State Sanctioned Study
At the time, those deemed mentally defective by standard, non-eugenic methods, were often classified as wards of their state of residence. This meant that the state had assumed full responsibility, both financial and otherwise, of patients suffering from disorders such as Down syndrome and autism. Eventually, with eugenics becoming increasingly embraced on a governmental level, eugenic analysts gained access to the wards, mostly for the purpose of analysis.
The vast amounts of data collected was compiled at the Eugenics Record Office, and was used for a variety of eugenic policy means, such as in Harry Laughlin’s successful lobbying for immigration restriction, as based on eugenic metrics, primarily immigrants and other non-whites were deemed feeble-minded and insane. This was due mostly to their race, and how it had led to collection bias among the researchers, as opposed to their actual IQ average. Those immigrants who were not deemed ‘mongoloids’ or otherwise near-totally disabled were often still deemed feebleminded. Those who were considered such were the main source of consternation for eugenicists, as those believed as such could ‘blend in’ with those not ‘feeble,’ and corrupt the genes of the future generations, as opposed to those in greater stages of ‘imbecility,’ whom would likely have little luck, in the eugenicists’ eyes, of forming any real relationship with ‘able-minded’ individuals, let alone produce offspring ("Eugenics Archive").
The vast amounts of data collected was compiled at the Eugenics Record Office, and was used for a variety of eugenic policy means, such as in Harry Laughlin’s successful lobbying for immigration restriction, as based on eugenic metrics, primarily immigrants and other non-whites were deemed feeble-minded and insane. This was due mostly to their race, and how it had led to collection bias among the researchers, as opposed to their actual IQ average. Those immigrants who were not deemed ‘mongoloids’ or otherwise near-totally disabled were often still deemed feebleminded. Those who were considered such were the main source of consternation for eugenicists, as those believed as such could ‘blend in’ with those not ‘feeble,’ and corrupt the genes of the future generations, as opposed to those in greater stages of ‘imbecility,’ whom would likely have little luck, in the eugenicists’ eyes, of forming any real relationship with ‘able-minded’ individuals, let alone produce offspring ("Eugenics Archive").