May not our Government be more homogeneous. more peaceable. more durable? In 1790. 77 percent of the new Nation was English. and the second largest group was the ScotchIrish. It would have been fortunate for us had we followed the advice of Washington and Jefferson with respect to immigration. for in the period under immediate consideration. namely. 1900 to 1930. nearly 12.000.000 immigrants came to us from southern Europe. bringing the total since 1820 to the enormous figure of 13.944.454. During that time AustriaHungary sent the most and Italy the next largest number. and we were expected to absorb and assimilate that horde of 14.000.000 southern European peasants. and including no few criminals. teach them our language. our customs. our institutions. and imbue them with a love for the principles of democracy. Protestant groups. as we have shown. were to assimilate this group of nearly 14.000.000. in which there was not one single Protestant.
Identified stereotypes
The speaker generalizes about southern European peasants and their inability to assimilate.