Migrant activism in Australia: the case of the Italian Federation of Migrant Workers and their Families (FILEF)

This dissertation examines the trajectory of the Australian chapter of the migrant-run organisation FILEF (Italian Federation of Migrant Workers and their Families), a left-leaning agency, and its impact on local politics and society, since its foundation in Australia in 1972. By employing previously unknown archival material and oral histories, this study maintains that FILEF's long-standing tenet that is its attention on providing a voice and a hand to Italian communities around the world was constantly held over the years. Furthermore, it addresses the characteristics of new and more recent waves of Italian migrants and their quest to integrate into the pre-existing Italian community in Australia and in more general terms into Australian society.