Aliens or Americans? Part 27

1. What issues hang upon our work for the incoming foreigners?

2. * What barriers must be broken down in order to approach them successfully?

3. What do these immigrants (speaking of them in general terms) possess, and what do they lack, spiritually?

4. Is there a lack in our own personal att.i.tude and feelings toward them? What is it?

5. * If you had come as an average immigrant, what would you be likely to think of "America" and the "Americans"?

II. _Missionary Beginnings._

6. When and where is it most easy to approach the foreigner? What will a "lurking prejudice" do?

7. What Christian workers are there at the ports of entry? Give instances of the results of their labors.

8. Can we possibly rest content with what is now being done on these lines? Why not?

9. * Should all denominations unite in an effort to meet the situation? Will you strive for it?

10. What has been the history of evangelical churches down town in New York City? What centers of Christian work may be found there?

What form would a more adequate provision be likely to take?

11. Among what cla.s.ses of immigrants has the most successful Christian work been done?

12. Among what cla.s.ses has it been thus far sporadic and experimental? Give instances of successful work for Italians.

III. _Expansion Needed and Possible._

13. * Are those who are ordinarily neglected responsive to the right sort of effort? How may there be sent forth "more laborers into the harvest"?

14. When and how may the scattered forces be joined for more effective work?

15. * Shall we "dare to brave the perils of an unprecedented advance"?[99] Have we such faith that G.o.d will move his people to furnish the funds?

IV. _Local and Individual Efforts._

16. Are there many Sunday-schools for Chinese in local churches?

Why not as many for other needy races?

17. * How can every Christian be a Home Missionary? Describe some example. Compare our Lord's parable of the leaven.

18. Will the "day of small things" lead to greater? On what conditions? Give instances.

19. * Is the task great enough to challenge our Christian faith, courage, and perseverance?

V. _A Hopeful Outlook for the Christian._

20. Is there any reason for inactivity and despair? Why not?

21. Will Christian democracy help to solve the problem?

22. Where lies the element of uncertainty and how can it be removed?

23. * Will you deliberately give yourself to be used of G.o.d in helping to remove it?

"Immigration Means Obligation."

REFERENCES FOR ADVANCED STUDY.--CHAPTER VIII

I. Study the various forms of work undertaken for foreigners by denominational Home Mission Boards.

Tables and statements in the appendixes of this book.

Missionary periodicals.

Reports and papers of different Societies.

II. Investigate and report upon efforts made in your own locality.

III. Frame an argument, or plea, for the great enlargement of all Christian activities on behalf of foreigners.

McLanahan: Our People of Foreign Speech, X, XI.

APPENDIXES

APPENDIX A

TABLE I

NUMBER OF IMMIGRANTS ARRIVED IN THE UNITED STATES EACH YEAR FROM 1820 TO 1905, BOTH INCLUSIVE[100]

----------------------------------------- Period |Number | ------------------------------|---------| Year ending September 30-- | | 1820 | 8,385| 1821 | 9,127| 1822 | 6,911| 1823 | 6,354| 1824 | 7,912| 1825 | 10,199| 1826 | 10,837| 1827 | 18,875| 1828 | 27,382| 1829 | 22,520| 1830 | 23,322| 1831 | 22,633| Oct. 1, 1831, to Dec. 31, 1832| 60,482| Year ending December 31-- | | 1833 | 58,640| 1834 | 65,365| 1835 | 45,374| 1836 | 76,242| 1837 | 79,340| 1838 | 38,914| 1839 | 68,069| 1840 | 84,066| 1841 | 80,289| 1842 | 104,565| Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, 1843 | 52,496| Year ending September 30-- | | 1844 | 78,615| 1845 | 114,371| 1846 | 154,416| 1847 | 234,968| 1848 | 226,527| 1849 | 297,024| 1850 | 310,004| Oct. 1 to Dec. 31, 1850 | 59,976| Year ending December 31-- | | 1851 | 379,466| 1852 | 371,603| 1853 | 368,645| 1854 | 427,833| 1855 | 200,877| 1856 | 195,857| Jan. 1 to June 30, 1857 | 112,123| Year ending June 30-- | | 1858 | 191,942| 1859 | 129,571| 1860 | 133,143| Year ending June 30-- | | 1861 | 142,877| 1862 | 72,183| 1863 | 132,925| 1864 | 191,114| 1865 | 180,339| 1866 | 332,577| 1867 | 303,104| 1868 | 282,189| 1869 | 352,768| 1870 | 387,203| 1871 | 321,350| 1872 | 404,806| 1873 | 459,803| 1874 | 313,339| 1875 | 227,498| 1876 | 169,986| 1877 | 141,857| 1878 | 138,469| 1879 | 177,826| 1880 | 457,257| 1881 | 669,431| 1882 | 788,992| 1883 | 603,322| 1884 | 518,592| 1885 | 395,346| 1886 | 334,203| 1887 | 490,109| 1888 | 546,889| 1889 | 444,427| 1890 | 455,302| 1891 | 560,319| 1892 | 579,663| 1893 | 439,730| 1894 | 285,631| 1895 | 258,536| 1896 | 343,267| 1897 | 230,832| 1898 | 229,299| 1899 | 311,715| 1900 | 448,572| 1901 | 487,918| 1902 | 648,743| 1903 | 857,046| 1904 | 812,870| 1905 |1,026,499| 1906[101] |1,100,735| -----------------------------------------

