Padrone system
Encyclopedia
The padrone system was an indentured labor system that preyed upon Italian immigrants to the United States
.
Many thousands of Italian immigrants found themselves prisoners of the padrone, or patron
, system of labor. The padroni were labor brokers, sometimes immigrants themselves, who recruited Italian immigrants for large employers and then acted as overseers on the work site. In practice, many padroni acted more like slave holders than managers. A padrone often controlled the wages, contracts, and food supply of the immigrants under his authority, and could keep workers on the job for weeks or months beyond their contracts. Some padroni built vast labor empires, keeping thousands of workers confined in locked camps, behind barbed wire fences patrolled by armed guards. The padrone system, despite its many injustices, was not eradicated until the middle of the 20th century.
The padrone system was also used against Greeks
, Chinese
, Japanese
, and Mexicans in the late 1800s. A family in the homeland would contract or sell theirs sons into servitude to a padrone. The terms of the contract ranged from a sum paid to the parents, to the passage for the child-worker. The indentured boy would then work for the padrone as agreed.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
Many thousands of Italian immigrants found themselves prisoners of the padrone, or patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
, system of labor. The padroni were labor brokers, sometimes immigrants themselves, who recruited Italian immigrants for large employers and then acted as overseers on the work site. In practice, many padroni acted more like slave holders than managers. A padrone often controlled the wages, contracts, and food supply of the immigrants under his authority, and could keep workers on the job for weeks or months beyond their contracts. Some padroni built vast labor empires, keeping thousands of workers confined in locked camps, behind barbed wire fences patrolled by armed guards. The padrone system, despite its many injustices, was not eradicated until the middle of the 20th century.
The padrone system was also used against Greeks
Greeks
The Greeks, also known as the Hellenes , are a nation and ethnic group native to Greece, Cyprus and neighboring regions. They also form a significant diaspora, with Greek communities established around the world....
, Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
, Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
, and Mexicans in the late 1800s. A family in the homeland would contract or sell theirs sons into servitude to a padrone. The terms of the contract ranged from a sum paid to the parents, to the passage for the child-worker. The indentured boy would then work for the padrone as agreed.