The Immigrant Tide, Its Ebb and FlowSteiner, Edward Alfred
History
The Immigrant Tide, Its Ebb and Flow
Steiner, Edward Alfred
United States -- Emigration and immigration
They will continue to come until the economic opportunities at home are
appreciably nearer those they find in this strange land. Although at
present there is no European country or province from which there has
not been some emigration, there are people who have only begun to seek
this adjustment; therefore, the force of the tide towards America is
destined to increase rather than decrease, and an annual influx of
2,000,000, more, rather than less, may be expected during the next
decade.
No matter from where the groups come, they will present an economic
problem to those who, in a measure at least, have risen to a higher
standard of living. Each group will fear that the younger and often
cruder body may lessen its chances of maintaining that standard. The
Germans, the Irish and the Norse people were not received with open arms
by those who preceded them, even those of related race or nationality.
This was especially true during the years when war, famine and
persecution brought them in large numbers.
Now, in turn, all these look askance at the Jew, the Slav and the
Italian; while they, like the rest, are ready to close the doors to the
vast hordes about to move onward, and, as they believe, upward. It is
also interesting to note, that among these late comers, there are
decided ideas as to who are desirable immigrants, and who are not.
The Slav, if he is a Pole, would exclude his cousin, the Slovak, and
both are united in thinking that the Ruthenian is a rather inferior
being; while the Ruthenian would debar the Jews, Servians and Croatians
from the economic benefits of the land of his adoption.
Until now there has been room for all, and they have not presented a
serious economic menace, except as they have intensified the general
problem of labour. Each group, driven from the lower and coarser tasks,
has risen from mine to shop, from shop to store, and from the store into
every avenue of business and professional life.
Thus far all have been crowded up and not many have been crowded out. No
considerable groups of native Americans are bewailing the fact that
they cannot find work in the mines; nor would large numbers desire to go
back to them from their safer toiling places.
The Irish are not mourning because they are not working on sections, nor
would they be willing to leave their beats and office chairs from which
they are ruling, not only those of us who came after them, but a fair
share of those who came before them. They do not care to go back to the
track, the pickax and the shovel.
Without the Slav, the Italian and the Magyar, that which we call our
industrial development would have been impossible. This development does
not lessen the economic problem, it intensifies it; but it cannot be
proved that no economic problem would exist if, instead of Slav and
Latin, the Teutonic races were dominant in this movement. In that case I
believe the problem would be more difficult of solution.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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