Carrie C. Scott

Is Sex-selection Abortion Practiced Among Asian Immigrant Populations in the United States?

Roughly two weeks ago, I friend of mine sent me a link to a Washington Post Article “Bill banning ‘sex-selection abortions’ fails in the House,” with a brief note attached asking, “Do you know anything about this?” I freely admit, I knew nothing about either HB3541 (Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA) of 2012) or the practice it was attempting to make illegal. I was aware that in some countries, specifically China and India, due to rules brought on by overpopulation and cultural preference, sex-selection abortion is practiced. (This has actually exacerbated the population crises in these countries as there are now, and will be women “missing” from subsequent generations.) It had never occurred to me that this practice might carry over into immigrant populations in the United States. If sex-selection abortion is in fact practiced in immigrant populations, it seems like an extreme form of resistance to assimilation, bordering on wholesale rejection of “The American Dream.”

Although the title, “Sex Selection Migrates to Canada,” indicates focus on the phenomenon of sex-selection abortion in Canada, the research cites North American statistics and an American study. The article presents two opinions on the issue.. Lena Edlund states, “Sex-selective abortion has historically been considered an Asian phenomenon—a perfect storm of ancient prejudice, poverty and, in cases such as China’s one child policy, lawed population control. We don’t expect immigrants, let alone their children, to continue doing it once they’ve settled in North America” (Vogel 163). Milligan’s citation of census data (Canadian) seems to indicate the opposite. Data highlights unnaturally high male to female birth ratios in citizens classifying themselves (for census purposes) as Chinese, Indian, and Korean.

The Washington Post dismisses the issue and states that HB3541 was essentially a political ploy. Rep. Trent Franks seems to have taken a worldwide issue and tried to assign it especially American significance. “The bill’s chief sponsor, Rep. Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), said his legislation would help fight “a war on unborn little girls,” noting that about 200 million abortions around the world can be tied to the practice of “sex-selection abortions,” which are more common in Asian and Eastern European countries than in the United States” (O’Keefe ). The overall American male to female birth ratio is about 105/100, which the CDC says is stable/normal, but “limited studies have found the practice is common among Asian American communities, where women cite family pressure to have male children” (O’Keefe).

The New York Times also seems to initially debunk this issue by quoting a representative. ‘Democrats accused Republicans of contriving a vote on legislation to address a problem that does not exist. “I don’t support abortion for gender selection,” said Representative Diana DeGette, Democrat of Colorado and an opponent of the legislation. “I don’t know anyone who does. Maybe that’s because there is no problem in this country of abortion for gender selection”’ (Steinhauer). However, the three studies quoted by Mallory Quigley of the Susan B. Anthony List provide strong counter argument. “U.S. Births Hint at Bias for Boys in Some Asians,” confirms that the U.S. is experiencing similar birth rate discrepancies in Asian populations as other countries with acknowledged practice or problems with sex-selection abortion. “U.S. Births Hint at Bias for Boys in Some Asians U.S. Births Hint at Bias for Boys in Some Asians,” quotes East-Indian mothers who have given into cultural pressure (in enclave or back home) to have boys. The “Sex Ratios” pdf seems to supply the hard numbers and statistics needed to determine that sex-selection abortion is in fact practiced in Asian-American communities. Though distributed in a medical publication, there is an issue of ambiguity with the original source of these statistics. Steinhauer’s article leaves the ultimate interpretation up to the reader.

My findings are inconclusive at best. I cannot determine, with my initial research, whether sex-selection abortion is practiced among Asian-American populations. HB3541 seems to have been more about politics and making the “other guy” look bad, than an actual issue, but the scraps of information I did find seem to indicate that sex-selection abortion *might* be practiced in the U.S.

Works Cited

Milliez, J. M. "Sex Selection for Non-medical Purposes." Reproductive BioMedicine Online 14.1 (2007): 114-17. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 June 2012.

O'Keefe, Ed. "Bill Banning 'sex-selection Abortions' Fails in the House." Washington Post. 31 May 2012. Web. 13 June 2012. <http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/bill-banning-sex-selection-abortions-fails-in-thehouse/2012/05/31/gJQAaWFd5U_story.html>.

Steinhauer, Jennifer. "House Rejects Bill to Ban Sex-Selective Abortions." New York Times. 31 May 2012. Web. 12 June 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/2012/       06/01/us/politics/house-rejects-bill-to-ban-sex-selective-abortions.html>.
      a. Roberts, Sam. "U.S. Births Hint at Bias for Boys in Some Asians." New York Times 4 June 2009:Web.http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/health/Sexratios.pdf
      b. Rush-Monroe, Karin. " U.S. Births Hint at Bias for Boys in Some Asians U.S. Births Hint at Bias for Boys in Some Asians." University of California, San Francisco. 20 May 2011. Web. 13 June 2012. <http://www.ucsf.edu/news/2011/05/9903/              pressure-bear-sons-leads-some-immigrant-indian-women-sex-selection-abortion-study>.
      c. http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/health/Sexratios.pdf

United States. Cong. House. By Trent Franks. 112th Cong. HR 3541. Web.

Vogel, Lauren. "Sex Selection Migrates to Canada." Canadian Medical Association Journal 184.3 (2012): 163-64. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 June 2012.