362 
THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM 
smallest proportion of wage-earners able to speak 
English was exhibited by the Servians; the showing 
of the Poles, Portuguese, Magyars and South Italians 
being but slightly more favorable. The lowest per 
centages of all are found in the case of the Cubans and 
Spaniards, almost three-fifths of whom can not speak 
English. 
The males not only show a larger proportion than 
the females in each period of residence, with the ability 
to use our language, but exhibit greater progress in 
acquiring it after specified periods of residence. This 
is due, of course, to the greater segregation of the 
females and their more limited opportunities for con 
tact with American life and institutions. Of the 
southern and eastern European females who have been 
in this country ten years or longer, the South Ital 
ians exhibit the smallest proportion with ability to 
speak English. The Polish, Portuguese, Finnish and 
Syrian women make a somewhat better showing than 
the South Italians, but fall below the proportion for 
the total foreign-born females. 
A much greater proportion of immigrants who were 
under fourteen years of age when they came to the 
United States can speak English at the present time 
than those who were fourteen years of age or over 
when they immigrated to this country. This is due, 
as might be expected, not only to the greater adapta 
bility of the younger immigrants, but also to their 
greater opportunities in the way of attending the pub 
lic schools and in mingling with native Americans. 
Progress and assimilation along all lines is condi 
tioned more upon knowledge of our language than 
upon any other factor. Congestion in large cities and 
industrial localities as well as the establishment of