Originating from the philosophy English intellectual Francis Galton, eugenics was introduced to the world with his book Hereditary Genius. Here he advocated for selective breeding therefore following Darwin's theory of natural selection. However, the eugenics movement didn't gain popularity in America until it was introduced through biologist Charles Davenport and former teacher Harry Laughlin.
In 1910 Davenport founded the Eugenics Records Office (ERO) with a goal "to improve the natural, physical, mental, and temperamental qualities of the human family". Field work became an important part of the ERO as they collected "data" on family pedigrees. By doing so they could see the physical, mental, and moral traits that were inherited. However, they were more interested in what they believed to be "undesirable" traits that included pauperism, mental disabilities, dwarfism, and criminal tendencies.
Its biggest victory came in the case of Buck v. Bell in which the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a state's right to forcibly sterilize a person that they believed to be unfit. This opened the door for an estimated 70,000 unwanted sterilizations. Single mothers, the disabled, immigrants, and the poor were all targeted for federally funded sterilizations in 32 states during the 20th century.
California, in particular, passed the "Asexualization Act" passed in 1909, which would eventually allow for the forced sterilization of 20,000 men and women. The state led the country in sterilizations and made up one-third of the total sterilizations that took place throughout all 32 states. As recently 2010 the state coerced 150 female inmates into being sterilized.
Many minority groups were targeted during this time as it is reported that 25-50% of Native American women were sterilized against their will between 1970-76. The California Eugenics program was driven by anti-Asian and anti-Mexican sentiments. While further south, the forced sterilization of black people was meant to halt their ever growing population. In the south, women of color were used as practice for medical students.
One of the most famous cases regarding forced sterilization came in the form of Madrigal v. Quilligan. In 1975 four women, Dolores Madrigal, Jovita Rivera, Georgina Hernandez, and Melvina Hernandez filed a class action lawsuit claiming that the Los Angeles County U.S.C. Medical Center was sterilizing Spanish-speaking women who gave birth via cesarean section. Madrigal had been told that the sterilization could be reversed, Rivera and Georgina Hernandez reported that they had been bullied into the operation by staff, and Melvina Hernandez did not know she had been sterilized until 4 years after her child's birth. The suit eventually went to trial in 1978 where Judge Jesse W. Curtis ruled that the charges were false.
The Eugenics Compensation Act was passed in 2015 with a unanimous vote through Congress in an attempt to help surviving victims of forced sterilization.
Sources:
1.http://www.nature.com/scitable/forums/genetics-generation/america-s-hidden-history-the-eugenics-movement-123919444
2.http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/03/07/469478098/the-supreme-court-ruling-that-led-to-70-000-forced-sterilizations
3.http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/unwanted-sterilization-and-eugenics-programs-in-the-united-states/
4.http://www.nytimes.com/2016/02/01/magazine/when-doctors-took-family-planning-into-their-own-hands.html?_r=0
Really interesting topic that you wrote about, since we often shy away from the dark side of American history. I see definite parallelisms with this and the Nazi's persecution of the Jewish people. In your post, you only mentioned how discrimination toward those of "color" led to their sterilization. I did some additional research and found that those of "color" were not the only people who were sterilized during this time. The sterilization of the "undesirable populations" of that era also included immigrants, poor people, unmarried mothers, the disabled, and the mentally ill. For more information read this article: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/blog/unwanted-sterilization-and-eugenics-programs-in-the-united-states/.
ReplyDeleteThis is a topic that I feel deserves a lot more spotlight than it currently does. Eugenics as a whole seems to tie into the many structures that only further oppress minorities and those perceived as "inferior." The process of sterilization you talk about is a good example of this. Even in more recent times, a 1965 survey found that around 1/3 of Puerto Rican mothers were sterilized without their knowledge. Instead of giving Puerto Ricans safe contraception, US policy promoted permanent sterilization.
ReplyDeleteI was very surprised to hear that an act was passed in 2015 regarding Eugenics because I have not heard much about it before. Not only that, but even in 2010 you said that female inmates were being coerced into sterilization. The fact that judges ruled against cases like in Buck v. Bell and Madrigal v. Quilligan. I looked up another case, Skinner v. Oklahoma, regarding sterilization as well in the Supreme Court. Under the Habitual Criminal Sterilization Act of 1935, the state could force sterilization upon convicted criminals who had been convicted 3 or more times. But in this case, the argument was that white-collar crimes, such as fraud or embezzlement, were excluded from the possible sterilization penalty. The Supreme Court argued that this Act violated the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th amendment and unanimously voted the act unconstitutional. This was a step in the right direction against sterilization, but it did not have any major changes as it did not go directly against the ruling of Buck v. Bell.
ReplyDeleteSource: https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/316/535/case.html
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