The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1909-12-30

WASHINGTON, Dec. 16-That the
physical form as well as the habits OF :
living and ways of thinking of the
descendants of foreigners who i'm.
migrate to America is different from
those of their ancestors is the con-
clusion of the immigration commits
sion, embodied in the preliminary re-
port of that body, which was present
ed to Congress today, The discovery
is regarded as Of Importance in an
thropological science as indicating the
development of distinct American
physical type in persons Of European
descent.
The investigation which has brought
this fact to the surface was under
taken soon after the appointment of
the commission and it was conducted
in scientific manner by the compari-
son of measurements of the bodies OF
such immigrants and under differing
circumstances
INQUIRY IN NEW YORK.
The investigation was placed in the
hands of a committee composed OF
members of the commission, and Prof.
Franz Boss of Columbia University
was engaged as expert. The inquiry
was confined to New York city and
so far as the present report shows
was restricted to Sicilians and East
European Hebrews. A later report
report will give the details of the in
vestigation among Bohemians, Hunga-
rians and Scotch.
The report indicates that the des-
cendant of the European immigrant
changes his tyre, even in the first
generation, almost entirely. Children
born even a few years after the arriv-
al of the immigrant parents in America
develop in such a way that they diff
fer in tyne, essentially, from their
foreign-born parents. These differ
ences seems to develop during the
earliest childhood and persist through
out life. Every part of the Body is in
fluenced in this way, and even the
form of the head, which has always
been considered as one of the most
permanent hereditary features under
goes considerable change.
RACIAL CHARACTERISTICS
CHANGED
In an official synopsis of the com
missions report, attention is called to
the fact That even the most stable
racial characteristics seem to have
changed under the new environment
and this fact is commented upon as
follows
"This would indicate the conclusion
that racial, physical characteristics DO
not survive under the new social and
climatic environment Of America. The
gdaptability of the various races com
ing together on our shores seems, II
these indications shall be fully borne
out in later study, to be much
greater than had been anticipated
If the American ENVIRONMENT cai'
5 bring about an assimilation OF the
head forms in the first generation may
it not be that other characteristics
2 may be as easily modified, and that
8 there may be a rapid assimilation Of
!. widely-varying nationalities and races
: to something that may be well called
1 an American type?"
! The commission feels that 1t is toe
early to pronounce absolutely upor
: this question.
"The investigation is by no means
complete, and moreover, considering
the Importance of the subject, i
7 should clearly be conducted on a larg
err scale and in different surrounding
in various parts of the country ant
: Iperhaps also be checked up by certain
! investigations made upon the same
races elsewhere"
! CHILDREN MORE
ROUND HEADED
y With other results noted, it Il
H shown that the American-born chill