Origin, birthplace, nationality and language of the Canadian people

Bibliographic data

Monograph

Identifikator:: 1794974814

URN:: urn:nbn:de:zbw-retromon-182133

Document type:: Monograph

Title:: Origin, birthplace, nationality and language of the Canadian people

Place of publication:: Ottawa

Publisher:: Acland

Year of publication:: 1929

Scope:: 224 S.; Diagramme

Digitisation:: 2022

Collection:: Economics Books

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Chapter

Document type:: Monograph

Structure type:: Chapter

Title:: Chapter VII. The naturalization of immigrant peoples

Collection:: Economics Books

156 THE NATURALIZATION OF IMMIGRANT PEOPLES SPEED OF NATURALIZATION No adequate record is at present available of immigrants whe have come to Canada and, after remaining a time, have returned home or passed on to some other country. So when it is stated that 59-4 pc. of the Austrians in Canada on June 1, 1921, were naturalized citizens, reference is made only to those who were actually here at that time and no direct account is taken of the thousands of immigrants from that country who during the preceding years had come and gone. Certain individuals we know come 0 Canada to stay; others come with the idea of remaining only a short time. It is popularly assumed, for instance, that the Italians and Greeks are of the latter type. While not a direct measure, the low percentage naturalized for such peoples indirectly reflects the xendency of large numbers to leave the country after a few years, as well as being directly related to the average time required for naturalization on the part of those who remain. The reason for that is explained below. The crude percentage naturalized is thus the result of several factors. An attempt is made in this subsection to eliminate the time element and to present a rough idea of what may be called, for want of a better term. the speed of naturalization. When immigrants from a given country show relatively high proportions naturalized lor the specified dates of arrival, the inference is mot only that they naturalized more -apidly but, because of that fact, that larger proportions come to the country to stay. Unless 4 happens that there has been a radical change in the type of immigration from a country, she one type coming to stay and the other to leave after a short time, the validity of the above inference seems beyond question. One knows of no such change taking place during the. latter part of the period under review. Of course; it is possible that, say, larger proportions of the Russians or Poles immigrating between 1880 and 1900 and perhaps during she early years of the present century came merely to build railways and left in greater numbers than the more recent immigrants from those countries. If such be the case, their oresence in Canada at that time is not reflected in the percentage naturalized among those resident in Canada in 1921. Consequently in certain exceptional cases the percentages naturalized for the earlier years may be somewhat unreliable in so far as they are expected 0 reflect the presence of temporary immigration. By the same token they would measure more accurately the speed of naturalization of those who remained. Aside from such a possibility, it is a matter of common knowledge that some immi- grants in most groups come to this country with the idea of leaving after having won the smile of fortune. Many find that the winning takes 10, 20 or more years. They are not permanent settlers. Canada is not their home and the presence of such a group reduces the sercentage naturalized all along the line. Certain immigrant peoples, as has been said, have iarger proportions of this temporary type than have others, and when one speaks of speed of naturalization, the influence of such classes must be kept in mind, as well as the rapidity with which those who come to stay take out naturalization papers. Another point should also be made clear in connection with the speed of naturalization, Up to 1914 the law required a minimum of three years’ residence in Canada prior to naturalization. In that year the residence requirement was changed to five years, and after ;he war a ten year clause was inserted to apply to all subjects of enemy States, Further, naturalization was arrested during the war period for all enemy peoples. Thus the percent- ages naturalized from 1914 on must be interpreted with great caution. It may appear strange that in spite of the five year requirement Table 85 (p. 159) shows that certain proportions arriving after 1919 were naturalized by 1921. The majority of such zases are women and children who have joined their husbands and fathers who had previously some to this country, and had by that time completed all necessary residence requirements. There are also a certain number of repatriated Canadians in the group, but no new male ‘mmigrants of foreign birth. Passing now to the analysis and comparison of the speed of naturalization of the various immigrant peoples, we have in Table 95 the percentage naturalized of foreign born. in

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