Defectives in the Land: Disability and Immigration in the Age of Eugenics

"Baynton argues that screening out disability emerged as the primary objective of U.S. immigration policy during the late 19th and early 20th century." —Journal of Social History

Immigration history has largely focused on the restriction of immigrants by race and ethnicity, overlooking disability as a crucial factor in the crafting of the image of the "undesirable immigrant." Defectives in the Land, Douglas C. Baynton's groundbreaking new look at immigration and disability, aims to change...