THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM
I
INTRODUCTION
The Statement of the Immigration Problem
What is the immigration problem?
The people of the United States stand for what, in
their judgment, is the highest, best civilization in the
world. Beyond question this judgment is often a nar
row one. Few people know the best characteristics
of the leading European nations, much less those of
the more remote civilizations of India, Japan and
China; but however biased their judgment may be,
the Americans undeniably wish to maintain their
standard, and if possible to raise it. The problem
becomes then, How does immigration affect Ameri
can civilization now, and what is its influence likely
to be in the future?
In order to solve a problem of this nature it be
comes necessary:
1. To fix for ourselves a standard of civilization;
2. To secure all the facts about immigration that
bear in any important way upon our civilization;
3- To measure as carefully as possible the influence
of these facts upon that standard; and
4- As a practical people, if immigration and the
conditions brought about by it are affecting our civi
lization unfavorably, to suggest measures, either gov
ernmental or social, that will prove to be a sufficient
remedy.
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