Greeks in America - eBooks4Greeks.gr

76 THE GREEKS IN AMERICAnext heard from in Albany or it may be Akron, orCanton, Ohio. Even in the same city, especiallyin New York, addresses are changed so frequentlythat it is discouraging to attempt to make a cardfile, with the exception of certain prominent merchants,professional men and traders, who have permanentaddresses. The case of the priests is alsodiscouraging, as many are shifted from one chargeto another or go back to Greece.Family groups and men with families.—The earlyimmigrants were almost all men, single or married,who had left their families behind in their homeland. But gradually women began to join them, andtheir number has been growing from year to year.From 1882 to 1886 503 men and but 45 women enteredand settled in New York. From the annualreports of the Commissioner General of Immigrationfor the year ending June 30, 1910-1919, welearn that the number of unmarried Greek maleimmigrants from 14 to 44 years of age was 144,827,married 71,970, and widowers 403. From 45 yearsand older the numbers were single, 410, married6,887, widowers 230. In the same period the numberof married women 14 to 44 years was 14,126,married 10,168, widows 653. From 45 years andolder the numbers were single 30, married 1,056 andwidows 881. The single women from 14 to 21 yearsnumbered 8,577, 22 to 29 years 4,735, 30 to 37 years561, and 38 to 44 years 89.It is not far from the truth to say that 20 percent of the Greeks in America have their familieswith them; the rest are either unmarried or haveleft their families in the homeland. The numberof families has been growing lately, both by marriagesin United States and married men bringingover their families from Greece or Turkey.Men came alone for economic reasons, as sums ofmoney insignificant in the United States were of