Italians in Chicago
From the Encyclopedia of Chicago
"In the late nineteenth century, mass migration from Italy accelerated. Chicago's foreign-born Italian population, 16,008 in 1900, peaked at 73,960 in 1930. These newcomers were predominantly peasants (contadini) from the southern regions, particularly Basilicata, Campania, and Sicily. Drawn to Chicago's market for railroad workers, these laborers were enrolled in work gangs by padrones (labor contractors), who shipped them to construction sites throughout the country. As they gained stable employment in the city's public works and industries, women were sent for and families established. Many women worked in the sweatshops and factories of the garment industry."
More info in this interesting book:
Chicago's Italians: A Survey of the Ethic Factor, 1850-1990
"In the late nineteenth century, mass migration from Italy accelerated. Chicago's foreign-born Italian population, 16,008 in 1900, peaked at 73,960 in 1930. These newcomers were predominantly peasants (contadini) from the southern regions, particularly Basilicata, Campania, and Sicily. Drawn to Chicago's market for railroad workers, these laborers were enrolled in work gangs by padrones (labor contractors), who shipped them to construction sites throughout the country. As they gained stable employment in the city's public works and industries, women were sent for and families established. Many women worked in the sweatshops and factories of the garment industry."
More info in this interesting book:
Chicago's Italians: A Survey of the Ethic Factor, 1850-1990
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