Why do racial and ethnic controversies become attached, as they often do, to discussions of modern genetics?
How do theories about genetic difference become entangled with political debates about cultural and group differences
in America? Such issues are a conspicuous part of the histories of three hereditary diseases: Tay-Sachs, commonly
identified with Jewish Americans; cystic fibrosis, often labeled a "Caucasian" disease; and sickle cell
disease, widely associated with African Americans. In this captivating account, historians Keith Wailoo and Stephen
Pemberton reveal how these diseases�fraught with ethnic and racial meanings for many Americans�became objects of
biological fascination and crucibles of social debate. Peering behind the headlines of breakthrough treatments
and coming cures, they tell a complex story: about different kinds of suffering and faith, about unequal access
to the promises and perils of modern medicine, and about how Americans consume innovation and how they come to
believe in, or resist, the notion of imminent medical breakthroughs. With Tay-Sachs, cystic fibrosis, and sickle
cell disease as a powerful backdrop, the authors provide a glimpse into a diverse America where racial ideologies,
cultural politics, and conflicting beliefs about the power of genetics shape disparate health care expectations
and experiences.
Table of Contents
Ch. 1. Eradicating a "Jewish gene" : promises and pitfalls in the fight against Tay-Sachs disease
Ch. 2. Risky business in white America : gene therapy and other ventures in the treatment of cystic fibrosis
Ch. 3. A perilous lotter for the black family : sickle cells, social justice, and the new therapeutic gamble
Conclusion : dreams amid diversity