Labour networks and family networks in a migratory context : the case of Napoli Chinese entrepreneurs
Résumé
The presence of the Chinese in the Neapolitan area has become visible since the mid-nineties when they started to get into the Neapolitan clothing industry thanks to the business connections with local entrepreneurs. They initially settled in S. Giuseppe Vesuviano and Terzigno, two small towns on the periphery of Naples with a very dynamic textile market. After being rapidly incorporated in this production niche, they occupied the local trade both in and around Naples. The specific configuration of this migratory case poses a number of issues concerning the interdependency between labour networks and family relations as well as between social position and economic status. The Chinese do not just occupy the economic space left vacant by the natives. They play a decisive role in the local economy, even though the Neapolitan economic system is specifically characterized by remarkably-high unemployment rates.