Inequalities and the Social Process of Categorizing: Migrant Work in Argentina’s Garment Industry

Abstract

This chapter discusses how migrant associations organize their demands and fight for their rights in contemporary Argentina. It looks at the ways in which social categories and social inequalities relate to each other or not in these settings. First, it examines the ways in which Bolivian migrant’s workers in the textiles factories of Buenos Aires debate around issues of class and/or nationality when it comes to organizing. Then, it looks at how other actors introduce different social categories such ethnicity, gender and age and organize themselves against issues of social inequality such as discrimination, exploitation or the lack of recognition. The chapter argues, on the one hand, that the entanglements of different social categories such as nationality, class, gender, ethnicity, and others, are constitutive of any category. And, on the other hand, that identifying the social inequalities at stake in any conflict over migrant’s rights allows for a better understanding of migrant organization’s dynamics. In sum, the paper shows that social categories and social inequalities cannot be studied separately when understanding migrant collective action.