The movement that inspired the Holocaust - Alexandra Minna Stern and Natalie Lira

Translator: hafsoh larasati Reviewer: Reno Kanti Riananda

As a new widow, Sarah Rosas Garcia

Baru saja menjanda, Sarah Rosas Garcia

was already struggling to support her nine children

tengah kesulitan untuk menghidupi sembilan anaknya

when her oldest daughter was picked up by local authorities.

saat putri sulungnya ditangkap oleh otoritas setempat.

Andrea Garcia had been accused of skipping school

Andrea Garcia telah dituduh bolos sekolah

and being sexually promiscuous,

dan mempraktikkan seks bebas,

so the authorities responsible for juvenile delinquents

sehingga pihak berwenang yang mengurusi kenakalan remaja

committed her to a state hospital.

mengirimnya ke rumah sakit negara.

After being administered an IQ test and assigned a low score,

Setelah mengerjakan tes IQ dan mendapat skor yang rendah,

the doctors made their verdict.

para dokter membuat keputusan.

They told Sara her 19-year-old daughter would be sterilized

Mereka memberi tahu bahwa putri Sara yang berusia 19 tahun akan disteril

to prevent passing on what the state saw as a mental deficiency.

untuk mencegah penularan yang dipandang negara sebagai keterbelakangan mental.

This horrific tale may sound like a story from an authoritarian regime.

Cerita mengerikan ini mungkin terdengar seperti cerita dari rezim otoritas.

But in fact, it took place in Southern California in 1938.

Namun faktanya, kisah ini terjadi di California bagian selatan pada tahun 1938.

Andrea Garcia adalah salah satu dari ribuan wanita di kelompok minoritas

And Andrea Garcia was one of thousands of poor women of color

targeted by the state’s relentless campaign of eugenics.

yang menjadi sasaran kampanye eugenika tanpa henti dari negara bagian.

Since ancient Greece, there have been efforts to control human populations

Sejak zaman Yunani kuno, telah ada upaya mengontrol populasi manusia

via reproduction, retaining some traits and removing others.

dengan reproduksi; mempertahankan sifat tertentu dan menghilangkan yang lain.

But in the 19th century, the discovery of evolution and genetics

Namun, pada abad ke 19, penemuan evolusi dan genetika

inspired a new scientific movement dedicated to this endeavor.

menginspirasi gerakan ilmiah baru yang didedikasikan untuk usaha ini.

In 1883, British scientist Sir Francis Galton

Pada 1883, ilmuwan Inggris, Sir Francis Galton

named this idea eugenics,

menamai ide ini eugenika,

drawn from the Greek word for “to be well born.”

diambil dari kata Bahasa Yunani “terlahir dengan baik.”

This wave of modern eugenicists included prominent scientists

Gelombang modern ahli eugenika ini termasuk ilmuwan terkemuka

and progressive reformers who believed they could improve society

dan para reformis progresif yang percaya bahwa mereka dapat memperbaiki masyarakat

by ensuring that only desirable traits were passed down.

dengan memastikan bahwa hanya sifat-sifat yang diinginkan yang diturunkan.

However, their definition of what traits were and were not desirable

Namun, definisi mereka terhadap sifat yang diinginkan dan tidak

was largely determined by the prejudices of their era.

sebagian besar ditentukan prasangka pada zaman mereka.

Entire categories of people were considered “unfit” for reproduction,

Seluruh kategori dari orang yang dianggap “tak layak” untuk bereproduksi,

including immigrants, people of color and people with disabilities.

antara lain imigran, orang kulit berwarna, dan orang dengan disabilitas.

Meanwhile, their ideal genetic standard reflected the movement’s members:

Sementara, standar genetik ideal mereka mencerminkan anggota gerakan tersebut:

white Europeans of Nordic or Anglo-Saxon descent.

orang Eropa kulit putih keturunan Nordik atau Anglo-Saxon.

As the influence of eugenics spread in the early 20th century,

Akibat dari pengaruh penyebaran eugenika pada awal abad 20,

many countries restricted immigration and outlawed interracial unions.

banyak negara membatasi imigrasi dan melarang serikat pekerja antar ras.

These measures to improve so-called “racial hygiene”

Langkah untuk meningkatkan apa yang disebut “racial hygiene” ini

were taken to their horrific conclusion in Nazi Germany.

diartikan dengan cara mengerikan oleh Nazi Jerman.

The Nazi eugenics campaign systematically killed millions of Jews,

Kampanya eugenika Nazi secara sistematis membunuh jutaan Yahudi,

as well as individuals from other groups,

juga individu dari kelompok lain,

including Roma, gay men, and people with disabilities.

termasuk Roma, pria gay, dan orang dengan disabilitas.

