THOMPSON, CHARLES L. "The Religious Foundations of America." A study in National Origins. New York, Fleming H. Revell, 1917. 307 pp. 307 pp. An appreciation of the contributions made by different nationalities in the founding and settlement of America. MCCLURE, ARCHIBALD. "Leadership of the New America." New York, Doran, 1916. PAULL, C. H. "Americanization." The Solvay Process Co., 1918. A report submitted to the company. There are certain books of rare human interest, which might belong under "Immigration," which have distinct value for Americanization work: ANTIN, MARY. "The Promised Land," Houghton, 1912. STERN, E. G. "My Mother and I," MacMillan, 1917. STEINER, E. A. "From Alien to Citizen," Revell, 1914. Note. This bibliography is prepared by Rev. F. Ernest Johnson, pastor Duane Methodist Episcopal Church, New York City, for the Commission on Church and Social Service of the Federal Council. RELIGIOUS WORK AMONG ITALIANS IN AMERICA A SURVEY FOR THE HOME MISSIONS COUNCIL By ANTONIO MANGANO Published for the Immigrant Work Committee of the Home Missions Council Missionary Education Movement of the United States and Canada NEW YORK FOREWORD In the years 1916-1917 the Immigrant Work Committee of the Home Missions Council, representing the interests of thirteen evangelical denominations, engaged in a survey of the Italian communities of this country, with particular reference to their religious needs and the work of the churches. A similar survey of "Religious Work among the Poles in America" has been made by Rev. Joel B. Hayden. (Missionary Education Move His ment, New York, 15 cents, prepaid.) A survey of conditions among the Bohemians in America is now being completed by Rev. Kenneth D. Miller. For the survey of the Italians, Rev. Antonio Mangano, of the Italian Department of Colgate Theological Seminary, Brooklyn, volunteered his services. expense was met by the Home Missions Council. Mr. Mangano visited many city and industrial communities in the East, Middle West, and South. He was at the same time engaged in writing "Sons of Italy" for the Missionary Education Movement, a mission study book syndicated by the various denominational home mission societies. This pamphlet presents material collateral to this book and of particular interest to denominations and other agencies engaged in work with the Italians, and to leaders in home mission work. For the general point of view, the mode of presentation, and the recommendations, Mr. Mangano holds himself responsible. In the Appendix statements are furnished by denominational and other agencies. In so broad a field with such rapid changes in population and in the work of the churches, a publication of this sort is soon out of date and subject to correction. The Immigrant Work Committee of the Home Missions Council, however, submits this study as the first effort at a comprehensive survey of religious work among the Italians of America from the standpoint of the Protestant Church. It makes greatful acknowledgment of the painstaking service of Professor Mangano. Added information, corrections, criticism, and constructive suggestion will be heartily welcomed. NEW YORK, July 1, 1917. RELIGIOUS WORK AMONG ITALIANS IN AMERICA I. POPULATION It is impossible to state accurately the total number of Italians now resident in the United States, for these reasons: (1) No statistics are available to show the total number of Italian deaths; (2) it is impossible to tell how many have returned to Italy permanently; many, especially single men, make the voyage back and forth several times; (3) the war has recalled thousands to fight under the banner of Savoy. In 1914 a total of 294,689 Italians entered the country, and 97,073 departed, making a net gain of 197,616 in the Italian population; while in 1915 the Bureau of Immigration records show that a total of 51,655 were admitted and 116,985 departed, making a loss of 65,330. We may perhaps get a fair idea of our Italian population by approximating it as follows: A careful study of one of the Brooklyn colonies in 1910 showed the children born of Italian parents just about equal in number to the adult population of the colony. If then, as is indicated by the Bureau of Immigration statistics, 3,000,000 Italians have come here during the past thirty years, allowing 1,000,000 for deaths and permanent departures, that would leave us 2,000,000 of native-born Italians with 2,000,000 children born in this country. But it must be remembered that in many parts of the country there are construction and labor camps made up of men without families; also many thousands have departed for war service. To be wholly fair, we can take off 500,000 more, and then safely say that the Italian population in the United States is at least 3,500,000. There is not a single state in the Union that does not have Italians within its borders, but they are most numerous in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. In recent years they have made their way westward, and large colonies are now found in West Virginia, Ohio, and Illinois. A large group of northern Italians have settled at Asti, California, and are engaged in vine culture. It is estimated that there are 91,000 in the state. The recent industrial