated periods of residence in this country is shown by the two tables following. The first table shows, by age at time of coming to the United States and race, the number of foreign-born employees who speak English. TABLE 69.-Ability to speak English of foreign-born employees, by sex, age at time of coming to the United States, and race. TABLE 69.-Ability to speak English of foreign-born employees, by sex, age at time of coming to the United States, and race-Continued. The following table shows, by years in the United States and race, the number of foreign-born employees who speak English: TABLE 70.-Ability to speak English of foreign-born employees, 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.] |