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-