Outside their extreme brutality, however,

Namun, di luar kebrutalan ekstrim mereka,

Nazi eugenic policies reflected similar standards across the globe.

kebijakan eugenika Nazi mencerminkan standar serupa di seluruh dunia.

Throughout the mid-20th century,

Sepanjang pertengahan abad ke-20,

many countries enacted eugenics policies,

banyak negara memberlakukan kebijakan eugenika,

and governments in Sweden, Canada, and Japan

dan pemerintah di Swedia, Kanada, dan Jepang

forcibly sterilized thousands of individuals.

mensterilkan ribuan individu secara paksa.

Sterilization was exceptionally common in the US.

Sterilisasi sangat umum di AS.

From 1907 to 1979,

Dari 1907 hingga 1979,

US policies enforced the sterilization of over 60,000 people,

kebijakan AS memaksa sterilisasi lebih dari 60.000 orang,

with 32 states passing laws that mandated sterilization

dengan 32 negara bagian mengeluarkan undang-undang yang mengamanatkan

for men and women deemed “mentally defective.”

sterilisasi untuk pria dan wanita yang dianggap “cacat mental.”

This label was typically applied based on superficial mental health diagnoses

Label ini biasanya diterapkan berdasarkan diagnosis kesehatan mental yang dangkal

and the results of IQ tests,

dan hasil tes IQ,

which were linguistically and culturally biased against most immigrant populations.

yang bias secara linguistik dan budaya terhadap sebagian besar populasi imigran.

These racist standards were particularly problematic in California.

Standar rasis ini sangat bermasalah di California.

From 1920 to 1945, Latina women were 59% more likely to be sterilized

Dari tahun 1920 hingga 1945, wanita berdarah Latin

59% lebih mungkin untuk disterilkan dibandingkan wanita lain.

than other women.

And the rate of sterilizations in California was incredibly high—

Dan tingkat sterilisasi di California sangat tinggi—

this single state performed over one third of the country’s sterilization operations.

negara bagian ini melaksanakan lebih dari sepertiga

operasi sterilisasi di seluruh Amerika Serikat.

Such was the case of Andrea Garcia,

Demikian halnya dengan Andrea Garcia,

whose story reflects thousands of individuals with similar fates.

yang kisahnya mencerminkan ribuan individu dengan nasib serupa.

With the help of famed civil rights lawyer David Marcus,

Dengan bantuan pengacara hak-hak sipil terkenal David Marcus,

Andrea’s mother argued that California’s sterilization law

ibu Andrea berpendapat bahwa undang-undang sterilisasi California

violated the US Constitution,

melanggar Konstitusi AS,

depriving Andrea of her rights to equal protection under the law.

merampas hak Andrea atas perlindungan yang sama di bawah hukum.

However, while one of the three judges overseeing the case voted to spare Andrea,

Namun, meski salah satu dari tiga hakim yang mengawasi kasus

memilih untuk membebaskan Andrea, dua lainnya tidak.

the other two did not.

Records suggests it’s possible Andrea escaped the impending surgery,

Rekaman data menunjukkan ada kemungkinan Andrea berhasil lolos dari operasi,

but many more victims of these policies did not.

tetapi masih lebih banyak korban yang tidak berhasil lolos.

Although eugenics acquired negative connotations

Meskipun eugenika memperoleh konotasi negatif

after the horrors of World War II,

setelah keganasan Perang Dunia II,

many of its practices, including sterilization, continued for decades.

banyak dari praktiknya, termasuk sterilisasi,

berlanjut selama beberapa dekade.

By the late 1960s, research into human genetics was more nuanced,

Pada akhir 1960-an, penelitian tentang genetika manusia lebih bernuansa,

and bioethics had begun to blunt eugenics’ influence.

dan bioetika mulai menumpulkan pengaruh eugenika.

Yet Sweden and the US continued to pursue involuntary sterilization

Namun, Swedia dan AS terus melakukan sterilisasi paksa

well into the 70s.

hingga tahun 70-an.

Finally, class action lawsuits and protest marches in the US galvanized lawmakers,

Akhirnya, gugatan class action

dan pawai protes terhadap anggota parlemen AS

and California’s sterilization laws were finally repealed in 1979.

dan undang-undang sterilisasi California akhirnya dicabut pada tahun 1979.

Unfortunately today,

Sayangnya, saat ini,

the legal and illegal sterilization of many oppressed communities

sterilisasi legal dan ilegal dari banyak komunitas tertindas

still continues around the globe.

masih berlanjut di seluruh dunia.