California Owes Reparations To Victims Of Forced Race & Intellectual-Based Sterilization, Study Finds

Historians want to mobilize reparation efforts for California sterilization victims who suffered under a government-mandated program in the early 1900s.

A new American Journal of Public Health report titled, “California’s Sterilization Survivors: An Estimate and Call for Redress,” examines the scope of the state’s sterilization recommendations.

Sterilization was an option spurred by eugenics––a controversial practice aimed at controlling the genetic population by encouraging reproduction among those with traits deemed “desirable.” Back in the day, eugenics leaders advocated for population control solely based on intellectual acumen and race.