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A review by chaosmavin
A Disability History of the United States by Kim E. Nielsen
3.0
Generally speaking I think this is a good intro book for understanding the basics of disability in America from it's early history. The book does end in somewhat present time the vast majority of the book is spent in the beginnings with indigenous history as it relates to disability and tribal acceptance and colonial America around the 1400s. It's a relatively short book so I wasn't quite prepared to start that far back and by starting that far back there was a lot of history that got glossed over quickly instead of having a deeper dive. I do think it's a good weed and I was particularly intrigued by the history between 1890 and 1927 pertaining to immigrants. I have never in all of my learning around racism, sexism, homophobia and antisemitism been exposed to how immigration law at this time used disability as a mechanism to exclude so many immigrants. And this wasn't just about people with obvious disabilities like being in mobile or blind… The book relates a story of a gentleman whose penis was on the small side and immigration officials declared him perverted and deported him on the basis he would likely engage in immoral relationships. So essentially immigration officers of the day what size you up in the clear whatever they could if they found you and worthy. Another story she related is of a Jewish pan with a hump back who who is being sponsored and had a job yet immigration declared that sSo essentially immigration officers of the day what size you up in the clear whatever they could if they found you and worthy. Another story she related is of a Jewish man with a hump back who who is being sponsored and had a job yet immigration declared that he was unable to work and would be a burden on society he was unable to work and would be a burden on society.
The book does a great job telling you how horrible the general population and most especially government treated and excluded sometimes brutalized people with disabilities. Comes up short though when it gets to the disability rights movement and while it mentions some of the great leaders of the movement it never really goes into detail about them.
It's a quick read and there are many valuable sources cited, I'm just sorry that she didn't write a longer book with more details and deeper dives into everything that went on from the 60s to today which has move the needle for so many people who don't actually know the history of the rights they now have and who fight for them to have them.
The book does a great job telling you how horrible the general population and most especially government treated and excluded sometimes brutalized people with disabilities. Comes up short though when it gets to the disability rights movement and while it mentions some of the great leaders of the movement it never really goes into detail about them.
It's a quick read and there are many valuable sources cited, I'm just sorry that she didn't write a longer book with more details and deeper dives into everything that went on from the 60s to today which has move the needle for so many people who don't actually know the history of the rights they now have and who fight for them to have them.