Eugenic Nation: Faults and Frontiers of Better Breeding in Modern America

Description

With an emphasis on the American West, Eugenic Nation explores the long and unsettled history of eugenics in the United States. This expanded second edition includes shocking details demonstrating that eugenics continues to inform institutional and reproductive injustice. Alexandra Minna Stern draws on recently uncovered historical records to reveal patterns of racial bias in California’s sterilization program and documents compelling individual experiences. With the addition of radically new and relevant research, this edition connects the eugenic past to the genomic present with attention to the ethical and social implications of emerging genetic technologies. Alexandra Minna Stern is Professor of American Culture, Obstetrics and Gynecology, History, and Women’s Studies at the University of Michigan. List of Illustrations Preface to the Second Edition Abbreviations Introduction 1. Race Betterment and Tropical Medicine in Imperial San Francisco 2. Quarantine and Eugenic Gatekeeping on the US-Mexican Border 3. Instituting Eugenics in California 4. “I Like to Keep My Body Whole”: Reconsidering Eugenic Sterilization in California 5. California’s Eugenic Landscapes 6. Centering Eugenics on the Family 7. Contesting Hereditarianism: Reassessing the 1960s Conclusion Notes Bibliography Acknowledgments Index