Aliens or Americans?Grose, Howard B. (Howard Benjamin)
Religion
Aliens or Americans?
Grose, Howard B. (Howard Benjamin)
Noncitizens -- United States; United States -- Emigration and immigration
This much is certain, whatever may be thought of the fanciful
procession. No American who spends a single day at Ellis Island, when
the loaded steamships have come in, will afterward require awakening on
the subject of immigration and the necessity of doing something
effective in the way of Americanization. A good view of the steerage is
the best possible enlightener.
[Sidenote: A Graphic Grouping]
A million a year and more is the rate at which immigrants are now coming
into the United States.[3] It is not easy to grasp the significance of
such numbers: yet we must try to do so if we are to realize the problem
to be solved. To get this mass of varied humanity within the mind's eye,
let us divide and group it. First, recall some small city or town with
which you are familiar, of about 10,000 inhabitants; say Portsmouth, New
Hampshire, where the treaty of peace between Japan and Russia was agreed
upon; or Saratoga Springs, New York; or Vincennes, Indiana; or Ottawa,
Illinois; or Sioux Falls, South Dakota; or Lawrence, Kansas. Settle one
hundred towns of this size with immigrants, mostly of the peasant class,
with their un-American languages, customs, religion, dress, and ideas,
and you would locate merely those who came from Europe and Asia in the
year ending June 30, 1905. Those who came from other parts of the world
would make two and a half towns more, or a city the size of Poughkeepsie
in New York, seat of Vassar College, or Burlington in Iowa, of about
25,000 each.
[Sidenote: Grouped by Nationality]
[Sidenote: Queer Towns these would be]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account