“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.

The Eugenics Archive includes several examples of how African Americans endured dehumanizing scrutiny, categorization, and labeling at the hands of eugenicists and other Americans. Eugenicists believed that race mixing (miscegenation) produced “mongrels” and would lead to the decline of the “higher” white race; some strived to identify and register the race of all individuals to prevent it. “The New Virginia Law to Preserve Racial Integrity” was enacted in 1924 and provided racial definitions — terms like “mulatto”, “quadroon”, “octoroon”, and “sambo” — to identify mixed races and prevent intermarriage. Several other states passed similar laws and many had penalties for miscegenation — fines and/or prison terms of up to 10 years.

Race-mixing pedigree

Chromosome of Man

Eugenicists emphasized the supposed genetic differences among races and ignored the social and economic factors that might account for differences in behavior and customs. They attempted to apply science to the “color problem,” creating pedigrees and visualizing chromosomes to highlight race differences. Eugenicists lost credibility by focusing on race. Humans have very similar DNA and only a handful of genes determine the skin, hair, and eye characteristics that distinguish “races.”

Explore the topics “Race Mixing and Marriage Laws” and “Race and Ethnicity” in the Archive for more on eugenics and race.