Professional Translation Services in Early America
Since the time of the settlers, immigrants have had an important impact on the history and culture of American cities such as Boston, Baltimore and Chicago.The languages these people brought to the new world have had a huge impact on the cultural life in the cities.
It is common knowledge among historians that by the end of the 19th century, Baltimore had become the most important city for immigrants to the new world. Similar to other cities of its size at the time, it was a highly international city. The German language was a close second to English when it came to the most commonly spoken language in Baltimore. Chinese, French and Italian became increasingly popular, and by the time of the Civil War, the Chinese were one of the largest immigrant groups in the United States. Recruited to build the railroads, by the 1870s nearly every city of significant size – including Baltimore – had a “Chinatown” made up of restaurants, laundries, and a number of Chinese schools, temples, and homes. At this time, Baltimore Translation became increasingly in demand. The Chinese enjoyed a welcoming population in Baltimore, which was unlike other areas of the United States, where there was a backlash against immigrant groups. Thus, Baltimore developed into a center for Baltimore translators in languages spoken by every immigrant group. Similarly, Boston has also long been considered a gateway city to the rest of the United States. Boston, another East Coast city similar in size to Baltimore, is also known as an immigrant-friendly city.
But unlike Baltimore, Boston has attracted immigrants from Eastern Europe and Russia because of its similarities to European cities and its location. According to the US Census bureau, there are between 40,000 and 50,000 Russian-speaking immigrants in Boston. Of course, this population has brought with it increasing demand for professional Boston Translation for documents such as certificates and immigration paperwork. All of Boston, but particularly Brookline, hosts a large group of Russian translators who serve in Boston translation services.
Chicago is different because of its location, but it is similar to Boston and Baltimore in other ways. French explorers were among the first settlers in the area known as Chicago. The big wave of immigration to Chicago occurred between 1840 and 1860. As Europeans were fleeing famine in Europe, Chicago was accepting them as new inhabitants of their city. By 1860, half of the city?s residents were foreign-born, spurring the need for Chicago translators and Chicago interpreters. At the end of the 1800s more than 80 percent of the population of Chicago were born in Europe. French translators, Spanish translators and German translators were most prevalent, but Japanese translation services were also common throughout the city. Throughout the mid-1900s, German neighborhoods grew and consolidated, leading to an even greater need for expert translation services. After WWII, tens of thousands of former Japanese prisoners from California made their ways to Chicago in hopes of starting a new life there. The demand for Chicago Translation Services companies grew rapidly in parallel with the growth of the Japanese population in the city.
Thank you for your continued interest in the origins of translation service companies in the United States. Our next article in this series will focus on the growth of translation companies in Atlanta, Dallas, and Las Vegas.