FAQ.
Queries, requests for information, etc.
What years do your records cover?
Our research about survivors and eugenic sterilization primarily focuses on the period from the 1920s to the 1950s.
Can I request Access to records or datasets from your research?
While we do grant access to our datasets and records, these requests are handled on a case-by-case basis. In the interest of balancing responsible data stewardship over sensitive personal information and open communication of important historical knowledge, we are limited in the types of data and records we are able to share. Furthermore, each state has their own set of privacy and protection laws that we must follow.
In California, for example, records 75 years or older from the California state archives are open to research under the California Public Records Act and laws protecting individual privacy under the Information Practices Act. However, other states like Iowa have stricter policies regarding access and sharing of similar files.
While we are unable to provide access to all records and datasets, we are more than happy to guide you to the appropriate repository or archive where you can visit or contact directly about access to specific files.
In California, for example, records 75 years or older from the California state archives are open to research under the California Public Records Act and laws protecting individual privacy under the Information Practices Act. However, other states like Iowa have stricter policies regarding access and sharing of similar files.
While we are unable to provide access to all records and datasets, we are more than happy to guide you to the appropriate repository or archive where you can visit or contact directly about access to specific files.
Can You look UP a specific record or Person for me?
If you would like us to look up a specific person or record, please fill out our information request form. We generally only pull records for family members or for searches related to the California Victims' Compensation Board. To find a record, the key information we need are name, location, and age or date of birth.
Can you put me in contact with survivors?
Our policy is to not give out any contact or identifying information of sterilization survivors. Instead, for survivor perspectives and stories, we recommend checking out No Más Bebes, Belly of the Beast, Wicked Silence, Amá, Reproduction on the Reservation by Brianna Theobald, A Whisper Past by Leilani Muir, and “‘You Just Feel Like Nothing’: California to Pay Sterilization Victims” by Amanda Morris in The New York Times.
