Greeks in America - eBooks4Greeks.gr

—Chapter IITHE GEEEKS IN AMERICAIMMIGRATION"Greek immigrants.—Greek immigrants firstsettledin the eastern states, especially New York andMassachusetts. Gradually they spread to otherstates and now there is scarcely a town in whichGreeks are not represented.Number of Greeks in United States.—^The estimateof their number varies between 300,000 and500,000. The Massachusetts Bureau of Immigrationputs the number as 350,000, though Greek estimatesput it at least as 400,000 and often as many as 500,-000. Of these they estimate 45,000 to 50,000 to be inMassachusetts. This would make the Greek populationof the entire state not far from one-seventh ofthat of the entire country. It has been estimated tobe also about two-thirds of that in all New England.The census of 1920 gives 175,972 foreign-bomGreeks in the United States. Adding 20 percenta generous estimate—for children of those bomhere, gives 211,166 of w^hat the census classifies as* ^foreign white stock.'' Of these 38,574 are foundin New England and 24,122 in Massachusetts.Grandchildren of foreign-born are classified as native-bornAmericans. Later reports will verify orincrease these figures.Greek communities.—As soon as a sufficient numberof Greeks gather in a city, they form a community—Greekor Hellenic Orthodox community.Each community has its president, vice-president,secretary, treasurer and other councillors and all,73