The preference for males among some Asian-American immigrants has resulted in significant deviations in the proportion of baby boys to baby girls, according to research conducted by professors Lena Edlund and Douglas Almond of Columbia University. More boys than girls are born in the United States, by a ratio of 1.05 to 1. Studying 2000 census data, the pair of economists discovered that among American families of Chinese, Korean and Indian descent, the likelihood of having a boy increased to 1.17 to 1 if the first child was a girl. The ratio for a third child was 1.51 to 1 in favor of boys if the first two children were girls. Demographers say the lopsided ratios reflect the use of sex-selection techniques such as in vitro fertilization, sperm sorting and abortion.
Joyce Moy, executive director of the Asian American/Asian Research Institute of the City University of New York, says some family values prevalent in China, Korea and India have seeped into American culture among even young immigrants, despite the fact that historic reasons for the male preference are less relevant in the U.S.
One Chinese-American mother who was interviewed for the story claims it’s a couple’s parents who apply the most pressure to bear male offspring. That would explain why even Asian-Americans born and raised in the U.S. might exhibit a strong preference for boy babies. Some commenters at the Times verified that that’s the case.
Dr. Jeffrey Steinberg, medical director of the Fertility Institutes, a clinic that offers sex-selection procedures (though not abortion) said, “Culturally, there are a lot of strange things that go on in the world. Whether we agree with it, it’s not harming anyone.” I suppose in a vacuum sex-selection procedures do not harm anyone, unless you count the massive gender imbalance and resulting social unrest in places like China. The devaluation of girls and woman is harmful, but misogyny is the cause; sex-selection procedures are the effect. I also disagree with the doctor’s implication that male supremacy is a foreign concept, practiced in “strange” far away places then exported to the U.S. Please. Americans are less accepting of abortion as a means of seeing their sex preferences to fruition.
I don’t find it difficult, as a feminist, to reconcile my support for abortion on demand with my disgust towards sex-selective abortion. Anti-choicers like to play gotcha with this issue, though their accusations of pro-choice feminist hypocricy are easily refuted. I don’t wish to see girl babies born into families who won’t cherish them. “Every child a wanted child.” It would be unwise to cut off the supply of sex-selection techniques before the demand has dried up. Destroy sexism and the practice will all but disappear.
One of the asides in the article–it was so brief I almost didn’t notice it–was that among non-Asian American families, there’s a preference for girls:
“Dr. Norbert Gleicher, medical director of the Center for Human Reproduction, a fertility and sex-selection clinic in New York and Chicago, said that from his experience, people were more inclined to want female children, except for Asians and Middle Easterners.”
Is it wrong that I was pleased by this?
I think it’s terribly sad that instead of rare females becoming more valuable (like a market theory would suggest /snark) the population disparity in China has led to kidnapping and sex slavery.
It’s one of those things where being on either side of perfection is terrible for women. Too many women, like after WWI, poverty and spinsterhood. Too few, rape.
I dunno, I’m finding a disturbing amount of “boys are better” among white people I know. it’s really creepy
Yep, Madaha, I wrote about it here.
I think white people are just way less likely to use abortion as a means of sex-selection, whereas American immigrants from, say, China, are used to it. White people will just sulk about their daughters and write tell-all books about that miraculous day they finally got their boy.
What saddens me is that when we think of the miracle that is life that anyone could choose to end the life of a child due to gender is disgusting. I will always support a womans right to choose but I cannot help but recognize the misogyny in this decision.
I know it would be hypocritical to draw the (legal) line at sex-selective abortions, but news like this gives me the shakes…
madaha I’m guessing you primarily hang out with whites because that attitude is prevalent in blacks, whites and misogynistic people of all races. However, studies show that girls are often “preferred” in America over boys. Meaning when a family didn’t know the sex of their child they often spoke of hoping the baby was a girl, and over 75% of Americans are white so you may even be a little off there.
It is really sad that people will choose to end someones life for any reason. God is the one who created us, so us gods creation, have no right to end someones life. In cases of a woman been sexually abused..there’s options over the counter that’s available now or through a health care that will prevent a woman from getting pregnant after the sexual intercourse. Morning after pill.