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Eugenic Rubicon Main MenuIntroductionThe introductory page for Eugenic RubiconTurning People into PaperworkLocalities: Sonoma State HospitalInteractive timeline for Sonoma State HospitalCreative Engagementsgenerative experiments with sterilization documentationCredits and ParticipantsLists the community that has been integral to this projectJacqueline Wernimontbce78f60db1628727fc0b905ad2512506798cac8Alexandra Minna Stern02eaf6970a5182f25b99ead86d8b2d4b0cbe5c21
Living Survivors and the Case for Reparations
12017-06-15T11:54:33-07:00Jacqueline Wernimontbce78f60db1628727fc0b905ad2512506798cac81938915A fact sheet detailing the estimates for living survivors and related reparations efforts.plain2017-06-19T14:11:14-07:00Jacqueline Wernimontbce78f60db1628727fc0b905ad2512506798cac8In early 2017 the Sterilization and Social Justice Lab published an article in the American Journal of Public Health calling for reparations for California's sterilization victims. You can read the full article by clicking on the link at the bottom of the page. What follows here is an overview of that piece.
In 1909, California state legislators passed a bill authorizing medical superintendents of state homes and hospitals to sterilize patients who they deemed unfit for reproduction. California went on to have the most active eugenic sterilization program in the United States, recommending over 20,000 people for the procedure (out of 60,000 total in 32 U.S. states). Poor people, people with disabilities, and Latina/os represent the communities most affected by eugenic sterilization. This law was not repealed until 1979.
Eugenic sterilization programs are now considered a major human rights abuse and California officials apologized for this historical wrong in 2003. California has a longer history of sterilization malfeasance, including the nonconsensual tubal ligations of Mexican-origin women at USC/LA County Hospital in the 1960s-1970s, and 150 unauthorized operations performed on female inmates in state prisons from 2006-2010.
Living Survivors
Our estimate is derived from a dataset of almost 20,000 procedures recommended in 1919-1952, the peak era of sterilizations. Hundreds of victims are likely still alive today: most would be 80 or older. We estimate that 18% are Latina/o, 62% female, and the majority were sterilized at Sonoma State Home or Pacific Colony.
Potential Redress
Given the advanced age of survivors, the time to act is now. California should consider following North Carolina and Virginia, states with sterilization policies that established compensation programs for victims. Furthermore, California can demonstrate leadership by exploring additional forms of redress and recognition including reproductive justice training, historical markers to honor victims, and development of K-12 curriculum to ensure the history and legacy of eugenics is not forgotten.
This page has paths:
1media/EugenicsHeaderComposite.jpg2017-06-13T15:39:03-07:00Jacqueline Wernimontbce78f60db1628727fc0b905ad2512506798cac8The Eugenic Rubicon: California's Sterilization StoriesGianna May Sanchez9Cover of digital book with splash image and authorship attribution to Jacqueline Wernimont and Alexandra Minna Sternbook_splash2018-05-03T17:18:30-07:00Gianna May Sanchez88fe1aea085f30490a4e566bc543e28c5fa3f5ca
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12017-06-16T13:28:06-07:00Jacqueline Wernimontbce78f60db1628727fc0b905ad2512506798cac8California's Sterilization Survivors: An Estimate and Call for Redress1article for the American Journal of Public Health that details estimates of 830 living sterilization survivors today.plain2017-06-16T13:28:07-07:00Jacqueline Wernimontbce78f60db1628727fc0b905ad2512506798cac8
12017-06-16T13:26:02-07:00Jacqueline Wernimontbce78f60db1628727fc0b905ad2512506798cac8LA Times Editorial1Los Angeles Times editorial on eugenics in Californiaplain2017-06-16T13:26:04-07:00Jacqueline Wernimontbce78f60db1628727fc0b905ad2512506798cac8
