Diane C. Vecchio's unique study considers the work experiences of Italian immigrant women and their daughters in the previously unexamined regions of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Endicott, New York, during the turn of the twentieth century. Using Italian and American sources and rich oral histories, this study reveals that women in Italy had economic responsibilities that often included work experiences outside of the home, including jobs as midwives and businesswomen. Demonstrating the regional variation of Italian women's work as well as the skills they transplanted to America balances the image of inexperienced and low-skilled labourers that dominates scholarship on Italian working women. Vecchio's research on Endicott sheds light on the gendered nature of life in a "company town" governed by welfare paternalism, while her research on Milwaukee emphasizes how Italian immigrant women turned to small business enterprise when local opportunities for wage-earning were limited. This comparative method helps to move beyond reductionist theories and conventional portraits of Italian women to explore the diverse factors that prompted them to seek certain kinds of occupations to the exclusion of others.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Our little town and the tales they tried not to tell us,
This review is from: Merchants, Midwives, and Laboring Women: ITALIAN MIGRANTS IN URBAN AMERICA (Statue of Liberty Ellis Island) (Hardcover)
I came upon this book completely by accident to find a history I already know. My grandmother immigrated from Italy as a child and was one of the Endicott Johnson workers, along with her sisters, relatives and neighbors. She lived in an EJ home, and it was small with 6 kids. The carousels are still there and we still ride them. But why was the community of Endicott unwilling to keep and promote all the history of Endicott Johnson that Vecchio has written for us. I live away now and don't know if this book was covered locally. I look forward to the day of tracking down the author and the records of my relations.
But for those without a particular connection to the subject, the book is worthwhile also as providing insight to the connection between immigrants and business and commerce that continues today in every community. The careful historical research is a good method to delve into a better understanding of the things that created communities and shed light on the debates still going on today. Where did your grandparents work? Does the business still exist..what other tales can we tell that no one has written. Thanks, Diane!
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
IN 1900, sixteen-year-old Catherine D'Aquisto left her family in Porticello, Sicily, for the United States, where she joined and older sister, who offered her a job in her New York bakery. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ethnic occupational hierarchy, immigrant midwives, familial goals, employment cards, boarding services, keeping boarders, immigrant women, interview with author, immigrant daughters, trained midwives, midwifery practice Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Endicott Johnson, Third Ward, New York, United States, Pasqua Cefalu, Luisa Giordano, Bay View, Margherita Ciotti, Elisabetta Manziano, Italian American, Old World, Rosa Cesario, Triple Cities, Bridgetta Bianco, Broome County, Cohn Brothers, Commission Row, German Jews, Happy Family, Johnson Papers, Marquette University, Milwaukee City Directories, New World, Orsola Casoria, Phoenix Hosiery New!
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Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
IN 1900, sixteen-year-old Catherine D'Aquisto left her family in Porticello, Sicily, for the United States, where she joined and older sister, who offered her a job in her New York bakery. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
ethnic occupational hierarchy, immigrant midwives, familial goals, employment cards, boarding services, keeping boarders, immigrant women, interview with author, immigrant daughters, trained midwives, midwifery practice Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Endicott Johnson, Third Ward, New York, United States, Pasqua Cefalu, Luisa Giordano, Bay View, Margherita Ciotti, Elisabetta Manziano, Italian American, Old World, Rosa Cesario, Triple Cities, Bridgetta Bianco, Broome County, Cohn Brothers, Commission Row, German Jews, Happy Family, Johnson Papers, Marquette University, Milwaukee City Directories, New World, Orsola Casoria, Phoenix Hosiery New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 31
books:
See all 31 books this book cites
2
books
cite this book:
- Italian Immigrant Woman in North America by Betty Caroli in Back Matter (1), Back Matter (2), and Back Matter (3)
- The Immigrant World of Ybor City: Italians and Their Latin Neighbors in Tampa, 1885-1985 (Florida Sand Dollar Books) by Dr. Gary R. Mormino in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- Christ in Concrete by Pietro di Donato on page 99, and Back Matter
- Women, Gender, and Transnational Lives: Italian Workers of the World (Studies in Gender and History) by Donna R. Gabaccia in Back Matter (1), and Back Matter (2)
- The Transplanted: A History of Immigrants in Urban America (Interdisciplinary Studies in History) by John Bodnar in Back Matter
See all 31 books this book cites
- Beyond Cannery Row: Sicilian Women, Immigration, and Community in Monterey, California, 1915-99 (Statue of Liberty Ellis Island) by Carol Lynn McKibben in Back Matter
- Making Lemonade out of Lemons: Mexican American Labor and Leisure in a California Town 1880-1960 (Statue of Liberty- Ellis Island Centennial Series) by Jose M. Alamillo in Back Matter
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