Eugenics Word of the Day: Miscegenation
Recent news has again brought eugenics into present day politics. The GOP has decided not to endorse the candidacy in New York of Jim Russell for congress due his views published in a paper about 10 years ago. All funding, volunteers, and any other resources are being withdrawn. Russell’s comments about interracial marriage are drawing the most attention:
“In the midst of this onslaught against our youth, parents need to be reminded that they have a natural obligation, as essential as providing food and shelter, to instill in their children an acceptance of appropriate ethnic boundaries for socialization and for marriage.”
Almost 100 years ago, eugenicists were very concerned with race mixing. In 1913, 29 states had laws forbidding mixed-race marriages, and 22 penalized for miscegenation — with fines and/or prison terms. Eugenicists actively supported the strengthening of old laws and the enactment of new ones such as the Virginia Integrity Act of 1924, which prohibited marriage between a white person and anyone with a trace of blood other than Caucasian. It took until 1967 for these laws to be dissolved.
Anti-miscegenation Laws of the Several States - 1932
Visit the Eugenics Archive and explore the “Race Mixing and Marriage Laws”, “Mate Selection and Counseling”, and “Race and Ethnicity” topics, which are sadly rich with examples of these beliefs.
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