Defiant sisters: A social history of Finnish immigrant women in Canada (Studies in ethnic and immigration history)

This pioneering study of Finnish immigrant women in Canada from 1890 to 1930 sets out to answer several questions about the lives of Finnish women in Canada. The spirit of optimism and defiance of traditional values which had led these young women to emigrate in the first place was carried over into their lives in Canada. They campaigned vigorously for higher wages, better working conditions and, above all, for dignified, humane treatment. Because of their full-time, live-in status as domestics, they chose not to have families, or to limits their size severely. They were independent-minded, articlate and hard-working. This book gives a penetrating and unique look at the social, cultural and economic conditions in which these women lived in the early years of the twentieth century. It is an invaluable addition to our knowledge of ethnic and immigration history.