Under the Tree: A Seminar on Freedom with Bill Ayers

Big Data/Predatory Data with Anita Say Chan

Apr 16, 2025
In this engaging discussion, Anita Say Chan, a feminist and decolonial scholar, dives into the complex intersections of big data and eugenics. She highlights the historical roots of data practices that echo harmful ideologies, urging a shift to community-centered approaches. Anita critiques tech billionaires' alignment with oppressive agendas while advocating for justice-driven alternatives. She also emphasizes the limitations of statistics in capturing individual dignity, promoting empathy over data in our quest for a more inclusive society.
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INSIGHT

Core Idea of Eugenics

  • Eugenics claimed to be a science that justified ranking people by inherent biological fitness.
  • It was used to predict and control populations by rights and social status, deeply violating democratic principles.
INSIGHT

Eugenics in U.S. Immigration Policy

  • The U.S. pioneered eugenics-inspired immigration laws targeting Chinese and later other groups.
  • These laws were justified by racist notions of 'bad blood' deteriorating the population's health.
INSIGHT

Forced Sterilization Legitimized

  • By the 1920s, forced sterilization laws were widespread in the U.S. affecting marginalized groups.
  • The Supreme Court upheld sterilization of the 'unfit' as legal under eugenic reasoning.
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