Eugenics of the 1920's and Asturians

[Manuell Alvarez]

With the resurgence of Eugenics in this country, I now understand why my Asturian father and uncle Ramon carried pistols beginning in Anmoore from 1920 throughout their entire lives. I also suspect that many other people of different ethnicities did the same. Uncle Ramon would come to our house for visits. He carried a gym style luggage bag. When he place the bag down on the floor there was a thud of a heavy object in the bottom which we children understood was his revolver.

Dad did relate to me an incident where walking the railroad tracks after his night shift, he was jumped by three Klansman, and had to draw his pistol. I imagine that it took place in Anmoore. Further, he and one of his brothers made the mistake of taking a coal mining job in southern West Virginia where Catholics and Spanish people were not welcomed in the 1920’s.

Consequently, I also understand the driving force behind the rescinding the DACA executive order. It has an eerie parallel to the 1920’s Eugenics and the Great Depression as a way to purge America from immigration. Even if the children brought here as youngsters leave the United States, there will be no open door for coming back legally. It is not part of the Eugenics movement.

Were some of the Asturian families victims of Eugenics and the Great Depression? The same sentiment and fears about foreign nationals taking American jobs existed then as it does today. Further, others born here were victims as well. We cannot discount the role that Eugenics played in the departure of Asturians from the United States. I have roughly calculated that about 18,000 departed between the years of 1920 to 1930.