development of the Southern states has drawn a large number to Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, and North Carolina. It is estimated that no less than 100,000 Italians are employed on the sugar plantations in the Southern states. The chief centers are New York City with its 600,000, the second largest Italian city in the world; Philadelphia, 200,000; Boston, 60,000; Chicago, 74,000; New Haven, 30,000; Providence, 40,000; San Francisco, 30,000; Newark, 36,000; and Bridgeport, 25,000. The State of New York has the largest Italian population of all the states of the Union, nearly 1,000,000, forming over one-eighth of the population of the state. II. ECONOMIC CONDITIONS As Italians are to be found in every state in the Union, and even in Alaska, Hawaii, and the Philippine Islands, so it may justly be said that they are engaged in all the occupations which are common to the life of the American people. The Department of Commerce and Labor Report for 1914 shows that out of a total of 294,689 Italians admitted to the United States in that year, there were 73,335 classed with no occupation, this number including women and children; 193,284 were classed as agents, bankers, teamsters, farm laborers, manufacturers, merchants, and servants; 28,679 were classed as skilled workmen, as barbers, carpenters, gardeners, jewelers, mechanics, painters, stone-workers, engineers, tailors, shoe-makers, etc., while 1,116 were counted under the professions actors, architects, clergymen, editors, professional engineers, lawyers, scientists, musicians, physicians, sculptors, and artists. While many of these do not secure employment in their own trade or profession, because of the handicap of language, still in our Northern states Italians are engaged in fiftyone different occupations and in twenty-four trades in the South. New York City alone has over 200 registered Italian physicians, 250 sculptors, and a goodly number of teachers in public schools and colleges. One Italian, Mr. Tanzola, has recently been appointed to teach mathematics at the Naval Academy at Annapolis. B. Wages The deft fingers of Italian women and children make $3,000,000 worth of artificial flowers annually. An expert colorist can make $50 a week. By rapid and constant work, early and late, women can make from $4 to $5 a week in their homes. Glove-making is another home trade, practiced especially in Gloversville, New York, and the surrounding home towns. Also in New York City a woman by constant work can sew a dozen pairs daily, for which she receives $1.20. Musical instruments, banners, and badges, dolci (sweet cakes), and caramels, wood-working, furniture, and decorating are industries employing hundreds of Italians, while silk-weaving and hat-making occupy thousands more. Fifty per cent. of the weavers in the factories at Astoria, New York; Paterson, New Jersey; and West Hoboken, New Jersey, are Italians from Piedmont and Lombardy. They average about $23 a week as do also the bookbinders and hatmakers of Orange, New Jersey. It may be worthly of note, in passing, that, contrary to public opinion, it is these nothern Italian weavers in Paterson and stone cutters in Barre, Vermont, who are the most fiery and irreconcilable anarchists, and strikes are frequent among these justice-loving workers. The great bulk of Italian immigrants fall into the ranks of unskilled laborers and are employed in the construction camps of railroads and subways, in cutting sewers, gas and water mains, and in road-making. In Barre, Vermont, the Italian stone cutters are indispensable in the granite sheds. In West Virginia they share with the Slav the task of mining soft coal. In Birmingham, Alabama, and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, they work in iron foundries; in Ohio the glass industry claims them. Massachusetts has thousands of Italians at work in her cotton mills and shoe factories. In New York and Brooklyn they throng the small tailor, cloak, cap, paper box, and candy factories, which are usually owned by Jews. The Italians almost monopolize the barber trade. Hundreds are waiters at the large hotels. The Greeks are now rivaling the Italians as street venders of small fruits and are also crowding them up and out of the shoe-shining business. The wholesale fruit trade in our large cities is almost entirely in the hands of Italians, and they have their own chambers of commerce in such centers as New York, New Orleans, and San Francisco. There are 3,000 fruit stores owned by Italians in Greater New York. Their merchants import $3,000,000 worth of lemons and oranges, besides $5,000,000 worth of oil and wine annually, not to mention macaroni, cheeses, and dried fruits. It is greatly to the credit of Italian self-respect that, in spite of low wages, less than one-half of one per cent. of the Italian population seeks charitable help. The report from our public almshouses and charitable institutions made for 1910 shows: Foreign-born White Paupers in Almshouses 1,048.5 per 100,000 Irish. 410.9 per 100,000 Swiss. 390.7 per 100,000 French. 313.0 per 100,000 Scotch. 304.7 per 100,000 English and Welsh. 300.0 per 100,000 German. 75.0 per 100,000 Austro-Hungarian. 43.7 per 100,000 Russian. 31.8 per 100,000 Italian. |