An Alliance of Women: Immigration and the Politics of Race

290 Pages·2006·3.419 MB·English

by  Heather Merrill

AN ALLIANCE OF
WOMEN
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Immigration and the Politics of Race
AN ALLIANCE OF
WOMEN
Heather Merrill
University of Minnesota Press
Minneapolis || London
Photographs in the book were taken by the author.
Copyright 2006 by the Regents of the University of Minnesota
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means,
electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without
the prior written permission of the publisher.
Published by the University of Minnesota Press
111 Th ird Avenue South, Suite 290
Minneapolis, MN 55401- 2520
http://www.upress.umn.edu
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Merrill, Heather.
An alliance of women : immigration and the politics of race /
Heather Merrill.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 10: 0-8166-4157-9 (hc : alk. paper) — ISBN 10: 0-8166-4158-7 (pb :
alk. paper)
ISBN 13: 978-0-8166-4157-4 (hc) — ISBN 13: 978-0-8166-4158-1 (pb)
1. Feminism—Italy. 2. Women, Black—Italy—Social conditions.
3. Women immigrants—Italy—Turin. 4. Feminism—International
cooperation. I. Title.
HQ1642.M47 2006
305.420945—dc22
2005031557
Printed in the United States of America on acid- free paper
Th e University of Minnesota is an equal- opportunity educator and
employer.
12 11 10 09 08 07 06 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
For Donald, Nicolas, and Eliana,
whose wisdom and joy made this work possible
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Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction: Immigration and
the Spatial Politics of Scale xi
1. Th e Spatial Politics of Race and Gender 1
2. Alma Mater: Th e Architecture of an
Interethnic Social Politics 23
3. Limiting the Laboring: Industrial Restructuring
and the New Migration 37
4. Extracomunitari in Post- Fordist Turin 55
5. Race, Politics, and Protest in the Casbah,
or San Salvario, Africa 75
6. Turin Feminism: From Workerism
to Interethnic Gender Alliance 117
7. Making Alma Mater: Gender, Race,
and Other Diff erences 155
Conclusion: Speaking Subjects 189
Epilogue: Gender and Globalization at the G8
in Genoa, July 2001 193
Notes 203
Bibliography 219
Index 237
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
African migrants in the rapidly changing world of Italy in-
spired my research, but the book is also the result of encouragement
and astute comments from many individuals. It’s hard to mention all the
people who have made a diff erence, but I would like to extend special and
boundless gratitude to particular individuals who have played pivotal
roles in the development and execution of this project.
To Donald Carter, whose unerring support, guidance, and profound
insight were vital to all phases of this project. To Allan Pred, with whom
I worked as a graduate student and who allowed me just the right balance
of creative and critical input and intellectual freedom. To the memory
of the exceptional William Shack, who provided a role model and men-
tored me through some diffi cult hours. To Ruth Wilson Gilmore, whose
personal generosity and broad intellectual knowledge and insight were
invaluable. To David Harvey, whose friendship, intellectual depth, and
dedication to issues of social justice encouraged me to complete this proj-
ect. To the wonderful Helga Leitner, who has been an invaluable mentor
and friend. To the many migrants in Turin who shared their concerns,
feelings, and experiences. To the women of Alma Mater, who gave gen-
erously of their time and their hearts, particularly Giovanna Zaldini,
Maria Viarengo, Vanessa Maher, Saida Ahmed, Marite Calloni, MaryAnn
Akinyi, Maria Afonso, Laura Scagliotti, and Sonia Aimiumu. To the
women of the Casa delle Donne, especially Rina Constantino, Elisabetta
Donini, Patricia Celotto, and Jessica Ferrero. To Francesco Ciafaloni, Jean
Marie Tschotsha, Vanessa Maher and her family, and Maria Viarengo and
her family, who provided rich and deeply critical insights into the work-
ings of Italian culture and politics. To Giuseppe Dematteis for facilitating
my visit in 1996 and for introducing me to scholars in the faculty of political
science at the University of Turin. To a number of Italian scholars, civil
servants, and trade union representatives who gave generously of their
time, particularly Arnaldo Bagnasco, Toni Negri, Enrico Alasino, Egidio
Dansero, Terese Angela Migliasso, Anna Belpiede, Gianpiero Carpo, and
ix