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

譯者: Camila Lin 審譯者: Thomas Tam

As a new widow, Sarah Rosas Garcia

剛喪夫的莎拉‧羅莎斯‧卡西亞

was already struggling to support her nine children

已為扶養九個小孩而焦頭爛額，

when her oldest daughter was picked up by local authorities.

她的長女又在這時被地方政府盯上。

Andrea Garcia had been accused of skipping school

安德莉亞‧卡西亞被指控輟學，

and being sexually promiscuous,

且性生活放蕩，

so the authorities responsible for juvenile delinquents

所以負責青少年罪犯的權責機關

committed her to a state hospital.

將她送到州立醫院。

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

他們要她作智力測驗， 而在她取得低分後，

the doctors made their verdict.

醫生們做出判決。

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

他們告訴莎拉， 她十九歲的女兒將被絕育

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

以免她將州政府定義的 「心智缺陷」遺傳給下一代。

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

雖然這恐怖的故事聽來 像是某個專制政權下的產物，

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

但這卻是 1938 年 南加州發生的真實故事。

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

而安德莉亞也只是數千名 有色又窮困的女性之一，

targeted by the state’s relentless campaign of eugenics.

她們都是政府嚴格執行 優生運動的犧牲者。

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

自古希臘時期，人們便採用各種方法，

via reproduction, retaining some traits and removing others.

希望藉生育作留下或剔除某些人口特質。

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

但在 19 世紀 人們發現進化論與基因後，

inspired a new scientific movement dedicated to this endeavor.

一個嶄新、為控制人類特質的 科學運動誕生了。

In 1883, British scientist Sir Francis Galton

1883 年，英國科學家 法蘭西斯‧高爾頓爵士，

named this idea eugenics,

將這個想法命名為「優生學」，

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

取自希臘文的「優生」。

This wave of modern eugenicists included prominent scientists

這波現代優生學家，包含著名科學家

and progressive reformers who believed they could improve society

及思想先進改革者。 他們相信，

by ensuring that only desirable traits were passed down.

若能確保傳承理想的特徵，來改善社會。

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

但是他們對「好」特質的定義，

was largely determined by the prejudices of their era.

卻受到他們身處年代偏見的嚴重影響。

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

他們貼上「低劣」標籤的群體

including immigrants, people of color and people with disabilities.

包含移民、有色人種與殘障人士。

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

而他們的理想基因標準， 也反映出這個運動支持者的樣貌：

white Europeans of Nordic or Anglo-Saxon descent.

具北歐或盎格魯-撒克遜 血統的歐洲白人。

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

20 世紀早期，優生學影響世界各地，

many countries restricted immigration and outlawed interracial unions.

許多國家都限制移民或非法人士 與當地人的異族通婚。

These measures to improve so-called “racial hygiene”

這些為達「種族優生」目標的方法，

were taken to their horrific conclusion in Nazi Germany.

讓納粹德國得出了一個可怕的結論。

The Nazi eugenics campaign systematically killed millions of Jews,

納粹優生學運動， 系統性地殺害了數百萬猶太人

as well as individuals from other groups,

及其他團體，

including Roma, gay men, and people with disabilities.

包含羅馬人、同性戀者與殘障人士。

Outside their extreme brutality, however,

但先撇開他們驚人的殘暴性不談，

Nazi eugenic policies reflected similar standards across the globe.

納粹優生學政策的標準， 其實是全球共通的標準。

Throughout the mid-20th century,

在 20 世紀中期，

many countries enacted eugenics policies,

許多國家都推行優生學政策，

and governments in Sweden, Canada, and Japan

瑞典、加拿大與日本等國家，

forcibly sterilized thousands of individuals.

都對數千人進行強迫性絕育手術。

Sterilization was exceptionally common in the US.

而絕育在美國更加常見。

From 1907 to 1979,

從 1907 到 1979 年間，

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

美國的優生政策迫使六萬多人被絕育，

with 32 states passing laws that mandated sterilization

因為有 32 個州都通過法條，

for men and women deemed “mentally defective.”

可依法將被評為 「心智缺陷」的男女絕育。

This label was typically applied based on superficial mental health diagnoses

「心智缺陷」的判斷基準， 通常奠基於膚淺的心理衛生診斷

and the results of IQ tests,

及智力測驗的結果，

which were linguistically and culturally biased against most immigrant populations.

但這些檢查在語言和文化上 都明顯歧視移民。

These racist standards were particularly problematic in California.

這些充滿種族歧視的標準， 在加州造成的問題又特別嚴重。

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

從 1920 到 1945 年， 拉丁裔女性被絕育的機率比其他女性

高出 59% 。

than other women.

And the rate of sterilizations in California was incredibly high—

而且加州的絕育率高得驚人：

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

加州進行的絕育手術次數， 就占了全國總數的 33% 以上。

Such was the case of Andrea Garcia,

安德莉亞便是其中一名受害者，

whose story reflects thousands of individuals with similar fates.

而她的故事也反映了 其他數千名女性相同的命運。

With the help of famed civil rights lawyer David Marcus,

在知名民權律師 大衛‧馬可斯的幫助下，

Andrea’s mother argued that California’s sterilization law

安德莉亞的母親表示加州的絕育法案

violated the US Constitution,

違反美國憲法，

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

剝奪憲法賦予安德莉亞 同等保護的權利。

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

然而，負責此案的三位法官中， 僅有一位同意釋放安德莉亞，

the other two did not.

其他兩位法官仍然反對。

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

根據紀錄，安德莉亞很可能 逃過了即將施行的絕育手術，

but many more victims of these policies did not.

但許多此法案的受害者卻無法倖免。

Although eugenics acquired negative connotations

雖然優生學隱含許多負面意義，

after the horrors of World War II,

但在二次世界大戰之後，

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

許多如絕育手術般的優生政策， 仍持續實施數十年。

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

在 1960 年代晚期， 人類基因研究的方向產生細微改變，

and bioethics had begun to blunt eugenics’ influence.

生物倫理學也開始沖淡優生學的影響。

Yet Sweden and the US continued to pursue involuntary sterilization

但瑞典和美國仍推行非自願絕育手術，

well into the 70s.

直到 1970 年代才停止。

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

最後，集體訴訟及反對示威， 震驚了美國的立法者，

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

加州的絕育法終於 在 1979 年廢止。

Unfortunately today,

不幸的是，到了現代，

the legal and illegal sterilization of many oppressed communities

不論合法與否， 對受壓迫群體進行的絕育手術，

still continues around the globe.

仍然在世界各地發生。