Immigrants in the Parisian Garment Industry

In spite of profound industrial restructuring and access to technological innovations in various stages in the garment trades, in production, outdated industrial structures, homeworking and 19th century working conditions still exist in Paris. This paper focuses on these traditional structures and the role immigrants play in them. It is argued that the imperatives of garment production fostering flexibility and small unit size have made this sector attractive to immigrants capable of responding adequately to industry's requirements. It is further being argued that the immigrants tend to occupy positions and play the role their predecessors have played in the past: that of workers and intermediaries. This paper illustrates how they relate to one another and to those in positions that are normally not occupied by them. It raises the issue of ambiguity of boundaries and categorisations ranging from workers to employers