"
[Sidenote: The New Immigration]
This new immigration has been commonly regarded as either decidedly
undesirable or at least distinctly less desirable than the Teutonic and
Celtic, which for so many years practically had the field of America to
itself. It has not been uncommon to group the Italians and Slavs, and
denominate them as the "offscouring and refuse of Europe," now dumped
into America, which is described as a sort of world "garbage bin."
Extremists have drawn in gloomy colors the effects of this inrush of the
worst and most illiterate and unassimilable elements of the Old World. A
distinct prejudice has undoubtedly been created against these later
comers.
[Sidenote: Reasons for Adverse Opinion]
[Illustration: CHANGES IN SOURCES OF IMMIGRATION WHICH HAVE CAUSED HEAVY
INCREASE OF ILLITERACY
This chart shows what a mass of illiteracy is coming in from Italy,
Austria-Hungary, and Russia. Only those above the age of fourteen are
counted as illiterates. The change in the source of immigration from
northern and western Europe to southern and eastern Europe is
responsible for this radical change in the number of those who cannot
read or write. Of the southern Italians who came in 1905, 56 per cent.
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