Labour Migration

Question 1

When waa there mass migration from Europe to the USA?

Answer 1

Late 19th century - early 20th century

Question 2

What are “free” wage workers?

Answer 2

Labourers who sold their labor power to an employer, signed contracts, could end contract, earned a wage, married, free children, less physical violence

Question 3

What is class consciousness?

Answer 3

The worker class realised they belonged to this class, which was taken advantage of -> Marx ans Engels communist manifesto 1848

Question 4

When does the European immigration surpass that of Africans in America?

Answer 4

1840’s

Question 5

When did European mass immigration really take off?

Answer 5

1880’s

Question 6

What effect had industrialisation on slavery?

Answer 6

Negative views towards slavery

Question 7

What effect had industrialisation on free migration?

Answer 7

Dislocation, population growth that caused migration

Question 8

What are the reasons for mass labor migration from Europe to Americas?

Answer 8

Demand for cheap and unskilled labor in factories etc. Growing populations and stagnant economy in Europe. Easier transportation -> invention of steamships

Question 9

What are the reasons for mass labor migration from Europe to Americas?

Answer 9

Demand for cheap and unskilled labor in factories etc. Growing populations and stagnant economy in Europe. Easier transportation -> invention of steamships

Question 10

What was thoughts of mass migration in the US?

Answer 10

The “natives”, meaning the WASP’s, had xenophobic views. Especially towards Italians

Question 11

What was the views of socialism and anarchism in the Americas?

Answer 11

That it was an imported issue which is damaging the nation

Question 12

How many Italians departed from the Italian peninsula between 1870 and 1921?

Answer 12

16.6 million

Question 13

How many Italians entered the US between 1880 and 1920?

Answer 13

4 million

Question 14

What was some characteristics of Italian migrants?

Answer 14

Unskilled peasants and workers, more men than women, but by 1914 there where equally as many women who migrated

Question 15

What was the popular job for Italian women in America?

Answer 15

Seamstresses at home

Question 16

What was special about letters to Italy from America?

Answer 16

It was usually written to be read by an entire community, not just a specific person

Question 17

What did “free” labor migration transition from?

Answer 17

Bonded labor

Question 18

What is nativism?

Answer 18

An anti-immigrant resent. The “natives” wants to keep their culture etc. Safe from the immigrants

Question 19

Who were the nativists?

Answer 19

The first british migrants

Question 20

Did all European migrants enter the US?

Answer 20

No, in fact many also entered countries like Brazil and Argentina

Question 21

Who wrote “living the revolution” and what’s it about?

Answer 21

Jennifer Guglielmo: Italians leaving Italy for primarily USA

Question 22

What’s the story of Lucia?

Answer 22

Her husband was in the states, working in railroad companies and other construction jobs. She received money from him to support the family inconsistently. She therefore did an important job to sustain the family. She saved up money to go across the Atlantic. When she came to New York she worked as a seamstress at home. Her husband died and she had 6 children

Question 23

How was Lucia’s story common for Italians?

Answer 23

Usually the fathers left first to work in infrastructure, trying to support the family. Eventually, the mother and children would cross the Atlantic to reunite. Often the mother would have a lover social status within industrial work although their support was more important economically. Many also returned to Italy

Question 24

What can you call the places were women worked in the USA?

Answer 24

Sweat shops

Question 25

What have often women who migrate been seen as?

Answer 25

Family migraters, when in fact they were labor migrants as they were crucial to the survival of the family

Question 26

Why was not Italian women seen as labor migrats?

Answer 26

They "only" served as low-wage menial workers and caretakers of men as mother and wife. It jusitifed the subordination and dehumanization of work

Question 27

Why did Italian women start to migrate?

Answer 27

As a result of global capitalism. The search for better work on a global scale

Question 28

How did Italian women cope with global economic changes?

Answer 28

By turing to weaving and sewing. With mass-production this kind of work became tedious, repetitive and poorly paid. It did not offer any social status

Question 29

What was women's work defined as?

Answer 29

Supplemental, so it offered only low-wage pay. One could also fire and hire simply at will

Question 30

Was there less work for Italian women as their work was viewed as supplemental?

Answer 30

No, in fact only women in middle and upper class were able to avoid intensive psychical work

Question 31

What was the view on Italians in the US?

Answer 31

They were seen as physically intense. Therefore, they were especially suited for low-wage labor in the needs of industrial capitalism

Question 32

How did women learn to sew etc?

Answer 32

By relatives, local seamstresses and teachers in convent and public schools

Question 33

How many people migrated from Naples each year between 1902 and 1920?

Answer 33

200 000

Question 34

How many women migrated in context of men from Italy?

Answer 34

In the 1880's women only accounted for 17% of all emigrants. However, in the years leading up to 1921 women totaled 46% of Italian migration

Question 35

What was the result of men leaving first?

Answer 35

Women were left more autonomous and they made their own preparations to leave

Question 36

How many Italian women went back to Italy in the 1910s and 1920s?

Answer 36

About 20%

Question 37

What did an Italian woman take into consideration before leaving?

Answer 37

Their own needs. Their ability to find work and the needs of the family

Question 38

What was important with women's wages?

Answer 38

It was crucial for the family to survive. Men contributed less. The difference was that men had more stable jobs

Question 39

How was Argentina attractive for Italian migrants?

Answer 39

Offered entire families to work in commercial agriculture, independent farming and industry labor

Question 40

What did Argentina do in the 1880s to attract workers?

Answer 40

Subsidized workers' passage

Question 41

How many per cent was the Italians among migrants in Argentina close to ww1?

Answer 41

About 60%

Question 42

Why was Argentina concerned with Italian migrants?

Answer 42

Concentration of Italians, as Italians were leading labor movements and unions and many believed in anarchism

Question 43

Why did brazil take in many Italians?

Answer 43

To modernise the economy, bring down the cost of labor and "civilize" and "whiten" a racially mixed population

Question 44

Which city was by far the most popular for Italians in Brazil?

Answer 44

São Paulo, 70% of all Italians made it their home. Between 1890 and 1920 up to 35% of the city's population was Italian

Question 45

How did Italian migrants leave a mark in New York?

Answer 45

With 4 million Italian migrants New York became a center for radicalism and labor activism

Question 46

What happened in Brazik from 1907?

Answer 46

Several large strikes against long working hours, low-pay and dangerous working conditions. Women were central in speaking for the rallies

Question 47

Where did Italian women often work?

Answer 47

At home. This meant that it took long time to learn English. Working at home allowed the women to take care of the young children

Question 48

On avarage, when did young women enter factory labor?

Answer 48

16

Question 49

How was life in factories for women?

Answer 49

Expected to work as hard as possible to generate profit. Materials were dangerous to the health and highly inflamable. Yet, escaping fires was difficult. Workers were fined for being late, talking, singing and taking to much time in the bathroom