A team of researchers is looking for Californians who were sterilized, often against their will, because they were deemed "unfit" or mentally ill.
From 1909 to 1979, California's eugenics laws led to the sterilization of about 20,000 people, more than any other state, said Alexandra Minna Stern, a professor at the University of Michigan, who led the study. The idea was to to control the reproduction of people considered mentally ill, "unfit" or "feebleminded." Sterilizations were usually performed at state hospitals and institutions.
DEB WELSH: A team of researchers is looking for Californians that were sterilized, often against their will, because the state had deemed them unfit or mentally ill. KPBS Claire Trageser has more. CLAIRE TRAGESER: California’s eugenics laws led to the sterilization of about 20,000 people, more than any other state. The practice ended in 1979; the idea was to control the reproduction of those considered mentally ill. Now Alexandra Stern, a professor at the University of Michigan, is hoping to locate the more than 800 survivors she believes are still alive. She hopes that creating a record will convince California to take responsibility for what happened. ALEXANDRA STERN: It makes sense that the state should take this opportunity of having an estimate of likely living survivors to think about the possibility of reparations. CT: Stern adds she would like to see California follow the lead of other states, like Virginia and North Carolina who are compensating survivors. Claire Trageser: KPBS news.
Now Stern is going through state records to try to find survivors. She and her research team estimate that as many as 831 people could still be alive in California today.
However, those patient records are protected and are not easily accessible. But Stern said she hopes that by putting the word out, she'll hear from some survivors. She also understands that not everyone wants to go public about what happened.
"It is likely that people haven't come forward in part due to the stigma and the shame," she said. "And sometimes there are painful histories there behind what led to the sterilizations, family issues or other life circumstances that led people to be institutionalized."
But, she said, she and her team want to record the event in history. "Eugenic sterilization is an important part of California's history and it should not be forgotten. My research team is looking to preserve this history and understand its implications today."
California publicly apologized for its sterilization program in 2003, but has not offered reparations to survivors. Stern said she hopes the state will do that, following in the footsteps of North Carolina and Virginia.
"The responsibility for the state sterilization law rests with the state, so it makes sense that the state should take this opportunity of having an estimate of likely living survivors to think about the possibility of reparations," she said.
