Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-07-25
ARE MAKING GOOD"
An Italian-American Writes
Of His Countryman.
THEORIES BACKED UP
REMARKABLE ARRAY OF FACTS
AND FIGURES.
Starting as Bootblacks, Eventually
Rank as Millionaires,
and How.
THEORIES BACKED UP

The object Of this article Is to show
how the Italians in America. the people
to whom I belong, are making good IN
their adopted country. 1 hope to prove
that the prejudice which exists against
them as a race Is unjust, that on the
whole they are desirable citizens, ana that
their assimilation into the American COM
monwealth is rapidly proceeding ana shouio
be encouraged.
For good or III, the Italian Is here In
America, and here to stay. HIS NUMBERS
are rapidly increasing. According 10 Inc
1900 census there were 1Zld,lZf IN INC
country who were born in Italy or OIL
Italian parentage The Italian population
in New York state was then Z'1'o'@' OH
January 1 of the present year, ACCORDING
to a careful estimate made by the Italian
chamber of commerce of New YORK CITY,
1t was 4S8,17 This remarkable increase M
one state in four years Will give an lo.a
of how rapidly the Italian population ~
growing throughout the country.
But If the facts are examined there neee
be no cause for alarm on the part Oh
Americans 1t would indeed be strange II
fine people whose ancestors nodded the
culture of Europe and gave 10 mouelu
civilization most Of its sweetness ana Ign.
should be an evil element In the sociai
system of America.
The artistic sense which has made Italy
world famous is we'll developed. as gen
eral rule, in even the poorest 1taHans VIM
come here but 1t does not prevent theu
from taking full advantage or the opp4aII
tunities offered to them in this industrial
community. ..r :.
You walk through the streets OF Lit
tie Italy" in New York, Philadelphia bos-
ton St Louis, Chicago, or some otheT cry
Won make inquiries you Will find that the
people who seem to you so poor are com.
paratively recent arrivals. 1hey ha'e no.
been living in the tenements long; they
are already saving money, educating thelr
children, and looking forward to a better
home and better conditions of life.
The people who lived in those tenements
before them now own tenement houses
and other real estate, run stores. nave
comfortable balances in the ltalan
banks and are in every way responsible
and respected citizens. Here is the most
hopeful feature of the Italian problem IN
America-the fact that the population or
Little Italy" is always. speaking broadly,
IA floating population.
Determined to Climb.
In London and other English cities tho
inhabitants of the slums are mostly peo-
Pile who have seen better days and
gone UNDER" but in America they are
social ladder with firm determination
to climb This is true of tenement dwell
ers of other nationalities besides the 1tal-
ians, but think it is true of the Italians
in a pre-eminent degree.
Figures can be given to show how well
Italian immigrants graduated from the
tenements have succeeded financially. Ac-
cordng to GinO G. SperanZa, an Italian
who is recognized as leading authority
on the subject. the individual holdings Of
Italians in their savings banks in New
York city amount to over $15,OOO.OOO and
they have some four thousand real estate
holdings of the clear value of 1000, 600.
About ten thousand stores in the city,
worth $1,00O,00O, are owned by Italians.
and to this sum must be added about
ST.500,0O0 invested in wholesale business.
The estimated material value Of the
property of the Italian colony in New
York is over G0000,OOO, a value much be-
low that of the Italian colonies of st. Louis,
San Francisco, Boston and Chicago, but a
fair showing for the great dumping ground
Of America" says Mr.. SperanZa.
1t may be objected that this is an italian,
and. therefore a prejudiced view. But it Is
corroborated by Americans who are quail
fed to speak by having made special
study of the subject.
Robert A. Woods, one of the leading set
Element workers In Boston, says: Many
Italian families have been sent from Bos-
ton into the country with excellent results.
The New England farmers are at first sus-
piciouS of them, but soon come to regard
them good neighbors. The large majority
of the Italians in Boston are industrious
and thrifty. They carry on several kinds
Over 100000 worth of real estate in the
italian district Is held in the names Of
Italian owners"
He Drinks Iitt1e