Survivors’ accounts and history of sterilization framed by Latinas’ advocates

Clarissa Ramirez, policy manager with California Latinas for Reproductive Justice, grounded the hearing in the history of reproductive coercion in California. She said California performed a disproportionate share of the nation’s sterilizations during the early‑ to mid‑20th century and described the circumstances — often during childbirth, with language and consent failures — that led to survivors being sterilized without full understanding or consent.

Ramirez cited historical estimates and cases, noting that Sonoma State Hospital performed roughly 5,400 sterilizations and that Latina and Latino patients faced elevated rates. She described the emotional and social consequences for survivors and outlined the activism that contributed to AB1007 and the state’s compensation program signed in October 2021. “When many learned that they were sterilized, these women expressed feelings of shame and fear of being judged,” Ramirez said.

Ramirez urged legislators to couple restitution with structural policy changes: language access, durable community‑led restoration programs, and oversight of consent practices in clinical settings. Her account framed the hearing’s emphasis on historical context as integral to designing equitable policy responses today.