The dark history of “gasoline baths“ at the border

An alarming US border policy forced fumigations on migrants at the US-Mexico border. Help our reporting on hidden histories. Submit a story idea here: In 1917, American health officials launched a campaign to use noxious, often toxic chemicals to delouse immigrants seeking to enter at the US-Mexico border. The same practice had caused a fire in an El Paso jail the year before and killed 27 people. 17-year-old Juárez maid Carmelita Torres refused to go through it, sparking a protest of thousands of Mexicans at the El Paso border. Although they briefly shut down the border, the campaign would continue for decades -- and go on to inspire Nazi scientists. For more reading, check out the links below: David Dorado Romo’s book, Ringside Seat to a Revolution: The Bracero History Archive: John Mckiernan-González’s book, Fevered Measures: Public Health and Race at the Texas -Mexico Border, 1848-1942: Alexandra Minna Stern’s book, Eugenic Nation: This is the second episode of our Missing Chapter series, where Vox producer Ranjani Chakraborty revisits underreported and often overlooked moments from the past to give context to the present. Join her as she covers the histories that are often left out of our textbooks. Our first season tackles stories of racial injustice, political conflicts, even the hidden history of US medical experimentation. Have an idea for a story that Ranjani should investigate for Missing Chapter? Send it to her via this form! Sign up for the Missing Chapter newsletter to stay up to date with the series: Explore the full Missing Chapter playlist, including episodes, a creator Q&A, and more! is a news website that helps you cut through the noise and understand what’s really driving the events in the headlines. Check out . Watch our full video catalog: Follow Vox on Facebook: Or Twitter: