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IS 300.2 Story of an Emigrant.
fields, and doing other manual labor, no one disputing his
right or his fitness for these occupations. But when he
begins to compete with the native American for honor and
emolument in the higher walks of life, he is often met with
coldness, mingled, perhaps, with a little envy, and although
the adopted citizen may, in many instances, start on an
equal footing with the natives in culture, intelligence, and
business ability, it is only exceptionally that he will be
recognized as an equal socially; and there is scarcely an adopted
citizen of the non-English-speaking nationalities who has not
deeply realized the truth of this statement.
It may be safely said that it will on an average take two
generations before the children of the non-English-speaking
immigrants shall cease to suffer more or less from these
prejudices. Certainly the children of immigrant parents, although
born and brought up in this country, are often subjected to
sneers and taunts by their more fortunate playfellows, even
within the walls of the American public schools.
This antipathy is most noticeable in places where the
number of foreigners is very great, but less where they are
few, and may be explained and partly excused by the fact
that, when a great number of foreigners live together they
are more apt to maintain their customs, language and
amusements, which differ from those of the native-born.
But the chief reason is that when the immigrants, most of
whom belong to the hard-working classes, arrive directly
from a long and exhausting journey, they are often poorly
dressed, awkward and ignorant of the language and customs
of the country, and look forlorn and crestfallen. The first
impression which the native American thus receives remains
with him, while he does not stop to consider that the same
class of people corning from Amcriea to Europe would not
appear to better advantage if they should go there as
immigrants. Nor does he consider the injustice of judging whole
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