EUGENICS, ZYKLON B AND THE DISCOURSE OF INFESTATION AT THE MEXICO-UNITED STATES BORDER (1917-1929)

Abstract

This article examines the convergence between eugenic ideas and public policies in the United States between 1917 and 1929. In a global context where eugenics justified racial violence and exclusion, the United States used this ideology to treat Mexican migrants as a “human pest”. Under the pretext of eliminating infestations and diseases, Zyklon B (a gas later infamous for its use in the Nazi Holocaust) was used as a tool to disinfect migrants and their belongings. The text explores the history of eugenics, its roots in social and biological theories, and how these notions contributed to practices that dehumanized various populations. Additionally, it reveals parallels with contemporary immigration policies, analyzing the implications of these ideas in the construction of borders and population control.