Eugenics and Intelligence Quotient Test: Flawed Assumptions Leading To Human Rights Violation and Lasting Impact on Society

 Yerim Sophia Jin

Emma Willard School

Abstract

Early in the 20th century, the eugenics movement and intelligence testing in the United States were shaped by a complex sequence of historical events and ideologies. After the immigration spike of the 1910s and 1920s, restrictive immigration laws were enacted. The Immigration Acts were primarily prompted by concerns about job competition and societal integration. Based on
flawed assumptions about inheritance and intelligence, the idea of Eugenics played a significant role in enacting the Immigration Acts. The eugenics movement led to human rights violation and a lasting societal impact. This paper examines the motives of the eugenics movements, its
consequences in the 19th and 20th centuries, and its lasting implications for American society.

Please click to read the paper.