Hurricanes, Snakes and Landlords: Class exploitation and the 'suburban dream' of Italians in Australia

Abstract

Central to the social processes and economic development of Australia and many other western countries during the 1950s and early 1960s was the realisation of the 'suburban dream'. Considering the perspective of Italian women in Australia helps to uncover the class, gender and ethnic exploitation that sustained this dream. In this article, letters written by two Italian migrant women in the late 1950s and early 1960s are considered.