The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1917-08-18
MIXING THEM UP. !:
BY Scott Nearing.

We Americans talk about NATIONAL
ism as If 1t were thing that would
last till the end of time. There must
be no hyphens in this free country.
Here we are all Americans.
Now, are we?
Take New England as an illustra-
ton.
Some people believe. that most of
the Americanism in America had its
origin in New England. It, is sur
prising to note how few really, truly
Americans New England can now
boast. Most of the people who live
in New England at the present day
are foreigners, or the sons and daugh-
tiers of foreign-born people, At the
time Of the last census less than two
fifths of the population of New Eng
land were native born of native par
ents; 277 persons in every 1000 were
foreign born, and 313 in every 1000
were born in America of foreign-bor
parents.
Among the New England states,
those with the most Industries show
the most marked tendency toward a
foreign population. In Rhode Island
less than three-tentns of the people
are native born of native parents, one
third are foreign born and more than
one-third are native born of foreign
parents.
The last census shows the popula-
ton of New England as 6,522,681. OF
this Number only 3,613,419 were born
in the United States of native parents
There were a million and half for
eign born people in New England, and
in Massachusetts alone there were
846,82O out Of a population of little
more than three millions. That is,
81 persons in every 100 who live in
Massachusetts were foreign born. In
Rhode Island the number was almost
80. The entire state of Rhode Island
born of native parents against 49,
O23 foreign-bUrn inhabitants. The
total population of Rhode Island in
1910 was 542,610.
The test of New England's future is
coming in its cities and towns The
population is concentrated there, and
is concentrating more intensely with
each decade. It is in these cities and
towns that the percentage of foreign
born is highest.
The census published a table show
ing the composition of the population
OF Massachusetts cities, having more
than .25, 900 inhabitants. Massachusetts
is the chief Industrial state of New
England and the facts for these
cities are true in large measure of the
other two industrial New England
states. twenty-five Massachusetts,
cities are named. Their total popula-
ton is 2,155,4S2. OF this number
575,727, or almost exactly one-fourth
are native white born of native par
ents; 796,095 are native white born of
foreign parents, and ,595 are for
eign born white. If the population of
these cities were divided into eight
native parents, three native white Of
foreign parents, and three foreign
born white
The fact of the business is that the
United States is the, best proof that
anyone could hope to get of the in
ternational possibilities of the human
race. Nationality is incidental The
big thing about all of us is that we
are human beings AS human beings
we are able to live side by side in these
United States; as human beings we
would be equally capable of living side
by side the world over if those who
now rule the world, and profit by fear
and hate would crawl somewhere
away off and let us alone; or, better
still, if those of us who believe in
running the world on basis of human
brotherhood would realize that the
only way to have a thing well done is
to do it yourself.