Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1942, Qupperneq 19
DANISH EMIGRATION TO NORTH AMERICA 9
(92,486) were found in the central States (Iowa, Missouri, Kan-
sas, Nebraska, Minnesota, South Dakota, North Dakota, Illinois,
Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan). In 14 Atlantic States there were
36,057, in 3 Pacific States 33,901, in 8 Mountain States 13,216,
and in 11 Southern States 4,357. For the decade 1920—30, this
constitutes an increase for the Atlantic States of 3,350, an in-
crease for the Pacific States of 3,200, a decrease for the Central
States of 12,300, and a decrease for the Mountain States of
3 >794-
Since 1910 there has been a perceptible movement of Danes
from the Central States to the coastal regions.
Of the central States Iowa had in 1910 the greatest number
of Danish-born inhabitants, viz. 17,960. In 1920 this figure
had only increased to 18,020, and the lead in this respect had
been taken by California, which then had 18,721 Danish-born
inhabitants, an increase of 4,513 as compared with 1910. In 1930
California had reached 23,175, a further increase of 5,155. Then
followed Illinois with 18,945, New York with 17,407, while
lowa had now declined to the fourth place with 14,698, a de-
cline of 3,320 during 10 years.
These displacements may in some measure be accounted for
by the fact that, while Danish immigrants in earlier periods
principally went to the central States in order to become farmers
there, an increasing proportion of them subsequently went to
the coastal States as artisans, industrial workers, fruit-growers,
shopkeepers, clerks, etc. At the same time, the farmers of the
older generation in the central States have become advanced in
years, and a considerable number of them, who have become
fairly prosperous, prefer to spend their declining years in the
ntild, equable climate of California or Florida, rather than in
the central States with their severe winters and hot summers.
Finally, the many Slesvigers living in California — who were
formerly counted as German-born — have contributed to swell
the figure for this State.
The U. S. A. census for 1930 shows the following figures for
the Danish-born inhabitants of the individual States and the
major towns: