What Birmingham’s immigrant population looked like in 1900
Published 12:35 pm Monday, June 27, 2022
FPG // Getty Images
What Birmingham’s immigrant population looked like in 1900
Though every city in the U.S. has a distinctly American flavor, so many metropolitan areas display distinct signs of the immigrant populations that melded together to make the cities we know and love today. From Miami’s Little Havana to New York City’s Chinatown and Los Angeles’ Little Italy, cultural enclaves continue to thrive in modern metropolitan areas and help build colorful and diverse communities.
Many cultural and ethnic enclaves have become destinations for locals and tourists alike, but these visitors bring with them a mixed bag of consequences. On one hand, increased foot traffic allows small businesses and restaurants more opportunities for business, ushering in much-appreciated cash flow. On the other hand, rising demand for goods and services can cause prices to rise, hiking up the cost of living and potentially pushing poorer individuals and families out of the community.
The gentrification of ethnic enclaves is not new. The term “gentrification” was coined by Ruth Glass in the 1960s to describe the displacement of working class folks in London, but the first examples of gentrification can be traced back to the 18th century when wealthy landowners, or the “gentry,” began buying out small farmers who were struggling to accumulate the capital necessary to operate in England.
Today, ethnic enclaves continue to thrive despite the looming threats of gentrification and economic impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic. As one step towards understanding the history of these enclaves, Stacker compiled a list of the largest sources of immigrants in Birmingham in 1900 by transcribing a previously untranscribed dataset from the U.S. Census Bureau. Table 35 of the Twelfth Census details the immigrant population of every city in the U.S. with at least 25,000 inhabitants as of the turn of the last century.
Read on to find out more about the historical immigrant community in your home city or explore the data on your own on our site, GitHub, or data.world.
You may also like: Highest-rated steakhouses in Birmingham, according to Tripadvisor
Lewis W. Hine // Getty Images
#1. Germany
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 446
– Percent of foreign born residents: 25.11%
National
– Number of residents: 2,669,164
– Percent of foreign born residents: 25.52%
– #1 most common country of origin
Bettmann // Getty Images
#2. England
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 233
– Percent of foreign born residents: 13.12%
National
– Number of residents: 843,491
– Percent of foreign born residents: 8.06%
– #4 most common country of origin
FPG // Getty Images
#3. Ireland
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 218
– Percent of foreign born residents: 12.27%
National
– Number of residents: 1,619,409
– Percent of foreign born residents: 15.48%
– #2 most common country of origin
Samuel Hopwood // Getty Images
#4. Russia
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 159
– Percent of foreign born residents: 8.95%
National
– Number of residents: 424,372
– Percent of foreign born residents: 4.06%
– #7 most common country of origin
Bettmann // Getty Images
#5. Italy
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 139
– Percent of foreign born residents: 7.83%
National
– Number of residents: 484,703
– Percent of foreign born residents: 4.63%
– #6 most common country of origin
Hulton Archive // Getty Images
#6. Canada
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 97
– Percent of foreign born residents: 5.46%
National
– Number of residents: 1,183,225
– Percent of foreign born residents: 11.31%
– #3 most common country of origin
Interim Archives // Getty Images
#7. Greece
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 88
– Percent of foreign born residents: 4.95%
National
– Number of residents: 8,655
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.08%
– #31 most common country of origin
Hulton Archive // Getty Images
#8. Scotland
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 52
– Percent of foreign born residents: 2.93%
National
– Number of residents: 234,699
– Percent of foreign born residents: 2.24%
– #11 most common country of origin
Smith Collection/Gado // Getty Images
#9. Hungary
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 50
– Percent of foreign born residents: 2.82%
National
– Number of residents: 145,815
– Percent of foreign born residents: 1.39%
– #14 most common country of origin
Universal History Archive // Getty Images
#10. France
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 46
– Percent of foreign born residents: 2.59%
National
– Number of residents: 104,534
– Percent of foreign born residents: 1.00%
– #18 most common country of origin
Bettmann // Getty Images
#11. Austria
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 40
– Percent of foreign born residents: 2.25%
National
– Number of residents: 276,702
– Percent of foreign born residents: 2.65%
– #10 most common country of origin
Bettmann // Getty Images
#12. Turkey
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 34
– Percent of foreign born residents: 1.91%
National
– Number of residents: 9,949
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.10%
– #30 most common country of origin
ullstein bild Dtl. // Getty Images
#13. South America
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 27
– Percent of foreign born residents: 1.52%
National
– Number of residents: 4,814
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.05%
– #35 most common country of origin
Bettmann // Getty Images
#14. Wales
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 26
– Percent of foreign born residents: 1.46%
National
– Number of residents: 93,744
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.90%
– #20 most common country of origin
UniversalImagesGroup // Getty Images
#15. Switzerland
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 16
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.90%
National
– Number of residents: 115,959
– Percent of foreign born residents: 1.11%
– #15 most common country of origin
Minnesota Historical Society // Getty Images
#16. Sweden
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 16
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.90%
National
– Number of residents: 574,625
– Percent of foreign born residents: 5.49%
– #5 most common country of origin
Buyenlarge // Getty Images
#17. Norway
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 16
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.90%
National
– Number of residents: 338,426
– Percent of foreign born residents: 3.24%
– #9 most common country of origin
Bettmann // Getty Images
#18. Europe (not otherwise specified)
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 12
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.68%
National
– Number of residents: 2,272
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.02%
– #41 most common country of origin
Bettmann // Getty Images
#19. Denmark
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 11
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.62%
National
– Number of residents: 154,616
– Percent of foreign born residents: 1.48%
– #13 most common country of origin
Lewis W. Hine // Getty Images
#20. Born at sea
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 8
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.45%
National
– Number of residents: 8,310
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.08%
– #32 most common country of origin
Minnesota Historical Society // Getty Images
#21. Poland
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 6
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.34%
National
– Number of residents: 383,595
– Percent of foreign born residents: 3.67%
– #8 most common country of origin
Print Collector // Getty Images
#22. Asia (except China, Japan, and India)
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 6
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.34%
National
– Number of residents: 11,928
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.11%
– #27 most common country of origin
Bettmann // Getty Images
#23. Other countries
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 5
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.28%
National
– Number of residents: 2,587
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.02%
– #39 most common country of origin
FPG // Getty Images
#24. China
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 5
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.28%
National
– Number of residents: 106,659
– Percent of foreign born residents: 1.02%
– #16 most common country of origin
Universal History Archive // Getty Images
#25. West Indies (except Cuba and Puerto Rico)
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 4
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.23%
National
– Number of residents: 14,468
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.14%
– #26 most common country of origin
Bettmann // Getty Images
#26. Central America
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 4
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.23%
National
– Number of residents: 3,911
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.04%
– #36 most common country of origin
FPG // Getty Images
#27. Bohemia
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 4
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.23%
National
– Number of residents: 156,999
– Percent of foreign born residents: 1.50%
– #12 most common country of origin
ullstein bild // Getty Images
#28. Spain
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 3
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.17%
National
– Number of residents: 7,284
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.07%
– #33 most common country of origin
Historical // Getty Images
#29. Japan
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 3
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.17%
National
– Number of residents: 81,590
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.78%
– #21 most common country of origin
Universal History Archive // Getty Images
#30. Holland
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 3
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.17%
National
– Number of residents: 105,098
– Percent of foreign born residents: 1.00%
– #17 most common country of origin
Bettmann // Getty Images
#31. Africa
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 2
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.11%
National
– Number of residents: 2,577
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.02%
– #40 most common country of origin
Hulton Deutsch // Getty Images
#32. Cuba
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 1
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.06%
National
– Number of residents: 11,159
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.11%
– #28 most common country of origin
FPG // Getty Images
#33. Belgium
Birmingham, Alabama
– Number of residents: 1
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.06%
National
– Number of residents: 29,848
– Percent of foreign born residents: 0.29%
– #24 most common country of origin