The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-12-17
INTERESTING REPORT OF
IMMIGRATION COMMISSION

WASHINGTON. Dee I6.-Tbat the
physical form as we'll as the habits Of
hvlng and ways Of thinking Of ihe de-
Scendan nts of foreigners who iIomiurat,
TO America Is different from thar of
their ancestors is tbc conclusion of the
iinnu non commission. as embodied
N the preliminary report OF that body.
which was presented 10 congress TO.
dav.
The investigation was undertaken
soon after the appointment of the com
MISSION, and II was conducted in a
scientific manner Professor Frank
Boas of Columbia university was on.
gagged as expert, The inquiry was con.
lined, to New York City, and so far
as the present report shows, was re.
strIctcd 10 SlcllIans and East European
Hebrews, \ later report will give The
details OF tho investigation among Bo-
hemlans. Hungsyians and Scotch.
Change OF Type Noted.
The report indicates that the descend
ant Of the European Immigrant changes
his type, even in the first generation.
almost entirely Children born even a
few years after the arrival Of the i'm
migrant parents in America develop in
such way that they differ in tvpc. cs.
Sentially from their foreign born par
cnts. These differences seem TO develop
during the earliest childhood and persist
throughout hfe, Every part of the BODY
is influenced in this way, aud even Tie
form of the head, which has always
been considered as one of the most per
mlnent hereditary features, undcrgocs
considerable change.
In an official synopsis Of the com.
mission s report attention Is called 10
the fact that even most stable racial
characteristics seem to have changed
lnHcr tbp and ibiS
fact is commented upon as follows:
This would Indicate the conclusion
that racial physical cbaracteristics do
not survive under the new social and
climatic environment OF America. The
of the various races com
these Indications shall he fully borne
out in later study, 70 he much greater
than had been anticipated. If the
American environment can bring 4 bout
an assimilation of the head forms in the
first generation. may IL not be that
other characteristics may be easily
and that there may be rapid
aliues and races to something that may
well he called an American type!'
Further Study Needed
The commission feels that it is too
early to pronounce absolutely upon this
The investigation is by 40 means
complete and. moreover, considering the
Importance of the subject, in should
clearly be conducted on larger scale
md in different surroundings in vari-
1us parts of the country, and perhaps
Ilso bo checked MP bv certain iuyes.
igation made upon the same races else
Shere
Among other results noted. IL is
hown that the American born children
If thc long headed Siciliaus and those
# the round headed East European He
,rrws have very nearly the same inter.
ncdiate head form The children of
he long headed Sicilians are moro
ound hendcd than their parents; The
children Of the round headed Hebrew
re moro long headed. Similar changes
rc traced in the development of the
aces of these types.
The anal lgamation is most rapid dur
ng the period immediately follow
ng the arrivals of the immigrants. III"
Inference in type between parents an'
hildren mauifcsts itself almost impr
lately after their arrival herc. Among
born a long time after the
rriyal of the parents in America, the
difference is increased. but only slight
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