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Book

Reinventing free labor : padrones and immigrant workers in the North American West, 1880-1930

Date

2000

Authors

Gunther Peck

Abstract

One of the most infamous villains in North America during the Progressive Era was the padrone, a mafia-like immigrant boss who allegedly enslaved his compatriots and kept them uncivilized, unmanly, and unfree. In this first-ever history of the padrone, Gunther Peck argues that they were not primitive men but rather thoroughly modern entrepreneurs who used corporations, the labor contract, and the right to quit to create far-flung coercive networks. Drawing on Greek, Spanish, and Italian language sources, Peck analyzes how immigrant workers emancipated themselves using the tools of padrone power to their own advantage. (Amazon)

Place published

Cambridge ; New York

Publisher

Cambridge University Press

Notes

Gunther Peck.

ill., maps ; 24 cm.

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Economic sectors

Construction trades helpers and labourers

Target groups

Public awareness and Researchers

Geographical focuses

United States, México, and British Columbia

Spheres of activity

History

Languages

English