Speech #810154520

Poland and Bohemia also appeared as "countries of birth" in earlier immigration statistics. but when the movement of population from AustriaHungary. Russia. Turkey. and the Balkan States to the United States assumed large proportions the old method of recording arrivals only by the country of their nativity was of little value in determining the ethnical status of such immigrants. and the Bureau of Immigration finally adopted the racial classification. I am talking about the dictionary definition of the word "ethnic." The Bureau recognized 45 races or peoples among immigrants coming to the United States. and of these 36 were indigenous to Europe. This classification was adopted by the Immigration Commission in collecting and compiling data respecting the foreignborn in this country. and It was also made the principal basis of the dictionary of races and peoples. I have it upon splendid authority. Mr. President. that in the preparation of that dictionary it was neither the plan of the Commission nor the purpose of the author to attempt an original discussion of anthropology or ethnology. but rather to bring together from the most reliable sources such existing data as it was believed would be useful in promoting a better understanding of the many different racial elements that were being added to the population of the United States through immigration.