New-York tribune., 1909-12-17
ALIENS ABSORBED
FORM NEW TYPE HERE
Racial characteristics Disa D,
peQring in Melting Pot.
IFrom The Tribune Bureau ]

Atrom Ihe Tribune Bureau.
Washington. Dec. ls.-Careful study OF
the effect OF American environment on
immigrants has resulted IN a discovery
of great importance in anthrOpOlogical
science. II has been found that the de-
soendaut OF the European immigrant
changes his type. even in the first genera
ton. almost entirely While the invesfi-
cations have not gone far enough 10 war
rant tho certain deduction that the rapid
assimilation OF widely varying types Will
lead 10 an American type, the experts be-
lieve that life in this country is boiling
down tie race characteristics Of aliens.
q preliminary report dealing with changes
of the bodily form OF descendants Of iumi-
grants vas submitted 10 the Senate to-day
by the immigration Commission. The data
on which this report was based were col
lecied IN New York city and It's immediate
neiEhhorhood. much ot the material being
furnished by the public schools. The IN
Vestigation was in charge Of Professor
Franz Boss. OF Columbia University. who
was assisted in the collection OF the school
data by DR.. - W. Champion. director OF
physical education in the public schools
~ NeW York City.
Measurements of the bodies Of European
Immigrants and of their descendants al
different ages and under differing circum-
stances were made IN the careful way foi-
lowed by scientific anthropometrists. The
results so FAR are based entirely on the
measurements OF Sicilians and East Euro
pean Hebrews. There Is much material on
hand. hut not Yet worked out, regarding
SohemiBns Hungsrians and Scotch
children born even q few years after The
srri,sl Of the immigrant parents in Amer
ics develop in such way that they diner
essentially IN 'y-pe from their foreign born
psrents These differences seem 10 develop
IN ear1ies, childhood and persist through
out life Every part ~ the body Is inhu-
enced in this way. and even the form OF
the head. which has always been consid-
cred as one - the most permanent heredi-
tsrv features. undergoes considerable
change.
EFFECT OF ENVIRONMENT.
The experts say tina; this entirely uneN-
pe-ted result indicates that racial physical
characteristics do not survive under the
rev social and climatic environment OF
America The adaptability Of the various
races coming together here seems. II these
indications shall be fully borne out by later
study. TO be much greater than had been
expected. The investigation is by no means
complete. and viii he conducted on q
larger scale and in different surroundings
I'm various parts % the country, and per
haps also be- checked up by certain in
,es,igs,ions made upon the same races
elsewhere.
Professor Boas summarizes his investiga-
lions as follows.
American environment can. OF course.
Flert only slight influence upon the
adult arriving in this country, and even
10 chld arriving on our shores Is not
very much modified iu it's development.
The Investigations have, however. given
fne entrelE unexpected result that the
descendant 81 the immigrant radically
changes his type II Is shown that the Z
American-born children Of the long
headed Sicilians and those Of the round .
hsaded East European Hebrews have
nearly the same intermediate head form.
The children of the long-headed Sicilians
are moro round-headcd. the children Of
fue rouna-headcd Hebrews are more long
headed. than their parents. similar
changes are traced I'm the Development Of
fhe faces Of these types
The amalgamation is most rapid during
The period immediately following the ar
rival - the immigrants. The difference
1n type between parents and children
msnifests itself almost Immediately after
1relr arrival here. Among individuals
horn long time after tho arrival Of the
parents in America The difference is in
creased. bat only slightly compared 20
TIE great difference That develops al once.
I-p 10 this time tho Investigations have
not been carried 50 far as 10 determine
what happens I'm the second generation Of
immigrants. but d seems likely that the
Influences AZ work among the first gen
Grafton born in America viii be stil fur
ther accentusted.
HEBREWS THRIVE BETTER HERE.
IN has been shown that the East Euro
r'sn Hebrew. even in the coneested parts
~ New York develops better than does the
Hebrew In Eastern EuroQ~. u is probable
that, notwithstanding su the difficulties the
Immigrant undergoes the economic Condi-
uons sre better here than they are in his
home This result agrees with the obser-
Nations made during tire civil War IN re-
card % the -elafive size - the various
nauonaltties I'M America and in Europe
on fhe other hand, the Sicilian living in
tho congested parts ~ New York city does
nos show a corresponding increase iu stat
ure The difference between foreign born
and American born is only slight but what
difference there is is I'm layo- % the for
eiCn born, SO that II would seem that life
IN HeW York City is detrimental to the
development q tho South Italian over
croWoing in unyeutilated rooms OF a PEOPLE
accustomed - fresh arr and a bad selec-
uon ~ food are probably the chief causes
for this regrettahie condition. which agrees
with the observations made 10y Dr. Stella
in regard 10 Le health Of the immigri Ut
Italian of New York CIV.