Work, Family and Integration Indian Migrant Farmers in Northern Italy

“Thapan has written an important book—of hope and resilience—among Punjabi migrants in northern Italy. Not only is this work valuable for migration studies, sociology and cultural studies, but it also contributes towards much-needed ‘contextualised, disaggregated and intersectional understandings of migration’ (Deshingkar 2017: 119). It is the rich narratives of migrants that are the core of the book.” (Amrita Datta, Contributions to Indian Sociology, Vol. 58 (3), 2024) 

“The study is about Punjabis who are both Hindu and Sikh and those who are struggling to establish themselves in a new community. It’s a well-researched study using both quantitative and ethnographic data that provides the Italian context well and shows the challenges of both work and family through a gendered lens. I recommend that it is read by scholars of migration, diaspora, and those looking at Punjabis in different parts of the world.” (Aparna Rayaprol, South Asian Diaspora, September 16, 2024)

"This book is the culmination of that field-based research project on the ‘lived experiences’ of

mostly Punjabi families working in the Emilia-Romagna region producing Parmesan cheese and marks a major contribution to studies on Indian emigration and more generally the literature on immigrant integration. ... There are several reasons this book breaks new ground in the vast literature on Indian migration and diaspora." (Chinmay Tumbe, The Book Review, Vol. 48 (4), 2024)