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FrancoAngeli Journals

Studi e ricerche

N. 296 (2021): Italia Contemporanea - Sezione Open Access "In rete"

Una “classe inferiore di stranieri bianchi”. Gli italiani e il movimento dei lavoratori a San Francisco

  • Tommaso Caiazza
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/ic296-oa1
Inviata
28 luglio 2021
Pubblicato
23-09-2021

Abstract

L’articolo esamina le relazioni tra gli immigrati italiani e il movimento dei lavoratori a San
Francisco al principio del Novecento. La “razza” costituisce la lente attraverso cui viene indagato
il processo di integrazione degli italiani alla luce delle politiche razziste messe in atto
dalle strutture sindacali, che ammettevano solo “bianchi” ed escludevano gli immigrati asiatici. Intrecciando una varietà di fonti (stampa operaia, documentazione delle unioni, dati statistici  sulle occupazioni) si rileva come gli italiani, seppur marginalizzati e giudicati inferiori razzialmente, siano stati riconosciuti come “bianchi” e, pertanto, assimilati nel locale movimento dei lavoratori. Si sostiene che a favorire ciò sia stata la precoce costruzione di una comune identità “caucasica” tra i gruppi europei, modellata in contrapposizione all’immigrazione asiatica, in grado di far passare in secondo piano le tensioni tra il “vecchio stock” e i “nuovi immigrati”, come gli italiani, dominanti in altre città degli Stati Uniti.

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