padronism
/pəˈdroʊnɪzəm/
noun
- A system or practice in which a padrone (a boss or contractor) controls the labor and lives of immigrant workers, often exploiting them.
- Historians study padronism to understand the exploitation of migrant workers.
- The novel describes the harsh realities of padronism in the construction industry.
- Padronism was common among Italian immigrant laborers in the early 1900s.