Speech #680050980

Run the eye along the hatched and white portions of the bars .and see thae industrial or occupational contribution of the foreign white stock in our midst. The figures shown in Chart 110 are taken from the -census of .occupations. In some occupations the foreign born are more prominent in America than in others. If the major occupational groups alone are considered it is -found that in 1920 white persons of foreign istock. -including both -foreign and native born of foreign or mixed parentage. outnumbered the native whites of native parentage in the manufacturing and mechaiical industries in the ratio of about 5 ito 4. In the mining and jnetalliferous jndustries .in tihe Tatio of -about 12 to 1.1. -and in domestic and personal service in the ratio of about 6 to 5. On the other hand. the native whiites of native parentage in 1920 outnumbered the whites of foreign stock In the ratio of almost 3 to 1 in agriculture. 6 to 1 in professional occupations. 5 to 4 in clerical occupations. about 5 to 4 in transportation and In public service. and about 10 to 9 in wholesale and retail trade. In the lower part of the diagram the proportion of the native and foreign born is shown for specified occupations in manufacturing or mechanical industries. It -shows the rather obvious fact that the unskilled occupations have a higher proportion of foreign workers and that the more highly skilled occupations are made up chiefly of the native born of native or foreignborn parents. Anyone familiar With the immigration problem knows that immigrants as a group are faced with the .necessity of finding work immediately. They tend to settle in or be drawn to those sections in which the Industries are concentrated and in which .chances for employment are greatest. The natural preference. of immigrants for living among their own kind or for certain occupations has also affected their distribution. The population census of the United States shows that. while in 1920 the tforeignborn whites constituted 13 per cent -of the total population. they comprised over onefourth of the population of the New England States. over onefifth of the population of the Middle Atlantic States. and about onesixth of that in the East North Central States. Taking the more important industrial States.