TABLE II RACE, s.e.x, AND AGE OF IMMIGRANTS ADMITTED IN 1905

---------------------------------------------------------------------- | | | | Under | 14 to |45 yrs.

Race or people | Male | Female| Total | 14 | 44 | and | | | | years | years | over --------------------|-------|-------|---------|-------|-------|------- African (black) | 2,325| 1,273| 3,598| 433| 2,974| 191 Armenian | 1,339| 539| 1,878| 246| 1,529| 103 Bohemian and | | | | | | Moravian | 6,662| 5,095| 11,757| 2,620| 8,442| 695 Bulgarian, Servian, | | | | | | and Montenegrin | 5,562| 261| 5,823| 97| 5,529| 197 Chinese | 1,883| 88| 1,971| 28| 1,666| 277 Croatian and | | | | | | Slovenian | 30,253| 4,851| 35,104| 1,383| 32,470| 1,251 Cuban | 4,925| 2,334| 7,259| 1,346| 5,225| 688 Dalmatian, Bosnian, | | | | | | and Herzegovinian | 2,489| 150| 2,639| 62| 2,450| 127 Dutch and Flemish | 5,693| 2,805| 8,498| 1,699| 6,085| 714 East Indian | 137| 8| 145| 3| 122| 20 English | 31,965| 18,900| 50,865| 6,956| 36,726| 7,183 Filipino | 4| 1| 5| | 4| 1 Finnish | 11,907| 5,105| 17,012| 1,483| 15,047| 482 French | 6,705| 4,642| 11,347| 1,121| 8,825| 1,401 German | 49,647| 32,713| 82,360| 11,469| 64,441| 6,450 Greek | 11,586| 558| 12,144| 446| 11,523| 175 Hebrew | 82,076| 47,834| 129,910| 28,553| 95,964| 5,393 Irish | 24,640| 29,626| 54,266| 2,580| 48,562| 3,124 Italian (north) | 31,695| 8,235| 39,930| 3,569| 34,561| 1,800 Italian (south) |155,007| 31,383| 186,390| 16,915|159,024| 10,451 j.a.panese | 9,810| 1,211| 11,021| 124| 10,588| 309 Korean | 4,506| 423| 4,929| 325| 4,557| 47 Lithuanian | 13,842| 4,762| 18,604| 1,474| 16,875| 255 Magyar | 34,242| 11,788| 46,030| 3,864| 39,926| 2,240 Mexican | 152| 75| 227| 29| 169| 29 Pacific Islander | 13| 4| 17| 1| 15| 1 Polish | 72,452| 29,985| 102,437| 9,867| 89,914| 2,656 Portuguese | 2,992| 1,863| 4,855| 1,035| 3,381| 439 Roumanian | 7,244| 574| 7,818| 153| 7,293| 372 Russian | 2,700| 1,046| 3,746| 591| 2,988| 167 Ruthenian (Russniak)| 10,820| 3,653| 14,473| 661| 13,321| 491 Scandinavian | | | | | | (Norwegians, | | | | | | Danes, and Swedes)| 37,202| 25,082| 62,284| 6,597| 52,226| 3,461 Scotch | 10,472| 5,672| 16,144| 2,270| 12,109| 1,765 Slovak | 38,038| 14,330| 52,368| 4,582| 45,882| 1,904 Spanish | 4,724| 866| 5,590| 403| 4,612| 575 Spanish-American | 1,146| 512| 1,658| 223| 1,232| 203 Syrian | 3,248| 1,574| 4,822| 742| 3,843| 237 Turkish | 2,082| 63| 2,145| 45| 2,073| 27 Welsh | 1,549| 982| 2,531| 464| 1,726| 341 West Indian (except | | | | | | Cuban) | 892| 656| 1,548| 187| 1,209| 152 All other peoples | 288| 63| 351| 22| 311| 18 | | | | | | Total |724,914|301,585|1,026,499|114,668|855,419| 56,412 ----------------------------------------------------------------------

Here we have forty-four races or nationalities differentiated. Surely this is a medley of peoples to be harmonized. Note the vast proportion of working age.