The Family

The Portuguese family served as the central organizing principle of the Portuguese community. Portuguese immigrants’ primary objective was to own property to guarantee their security.[1] With this as the primary objective, Portuguese men, women, and children financially contributed to purchasing their first home and, in some cases, their business. Men worked at a variety of and, at times, multiple jobs as business owners, labourers, and construction workers. In particular, the Pavao brothers’ father worked as a tobacco picker and dishwasher.[2] Furthermore, children were often required to assist in their parents’ business or find part-time employment in addition to their studies. Specifically, the Pavao brothers worked in their parents’ general store while also cleaning the poultry house below their apartment.[3] Most important, women were central to the functioning of the family by providing two roles: the caretaker and breadwinner.[4] Similar to men, women worked at a variety of and, at times, multiple jobs as labourers, factory workers, and cleaners.[5] The Pavao brothers’ mother cleaned chickens during the day and office buildings in the evening.[6] In addition to fulfilling their caretaking and breadwinning responsibilities, some women attempted to learn English and upgrade their skills.[7]

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[1] Amelia Libertucci, “Schooling in Little Portugal: The Portuguese Experience” (Masters Thesis, University of Toronto, 2011), 24.

[2] Cochrane, Kensington, 73.

[3] Anonymous, “‘We were poor,’ says Victor. ‘Full-time poor,’ says John,” Toronto Star, 21 December 2003.

[4] Libertucci, “Schooling in Little Portugal,” 24/25.

[5] Wenona Giles, Portuguese Women in Toronto: Gender, Immigration, and Nationalism (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2002), 37.

[6] Cochrane, Kensington, 71/72

[7] Giles, Portuguese Women in Toronto, 37.

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