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AN ANALYSIS OF THE POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES

based upon the 1920 census

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applicable to the 9,335,555, to give the numerical equivalent of white persons of unidentified origins contributed by each of the eight decades. These groups representing the descendants contributed by the net immigration of each of the decades has been apportioned on the basis of national contributions by immigration in accordance with the percentages of distribution given on page 695, Vol. II, United States Census, 1920, except that the distribution of the first three decades has been assumed to be that as of 1850, the census of 1850 being the first from which we may derive authoritative data respecting the country of birth of our foreign born population. While it is true that there is a variable rate of fecundity applicable to the different races, the evidence points to the fact that the variation is balanced by the relatively lower marriage rate and the high rate of infant mortality but the natural rate of increase of our population having been applied to the composite groups of the respective decades, it is a fair assumption that the distribution given in this table is for all practical purposes substantially in accord with the facts.

In conclusion, it only remains to refer briefly to the method of arriving at the quotas to conform with the provisions of section II, sub-section (b) of the Immigration Act of 1924. Since the law provides that a minimum quota of 100 shall be assigned to any nationality whose proportion of the total would not reach that figure, it has been ascertained that twenty-three (23) nationalities fall into this group, and the total, 2,300, has, therefore, been deducted from the 150,000, maximum number of immigrants admissible to the United States, leaving a balance of 147,700, to be distributed proportionately among those nations whose quotas run above the minimum of 100.

June 14, 1924

1 While it would be possible to distribute the descendants of immigrants arriving in the United States in the decades 1820-1850 on the basis of data relating to arrival of passengers in American ports from the various nations of the world, the absence of any emigration figures involves an assumption respecting the returns which make it preferable to adopt the definitely ascertained figures of distribution for the foreign born in the United States for the purpose of this study.

A COMPARISON OF CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE POPULATION OF THE UNITED STATES BY PRINCIPAL GEOGRAPHIC DIVISIONS

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NORTHWEST EUROPEAN STOCK includes besides the countries of Northwest Europe, Canada, Newfoundland, Iceland, Australia and New Zealand.

SOUTH & EAST EUROPEAN STOCK includes besides the countries of South and East Europe, Hither Asia and Africa. ALL OTHERS include West Indies, Mexico, Central and South America, together with the Colored Races.

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