Luces y sombras: mujeres inmigrantes italianas. São Paulo 1890 -1940

Lights and shadows: Italian immigrant women. São Paulo 1890-1940
The article explores the long-hidden experiences of Italian immigrant women in the city of São Paulo/Brazil (1890-1940). The analysis focuses on women’s daily work and struggles, both in the manufacturing space and in several other formal and informal occupations. The examination highlights their presence in commerce and domiciliary activities, as well as in “in-house” occupations, which women entered as maids, laundresses and nursing mothers. The main aim of the article is to shed light on the memory of Italian immigrants to the city, and in particular on a group of women whose stories have long remained hidden. The contribution is based on extensive original research and combines diverse sources, including documents from public and private archives, daily newspapers, literature, and oral testimonies.