book chapter

Negotiating gender, work, and welfare: Familia as productive labor among Puerto Rican in New York City

puerto rican women and work : bridges in transnational laborPhiladelphia • Published In 1996 • Pages: 184-208

By: Torruellas, Rosa M., Benmayor, Rina, Juarbe, Ana.

Abstract
This article is based on the life histories of sixteen Puerto Rican women whom the authors met in an adult literacy program. Although these women have been on welfare, they are not the mythical 'welfare moms' disparaged in the news media. Rather they are hard working people who came to America to improve their life chances. Unfortunately they were caught in a double squeeze of New York's declining garment industry and domestic responsibilities, which forced them to go on welfare as a last resort. The authors argue that the failure to recognize domestic work as productive labor penalizes and stigmatizes mothers, as they struggle to put food on the table and earn respect in a prejudicial system.
Subjects
Labor supply and employment
Labor relations
Household
Public assistance
culture
Puerto Ricans (Mainland)
HRAF PubDate
2002
Region
North America
Sub Region
Regional, Ethnic and Diaspora Cultures
Document Type
book chapter
Evaluation
Creator Type
Educator
Document Rating
4: Excellent Secondary Data
5: Excellent Primary Data
Analyst
Ian Skoggard ; 2000
Field Date
1986-1991
Coverage Date
1960-1990
Coverage Place
New York, N.Y., United States
Notes
Rosa M. Torruellas, Rina Benmayor, Ana Juarbe
Includes bibliographical references
LCCN
95043822
LCSH
Puerto Ricans--United States