ABSTRACT
In the United States and other industrialized countries, immigrants and women have been significant contributors to the economy through their increasing rate of business ownership. Research by the Center for Women’s Business (2006) indicates that the growth rate in the number of US women-owned firms is approximately twice that of all firms. Statistics indicate that business ownership among immigrant women is also growing dramatically and at a faster rate than that of US-born women (Pearce, 2005). Literature on immigrant women entrepreneurs is sparse with little being known about women entrepreneurs of some ethnicities or nationalities. One ethnic group in particular, the Portuguese, has had a long history in the US yet little is known about the women entrepreneurs of this group. In this chapter we look at the Portuguese of New Bedford, Massachusetts, and present specific findings regarding Portuguese female immigrant entrepreneurs.
