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OO3BE] 4 UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA Ef DE MEXICO OO3BE] 4 UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL AUTONOMA ef DE MEXICO , FACULTAD DE CIENCIAS DIVISION DE ESTUDIOS DE POSGRADO ALGUNOS ASPECTOS DE LA ESTERILIZACION EUGENETICA EN CALIFORNIA, DE 1900 a 1929. T E S I S QUE PARA OBTENER EL GRADO ACADEMICO DE MAESTRA EN CIENCIAS (BIOLOGIA) P R E $ E N T OA BIOL. MA. ALICIA VILLELA GONZALEZ DIRECTORA DE TESIS: DRA. EDNA SUAREZ DIAZ — MEXICO, D, F, 4999 TESIS CON | yan ALLA DE ORIGEN , UNAM – Dirección General de Bibliotecas Tesis Digitales Restricciones de uso DERECHOS RESERVADOS © PROHIBIDA SU REPRODUCCIÓN TOTAL O PARCIAL Todo el material contenido en esta tesis esta protegido por la Ley Federal del Derecho de Autor (LFDA) de los Estados Unidos Mexicanos (México). El uso de imágenes, fragmentos de videos, y demás material que sea objeto de protección de los derechos de autor, será exclusivamente para fines educativos e informativos y deberá citar la fuente donde la obtuvo mencionando el autor o autores. Cualquier uso distinto como el lucro, reproducción, edición o modificación, será perseguido y sancionado por el respectivo titular de los Derechos de Autor. INDICE Agradecimientos Introduccion =p 1 Capitulo 1 1.1 La eugenesia como objeto de estudio de la historia p.8 1.2 La perspectiva de este trabajo p.17 2.0 Origenes de la eugenesia Introduccié6n p.20 2.1 Creacion del Banco Antropométrico p.22 2.1 Biometristas darwinianos p.29 2 3 El movimiento de eugenesia en los Estados Unidos p.31 2.3 1 Principales Lideres del movimiento de eugenesia en los Estados Unidos. Charles Davenport p 32 2.3.2. Harry Hamilton Laughlin. Superintendente de la ERO p 38 23.3 Henry Goddard p.42 2.4 Esterilizacién por eugenesia en los Estados Unidos p.49 Intermezzo p55 3.0 Esterilizacion por eugenesia en California Introduccién p 64 3.1 Las Leyes de esterilizacién en California p.69 3.2 Paul Popenoe 8. Lider de! movimiento de eugenesia en California p 77 3 3 Centros de esterilizacién por eugenesia en California p.82 4.0 Conclusiones p.93 Apéndice p.105 Bibliografia p.136 AGRADECIMIENTOS Durante los afios en los que realicé esta tesis, tuve la gran oportunidad de conocer a un gran ndmero de personas que me dieron una enorme ayuda tanto a nivel profesional como afectiva. En primer lugar quisiera dedicarle la tesis al Profesor William R.Taylor del departamento de Historia en la Universidad de Stony Brook, N.Y. quién me ensefié no sdlo como ser una historiadora sino él que ademas me impuls6 a emprender el estudio del proyecto de eugenesia en California. A las inseparables Edna Suarez y Ana Barahona por su enorme apoyo profesional, su carifio y sus comentarios. Sin los cuales no hubiera podido terminar esta tesis. A mis compafieros del Depto. de historia de Stony Brook, Angélica, Steve, y Alberto por todas las tardes que pasamos en los archivos de la biblioteca, por sus sugerencias y comentarios. A los profesores Ruth S.Cowan y J. Roshental. También a Raymond Tice cuando estaba en Brookhaven National Laboratory, por su apoyo incondicional durante los afios en los que trabajé en su taboratorio y que me permitieron ver que en gringolandia también hay gente a todo dar. En especial a Sarita Elizondo de quién en tan sdlo pocos afios he reaprendido los placeres de ser nifio A Javier Elizondo, por supuesto en recuerdo de afios pasados de aventuras fantasticas en donde juntos aprendimos el placer de Ja vida. A Salvador Gerardo, Paty Candelaria, tsela Villela y Atzimba por ser incondicionales amigos. A mi madre Celia, por todo el apoyo que siempre me brinda Agradezco también a Paul Popenoe, Jr. de la Universidad de Rutgers por darme acceso a la informacion familiar de su padre que fue el lider del proyecto de eugenesia en Califomia. A todos éstos y muchos mas que ya no menciono, les doy las gracias infinitas. ITACA Si vas a emprender el viaje hacia Itaca, Pide que tu camino sea largo, Rico en experiencias, en conocimiento. A lestrigones y a Ciclopes, O al airado Poseidén nunca temas, No hallaras tales seres en tu ruta Si alto es tu pensamiento y limpia La emocién de tu espiritu y tu cuerpo A lestrigones y a Ciclopes, Ni al fiero Poseidén hallaras nunca, Sino tos llevas dentro de tu alma, Sino es tu alma quien ante ti los pone. Pide que tu camino sea largo. Que numerosas sean las mafianas de verano En que con placer, felizmente Arribes a bahias nunca vistas; Detente en fos emporios de Fenicia Y adquiere hermosas mercancias Madreperla y coral, y Ambar y ébano, Perfumes deliciosos y diversos, Cuanto puedas invierte en voluptuosos y delicados perfumes Visita muchas ciudades de Egipto Y con avidez aprende de sus sabios Ten siempre a ltaca en la memoria. Llegar es tu meta. Mas no apresures el viaje. Mejor que se extienda a !argos afios; Y en tu vejez arribes a |a isla Con cuanto hayas ganado en et camino, Sin esperar que Itaca te enriquezca. ltaca te regaié un hermoso viaje Sin ella el camino no hubieras emprendido. Mas ninguna otra cosa puede darte. Aunque pobre fa encuentres, no te engafiara