148
THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM
Of the total number of 619,595 industrial workers
included in this study, 346,203, or more than one-
half, were of foreign birth. It was found that only
one-fifth of the total number of wage-earners in
twenty-one of the principal branches of industry were
native white Americans, while almost three-fifths were
of foreign birth; 17 per cent, were industrial workers
of the second generation, or of native birth but of
foreign father, and 5 per cent, were native negroes.
About 30 per cent, of all the females, as contrasted
with only 14 per cent, of the men, are native-born of
foreign father. Of the total number of wage-earners
of foreign birth and of the immigration of former
years, the Germans form the largest proportion, fol
lowed by the French-Canadians, English, Irish,
Swedes, Scotch, French and Welsh, in the order
named. Of the races of recent arrival in the United
States, the largest proportion of wage-earners is fur
nished by the Poles, the representation of this race
being almost one-tenth of the entire operating forces
of the principal industries of the country. The race
next most extensively employed is the Slovak, fol
lowed by the South Italian, which race, in turn, is
closely followed by the North Italian. The Magyar,
Lithuanian and Croatian races appear in the next
largest proportions. Altogether, fifty-six distinct races
appeared in the working forces of the mines and
manufacturing establishments included in the recent
comprehensive inquiry of the Immigration Commis
sion. Thirty-seven of these races were of the south
and east of Europe or of the Orient. Almost one-
half of all the wage-earners were from southern and
eastern European countries.
The proportion of foreign-born among the opera-