The foregoing table shows that of 1,132 persons reporting complete data 78.4 per cent speak English, the males showing a slightly higher per cent than the females. The proportion of persons speaking English is much larger among native-born of foreign father than among foreign-born. Of the former, a slightly larger per cent of females speak English than males, while, of the latter, 70.9 per cent of the males, as compared with 60.8 per cent of the females, speak English. As regards the native-born of foreign father, it will be noted that the Bohemians and Moravians, Germans, and Poles each report 100 per cent of both males and females with ability to speak English. A comparison of the foreign-born shows that the Germans have the highest percentage of English-speaking persons, a slightly larger proportion of males being able to speak English than females. Lithuanians, Poles, Bohemians and Moravians, and Japanese follow in the order named, in each instance the per cent of males speaking English being higher than that of the females. The table next presented shows the extent to which the foreign-born male employees of non-English-speaking races in South Omaha packing and slaughtering establishments were able to speak English. TABLE 322.—Per cent of foreign-born male employees who speak English, by race. (STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.) [This table includes only non-English-speaking races with 40 or more males reporting. The total, however, is for all non-English-speaking races.] Of the 2,651 foreign-born male employees in this locality for whom information was obtained, 62.7 per cent speak English. Of these races, the representatives of which speak English, the Swedes, with 99 per cent, closely followed by the Danes and Germans, show the largest proportion, while the Roumanians, with only 22.3 per cent who speak English, the smallest proportion. Following the Germans, with 70.2 per cent who speak English, are the Bohemians and Moravians, Lithuanians, Japanese, Russians, Poles, Croatians, Magyars, Servians, and Roumanians, in the order named. The table next presented shows, by age at time of coming to the United States and race of individual, the per cent of foreign-born persons in the households studied who were 6 years of age or over and who could speak English. TABLE 323.-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 the above table it will be seen that, with the exception of the Japanese, each race shows a larger proportion with ability to speak English at the present time, who were under 14 years of age than who were 14 years of age or over at time of coming to the United States. The Lithuanians show 100 per cent and the Japanese none; other races ranging from 94.3 per cent, as shown by the German, to 89.1 per cent, as shown by the Bohemian and Moravian, who were under 14 years of age at time of coming to the United States. The German shows the largest proportion, or 93.3 per cent, and the Japanese the smallest, or 18.2 per cent, other races varying from 75 per cent, as shown by the Lithuanian, to 53.8 per cent, as shown by the Bohemian and Moravian, with ability to speak English who were 14 years of age or over at time of coming to the United States. The following table shows, by years in the United States and race of individual, the per cent of foreign-born persons in the households studied who were six years of age or over and who could speak English. TABLE 324.-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 data presented in the foregoing table show that of the foreignborn individuals of this locality for whom information was obtained 32.5 per cent of those who have been in the United States under five years, 63.7 per cent from five to nine years, and 87.9 per cent ten years or over are able to speak English. The proportion of persons in the United States under five years who speak English is largest for the Lithuanians and the Bohemians and Moravians in the order mentioned, and smallest for the Japanese. Of the persons in this country from five to nine years all of the Germans, a considerable proportion of the Lithuanians and Poles, a smaller proportion of the Bohemians and Moravians, and but 26.9 per cent of the Japanese are able to speak English. The proportion of persons speaking English among those who have been in the United States ten years or over is largest for the Lithuanians and the Poles in the order mentioned, and smallest for the Bohemians and Moravians. The following table shows, by age at time of coming to the United States and race, the per cent of foreign-born male employees who were able to speak English. TABLE 325.-Per cent of foreign-born male employees who speak English, by age at time of coming to the United States and race. (STUDY OF EMPLOYEES.) (This table includes only non-English-speaking races with 100 or more males reporting. The total, however, is for all non-English-speaking races.] Upon information obtained in this locality for 2,651 foreign-born male employees it will be noted that 98.6 per cent of those who were under fourteen years of age at time of coming to the United States now speak English, as compared with 58.3 per cent of those who were fourteen years of age or over at time of coming. As regards those who were under fourteen years of age at time of coming to the United States, the Bohemians and Moravians and Germans, each show 100 per cent who now speak English, as compared with 91.3 per cent of the Poles. On the other hand, of those who were fourteen years of age or over at time of coming the Germans, with 92.3 per cent, show a considerably larger proportion who now speak English than is shown by any other race, while the smallest proportion, or 22.3 per cent, is shown by the Roumanians. Following the Germans are the Lithuanians, with 66.9 per cent who now speak English, a proportion slightly in excess of that shown by the Japanese or Bohemians and Moravians, and considerably in excess of that shown by the Poles or Croatians. The progress acquired in the use of the English language is considered in the following table, which shows, by years in the United States and race, the per cent of foreign-born male employees who were able to speak English. TABLE 326.-Per cent of foreign-born male employees who speak English, by 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 100 or more males reporting. The total, however, is for all nonEnglish-speaking races.] From the above table it will be noted that 62.7 per cent of all male employees for whom information was obtained in this locality speak English. Of these, the Germans report the largest proportion, or 94.3 per cent, while the Roumanians report the smallest, or 22.3 per cent. Of those who have been in the United States under five years, 35.6 per cent speak English, as compared with 74 per cent of those who have been in the United States from five to nine years and 92.2 per cent of those who have been in the United States ten years or over, indicating, therefore, that as the length of residence in the United States increases so does the ability to speak English. As between the several races the representatives of which have been in the United States under five years, the Japanese, with 65.6. per cent, and the Germans, with 64.3 per cent, show the largest proportion who speak English. Following the Germans are the Lithuanians, who, with 50 per cent speaking English, show a considerably larger proportion than do the Bohemians and Moravians, Croatians, Poles, or Roumanians, in the order named. Of those who have been in the United States from five to nine years, the Croatians, Lithuanians, Germans, and Poles, and of those who have been in the United States ten years or over the Germans and Croatians, each show a proportion with ability to speak English slightly above the proportion shown in the total for all foreign-born male employees, the other races, on the other hand, each reporting a proportion slightly below that shown in the totals. |