Reproduction of Race and Racial Ideologies

The Canadian Journal of Sociology
Volume 31, Number 3, Summer 2006
E-ISSN: 1710-1123 Print ISSN: 0318-6431

DOI: 10.1353/cjs.2006.0061

Reuter, Shelley.
The Genuine Jewish Type: Racial Ideology and Anti-Immigrationism in Early Medical Writing about Tay-Sachs Disease
The Canadian Journal of Sociology - Volume 31, Number 3, Summer 2006, pp. 291-323

University of Toronto Press



This article presents a critical, genealogical analysis of the discourse of Tay-Sachs disease (TSD), a genetic metabolic disorder historically perceived as exclusive, or nearly exclusive, to Jews. Drawing on medical case reports from the period between 1881 (when the disease was first observed) and 1943, i.e., the early years of the Second World War, the study examines how Tay-Sachs was discursively constructed as a Jewish disease. In particular, the study provides an analysis of TSD in the context of anti-immigrationism, especially in 1910s and 1920s US, when both eugenics and Jewish emigration from Eastern Europe were on the rise. The argument illustrates the reification of Jews as "raced" in and through this disease, demonstrating that knowledge about Tay-Sachs (and other group-specific genetic diseases) needs to be examined in socio-cultural terms alongside existing biological accounts.

Résumé: Cette étude retrace la généalogie du discours sur la maladie de Tay-Sachs, un désordre génétique du métabolisme, historiquement conçu comme exclusif aux juifs ou pratiquement exclusif à ceux-ci. Elle en propose une critique. Fondée sur l'analyse de rapports médicaux allant de 1881 (date à la quelle la maladie a d'abord été identifiée) à fin 1943, c'est-à-dire les premières années de la seconde guerre mondiale, cette étude décrit comment les discours prononcés autour de la maladie de Tay-Sachs en ont fait un problème juif. Elle se penche en particulier sur le contexte anti-immigration des décennies 1910 et 1920 aux États-Unis alors que l'eugénisme et l'émigration en provenance de l'Europe de l'Est prenaient de l'essor. Elle tente d'établir comment les juifs furent réifiés en tant que « race » à travers et grâce à cette maladie, et montre comment le savoir relatif à la Tay-Sachs (ou à toute autre maladie génétique spécifique à un groupe) relève tout autant de termes socio-culturels que des données biologiques existantes.

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Reuter, Shelley. "The Genuine Jewish Type: Racial Ideology and Anti-Immigrationism in Early Medical Writing about Tay-Sachs Disease." The Canadian Journal of Sociology 31.3 (2006): 291-323. Project MUSE. [Library name], [City], [State abbreviation]. 29 Apr. 2009 .

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Always review your references for accuracy and make any necessary corrections before using. Pay special attention to personal names, capitalization, and dates. Consult your library or click here for more information on citing sources.

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Reuter, Shelley. (2006). The genuine jewish type: Racial ideology and anti-immigrationism in early medical writing about tay-sachs disease. The Canadian Journal of Sociology 31(3), 291-323. Retrieved April 29, 2009, from Project MUSE database.

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Always review your references for accuracy and make any necessary corrections before using. Pay special attention to personal names, capitalization, and dates. Consult your library or click here for more information on citing sources.

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Reuter, Shelley. "The Genuine Jewish Type: Racial Ideology and Anti-Immigrationism in Early Medical Writing about Tay-Sachs Disease." The Canadian Journal of Sociology 31, no. 3 (2006): 291-323. http://muse.jhu.edu/ (accessed April 29, 2009).

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Always review your references for accuracy and make any necessary corrections before using. Pay special attention to personal names, capitalization, and dates. Consult your library or click here for more information on citing sources.

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TY - JOUR
T1 - The Genuine Jewish Type: Racial Ideology and Anti-Immigrationism in Early Medical Writing about Tay-Sachs Disease
A1 - Reuter, Shelley.
JF - The Canadian Journal of Sociology
VL - 31
IS - 3
SP - 291
EP - 323
Y1 - 2006
PB - University of Toronto Press
SN - 1710-1123
UR - http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/canadian_journal_of_sociology/v031/31.3reuter.html
N1 - Volume 31, Number 3, Summer 2006
ER -



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Always review your references for accuracy and make any necessary corrections before using. Pay special attention to personal names, capitalization, and dates. Consult your library or click here for more information on citing sources.