Dark History of Deceptive Sterilization of Thousands of Latinos Weighs on COVID-19 Vaccinations

March 18, 2021

(The Hill) – In a survey conducted by the Kaiser Family Foundation from Jan. 11 to 18, 6 out of 10 “Black and Hispanic adults say they do not have enough information about where to get the vaccine, compared to about half of White adults who say the same,” according to a press release. A demographic analysis released in February by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that Black and Hispanic Americans are underrepresented among vaccinated Americans. But access to health care is only part of the picture. The other part is a history of abuse at the hands of the scientific and medical communities that has led to a deep mistrust among communities of color. For many Latino Americans, especially the more than 15 million living in California, the state’s ugly history of eugenics is just one generation removed — although it was a generation lost.