Itaca. Rico en saber y en vida, como has vuelto, Comprendes ya qué significan las Itacas. KONSTANTINO KAVAFIS INTRODUCCION Esta tesis se centra en el estudio del movimiento de eugenesia que se llevé a cabo durante las primeras décadas de este siglo en California, Estados Unidos El término eugenesia, como veremos en el primer capitulo fue acufiado por Francis Galton en 1883 en Inglaterra para referirse a las practicas y conocimientos cuya finalidad era "mejorar" la estructura hereditaria de ja humanidad a través de apareamientos dirigidos. Este proyecto tuvd profundas raices en el pensaniiento inglés del siglo XIX pero se desarroll6 en forma diferencial en los distintos contextos a lo largo del siglo XX. Antes de abordar el andlisis historiografico de los trabajos de Galton y de sus seguidores en los Estados Unidos, es importante diferenciar los tipos de eugenesia a los que nos referiremos, ya que dentro de estos tipos existen dos corentes principales de eugenetistas. Los eugenetistas que se identificaron con el término de eugenesia negativa buscaban detener la propagacién de individuos portadores de alguna deficiencia heredable, ya fuera en ellos mismos o bien que pudiera ser transmitida a sus descendientes . Con esta finalidad, buscaban implementar una serie de medidas para poder disminuir la frecuencia de "rasgos indeseables” en fa poblacién. La manera mas efectiva de lievar a cabo este objetivo consistia en evitar la reproduccién de individuos capaces de transmitir los rasgos asociados con la presencia de aigtin tipo de padecimiento hereditario. El desarrollo de un programa de esterilizacién dirigido hacia cualquier individuo en el que se sospechara la presencia de algun tipo de alteracién heredable, fue una de las propuestas impulsadas por la corriente de eugenetistas vinculados con la llamada eugenesia negativa. Por su parte, a través de la eugenesia positiva, se buscaba en cambio mejorar la especie humana mediante Ja reproduccién dirigida de individuos, genéticamente mejor dotados. En esta forma, el sector de eugenetistas a favor de este proyecto buscaron no sdlo incrementar las caracteristicas o rasgos "distintivos” en la especie humana, sino ademas la posibilidad de mantenerlas a través de subsecuentes generaciones. Se buscaba sobre todo proporcionar algun beneficio a la sociedad. La gran mayoria de los eugenetistas consideraba que la sociedad se encontraba ante el riesgo de deterioro bioldgico, por lo que era importante tomar una serie de iniciativas diversas que permitieran detener Jos peligros de este deterioro y asi garantizar el mejoramiento de la especie humana. Como ya mencioné anteriormente esta tesis se centra en la reconstruccién histérica del movimiento de eugenesia en los Estados Unidos, particularmente en los aspectos mas relevantes que se presentaron en el estado de California durante las primeras décadas del siglo veinte (Gosney and Popence, 1929). Ello requiere el estudio de los eugenetistas que se identificaron con la corriente negativa, por ser estos los que durante las primeras tres décadas de este siglo tuvieron un mayor impacto en la promulgacién de Leyes que buscaban frenar el supuesto deterioro bioldgico. En efecto, este movimiento de eugenesia negativa llevé a cabo fa esterilizacién de por lo menos 6,000 personas en California, entre los afios de 1909 a 1929 (aunque las cifras puedan alcanzar hasta por lo menos 10,000 personas) cuyos rasgos fueron considerados como indeseables para la sociedad estadounidense. Para llevar a cabo el analisis historiografico del proyecto de eugenesia en California, he consultado muy diversas fuentes primarias que se publicaron durante el periodo que va desde finales del siglo diecinueve a las primeras décadas del siglo veinte. La mayoria de los textos originales pertenecen a las publicaciones, reportes, o libros, que eugenetistas en tos Estados Unidos dieron a conocer en revistas, conferencias, universidades, asi como en los congresos organizados por {a propia comunidad de investigadores vinculados con fas ciencias biolégicas También incorporé otras fuentes secundarias resultado del trabajo de historiadores interesados por el tema de la eugenesia, lo que me permitié tener una idea del impacto que tuvieron las ideas asociadas al nombre de Francis Galton en otros paises. La estructura de este trabajo de tesis se desarrolla en cuatro capitulos y un apéndice. En primer lugar, en el capitulo 1 me refiero a ta importancia que recientemente tomé el estudio del movimiento de eugenesia y de Ia llamada ciencia de ja eugenesia cémo objeto de estudio en la historia de la biologia. Se sefialan algunos de los trabajos publicados por diversos historiadores en los ultimo afios, para mostrar como todos ellos, aunque adoptando distintos matices y enfoques acerca de la ciencia de la eugenesia, ya fuera por paises, periodos, o por {a diversidad de sus miembros, en su mayoria apoyaron la nocién de que el movimiento de eugenesia se distinguié por dos periodos importantes: un periodo de auge y otro periodo de caida o descrédito del proyecto de eugenesia.
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