THE EURASIAN COMMUNITY AS A EUGENIC PROBLEM 



HENRY E. ROSEBOOM and CEDRIC DOVER 



Bangalore, India 



The Eurasian community extends throughout the Orient, blending in 

 itself the characteristics of East and West. At a conservative estimate it 

 numbers 0.5 million, more than one hundred and fifty thousand Eurasians 

 being found in India alone. The community is increasing rapidly, and is 

 undoubtedly an important factor in Eastern economics. In fact, as Roberts 

 (1927) has said of race-mixture in the Pacific, the growth of the Eurasian 

 community is "one of the most transforming agencies at work" in the East, 

 but its importance in this connection remains to be appreciated. One of us 

 (Dover, 1929) has, however, stressed this point in a brief review, elaborated 

 by Wallace (1930). 



These two works 1 mark the beginnings of a scientific approach to the 

 problems of the community, but they do no more than touch the fringe of 

 an important subject. The object of this note, therefore, is to direct scien- 

 tific attention to the need of detailed studies, for we feel that an extensive 

 eugenic survey is not only an essential preliminary to adequate consideration 

 of the community, but is also indispensable to a comprehensive study of 

 miscegenation and the problems arising from it. We shall not attempt, 

 therefore, to do more than review the history, economics, characteristics 

 and future of Eurasians as an argument for a thorough investigation of their 

 problems. 



HISTORY 



The history of the Eurasian community has been discussed by Stark 

 (1926), and briefly reviewed by Dover (1929). It would appear that this 

 mixed race is not the result of the "temporary weaknesses of Europeans in 

 an unaccustomed climate" or, as Minney (1929) puts it, the "pathetic 

 evidence of the incontinence of Tommy Atkins." On the contrary, inter- 

 marriage in India was deliberately encouraged by the European conquerors 

 of the country, who were impelled both by proselytising fervour and eco- 

 nomic considerations. The growth of an indigenous community, owing 



1 We have unfortunately not been able to consult The Eurasian: a Social Problem, 

 by Lee. (Published in the United States about fourteen years ago.) 



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