IMMIGRATION AND PAUPERISM AND CRIME

In the popular mind, the subject of immigration is inevitably related to pauperism and crime. It is a current belief that the foreign part of the population fills the poor houses and jails and in this way lays a heavy financial burden on the country. While it is difficult to secure reliable figures on these points, there are facts available which seem to indicate that there is at least some basis for these common beliefs. With uniform and better methods of recording information concerning these classes, it would be possible to know the percentage of immigrant strain in the pauper or criminal stream. Immigration laws now in force keep out paupers and criminals, and provide for the deportation of those who may fall into either class within a given period. Yet even with such provisions, it is not possible to rid the country of the effects of inefficiency and vice in the foreign element. Such legislation has prevented a recurrence of the situation presented in 1850 when it appeared that there were about ten times as many paupers among the foreign born as among the native born. That is 21,947,274 of the latter group contributed 66,434 of those receiving aid, while 2,244,602 furnished 68,538.

Studies in recent years, however, show a great preponderance of people of foreign origin among those receiving both indoor and outdoor relief in the various states. Since immigrants form the majority of unskilled and therefore poorly paid wage-workers, it is natural that they should be unable to meet economic catastrophes without aid. Their wages are not sufficient to provide a margin for emergencies.

CREATION OF AN IMMIGRATION COMMISSION

Because of the importance of the social and political aspects of immigration, and because of the strongly partisan positions in regard to the restriction of immigration developing throughout the country, Congress in 1907 created a commission charged with making "full inquiry, examination and investigation of the subject." This Commission consisted of

5

Figures quoted by Fairchild in his Immigration page 311.

three Senators, three Representatives and three citizens appointed respectively by the Vice President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President. The results of the study were published in forty-one volumes.

SOME RESULTS OF THE INVESTIGATION The Immigration Commission conducted its investigation in forty-three cities representing the various sections of the country from December 1, 1908 to May 31, 1909. It appears that in this extended study the percentage of dependents among the foreign-born was found to be much higher than among the native-born. Here the case against the immigrants is bad because they are composed largely of males at the age of highest working efficiency, whereas the figures for the native-born include both sexes and all ages. On the other hand, it must be remembered that adjustment to a new country is hard, and an immigrant who needs help during the first few months may be self-supporting the rest of his life, or until the ills of old age overtake him. Many of the foreign groups maintain organizations for the relief of their own needy. This is true of the Jews among whom there is a large percentage of dependency which seldom becomes a direct burden on general charitable institutions.

SOME CAUSES LEADING TO DEPENDENCY OF

FOREIGN-BORN

Professor Fairchild outlines the chief causes leading to dependency on the part of the foreign-born as: (1) Lack of intelligence. (2) Lack of industrial training. (3) Lack of foresight. (4) Large families. (5) Money sent home. (6) Low wages and the maladjustment between the supply of labor and the demand. For some of these unfortunate conditions the country is clearly responsible, but others must be placed on the shoulders of the immigrants themselves. Or perhaps the nation is in the last analysis responsible for admitting Immigration, page 325-6.

people of the lower grades of ability who inevitably go under in the struggle to live.

Some of the factors that create dependency also lead to crime. The temptations to certain kinds of criminal conduct are great in the lowest economic levels. The man who faces starvation must beg or steal if he is unwilling to die. It is largely a matter of temperament and circumstance which horn of the dilemma he grasps. But no such simple cause explains the more serious crimes against property and the person, neither does it make clear that the crime rate is higher among immigrants. That such is the case seems to be the belief commonly held, but there is not, as is the case with pauperism, sufficient evidence to substantiate it. Studies of this important subject made by the Immigration Commission appear to prove the negative, but show that the foreign-born lead in offenses of personal violence with Italians heading the list. The operation of the Black Hand and publicity given to the White Slave Traffic serve to keep the criminally inclined immigrants among the Italians and Jews in the public eye. Even though it has not been proved that the amount of crime in proportion to population has been increased by immigration, there is enough known crime among aliens to proclaim the need for more exhaustive studies, and greater vigilance at the gates. Moreover a sinister light is thrown upon the fact that our immigrants tend to pauperism when it is recalled that poverty and bad rearing tend to result in pauperism in the case of the stupid and weak, and more largely tend to result in crime in the case of the intelligent and strong. While criminals average lower in these respects than the normal population, paupers average lower still.

THE QUESTION OF ASSIMILATION VIA

"AMERICANIZATION"

Immigrant races by the very nature of things impose burdens as well as obligations upon a country. Many have felt that the United States accepted the burdens without assuming

'John Palmer Gavit in Americans by Choice (1922) takes the ground that there is no proof that the immigrant increases crime.

the obligations until the World War forced their recognition. The polyglot army that fought under the American flag focused attention upon the fact that the assimilative process had not gone very far. This led to elaborate undertakings known by the name Americanization, some of which were more or less patronizing in nature, and consequently distasteful to those whom they were designed to help. Feverish efforts to bring changes about quickly inevitably have unfortunate results, not the least of which is the alienation of those primarily affected. The experience of conquering nations has shown that attempts at forcible assimilation result in further alienation and desperate clinging to persecuted flags and languages. The amazing degree to which America has assimilated millions of aliens is due largely to the fact that no compulsion has been attempted to make them learn our language or our ways. Our foreigners can be Americanized only by making them respect and love America, and helping them in a process of assimilation which they have been led to desire. The immigrant churches, societies and press had gone long as unchallenged leaders of the people and it was inevitable that they should resent supervision of a certain type when it was applied. Leadership that was wholly un-American of course was quick to take offense.

Undoubtedly the power of the Immigrant Press in this country as a possible unifying force has been greatly underestimated. War time investigations revealed thirteen hundred foreign language newspapers being read by about ten million people. This presents an unequalled opportunity for disseminating ideals of good citizenship as well as for promulgating doctrines hostile to the republic. Suppression of such papers, even if justifiable as a war measure, could serve no good purpose in times of peace, while co-operation with them would be of inestimable value in the promotion of good feeling.

What is true of the press is likewise true of the foreign Robert E. Park, The Immigrant Press. A far reaching study of the subject.

language churches. If religion is a recognized moral force among men, adequate expression of it should be encouraged. There is cold comfort for a Pole or Italian in an English Catholic Church, but where his own language is in use, he feels at home, and may derive strength to withstand temptations. Religious superstitions and proselytism are to be discouraged in any tongue.

National societies also exert a great influence over immigrant races. When these are designed to promote the welfare of the race in a new land, they have possibilities of usefulness as an Americanizing force. Some of these formerly had other aims. The fraternal features of these societies make a strong appeal to their members.

The United States had taken her population problems lightly before the World War; since then she has felt the necessity of taking them seriously. Professor Ross points out that no country has ever faced the task of trying to assimilate so many and so varied elements as the United States has in her midst. Until recently, the assimilative process was unconscious and not notably successful. The real need now is for co-operation and the extension of opportunity. Formal classes for the teaching of English, although they be conducted with maximum efficiency, will not effect a deep and lasting "Americanization" so long as the foreigner is exploited on every side by unprincipaled natives. Instruction is needed but not more than evidence of a kindly spirit which recognizes "the fundamental human values of the immigrant."

99 10

CONTRIBUTIONS TO AMERICAN LIFE

11

It has been pointed out from time to time 11 that the immigrant heritage could be utilized for the enrichment of American life, and that the native-born should have a care for the strangers within the gates if they would avert a The Principles of Sociology pages 12-13.-note. 10 Dr. Carol Aronivici, “Americanization "Peter Roberts-The New Immigration (1910) is an example

of this.

page 47.