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Today is the 1st day of " #LatinxHeritageMonth" and we're spending it reminding ppl tht forced sterilization of our community is genocide that has been happening to Black, Brown, & Indigenous ppls since this country's founding. If ur surprised u haven't been paying attention...
From legislation like the Hyde Amendement 2 fake clinics, there has been a long effort in this country to block POC from controlling their bodies. Despite being "pro life" many are just obsessed with controlling our bodies. Case in point: https://twitter.com/LatinaInstitute/status/1291779074822746114?s=20
Every Puerto Rican is a miracle! Have you read abt the tests in PR? AND in 2013 the @CIRonline reported that women incarcerated in a California prison had been illegally sterilized. @oboshealth discussed his history here: https://www.ourbodiesourselves.org/book-excerpts/health-article/forced-sterilization/
In the 1790s, the Naturalization Act restricted citizenship to "free white persons." This was a precursor to a long history of denying noon citizens their BASIC rights: https://twitter.com/LatinaInstitute/status/1174692328541437952?s=20
Here's another reminder that poc have BEEN fighting against sterilization: "In the mid 70’s, Mexican-origin women in Los Angeles who were fed up with coercive sterilization practices began to organize..." https://www.latinainstitute.org/en/content/latinas-and-sterilization-article
Let's not lie. The practice of sterilization abuse is tied to the eugenics movement. Period. This movement has historically sought to control the autonomy of individuals especially persons incarcerated, persons w disabilities, individuals with low-incomes, Black ppl, and poc.
FACT: Between 1964-1981, ~ 65% of ppl sterilized in North Carolina were Black ppl and the 'Indian Health Services' coercively sterilized an estimated 25,000 Native ppl by 1975 without their informed consent!! This BEEN happening. Activists have BEEN screaming.
Again, denying repro rights to poc - especially Black ppl- isn't new. In 2017 @TheAtlantic reported tht "only 7% of non-citizens in the U.S. are black, but they make up 20% of those facing deportation" this is what we mean by im/migrant rights=repro rights=racial justice
"im/migrants" are historically targetted... but we live on stolen land 
https://twitter.com/LatinaInstitute/status/1192464271956987904?s=20
https://twitter.com/LatinaInstitute/status/1192464271956987904?s=20
Denying abortions and sterilization is 2 sides of the same coin. As @AngryBlackLady has said "It's a dichotomy b/w the ways woc are infantilized, esp poor woc... and that includes oftentimes forcibly sterilizing them. They infantilize women of color on the one hand...
...but then they also demonize them, right? So, as soon as that baby is born, it becomes, "Well, why are you having all these children? Are you just trying to collect a welfare check?"
To keep learning abt reproductive justice or lack there of in this country, we suggest checking out @SisterSong_WOC @DorothyERoberts @colorlatina @RBraceySherman @BAJItweet @BlackWomensRJ & any of your local RJ orgs.
We MUST call to #ShutDownIrwin. Check out orgs doing the work in Georgia: @ProjectSouth @GADetWatch @GLAHR_
