From Back Alley to the Border: Criminal Abortion in California, 1920-1969

Alicia Gutierrez-Romine's book "From Back Alley to the Border" explores the history of criminal abortion in California and the role of abortion providers in exposing and exploiting the faults in Californias anti-abortion statute. It provides insight into the world of illegal abortion from the 1920s through the 1960s, including regular physicians, women, and African American abortionists, and the investigations, scandals, and trials that surrounded them. The book is the first focused on abortion on the West Coast and the U.S.-Mexico border and provides a new approach to studying how providers of illegal abortions and their clients navigated this underground network.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 276 pages
Publication date: 01 November 2023
Publisher: University of Nebraska Press

From Back Alley to the Border, Alicia Gutierrez-Romine delves into the intricate history of criminal abortion in California, shedding light on the significant role played by abortion providers in exposing and exploiting the weaknesses of Californias anti-abortion statute throughout the twentieth century. With a primary focus on the patients who sought out this underground network and the physicians who facilitated it, Gutierrez-Romine offers a captivating insight into the world of illegal abortion, spanning from the 1920s to the 1960s. The book explores the diverse range of individuals involved, including regular physicians, women, and African American abortionists, as well as the investigations, scandals, and trials that surrounded them.

During the 1930s, a prominent abortion syndicate known as the Pacific Coast Abortion Ring emerged, operating across a vast coastal region and offering a relatively safe alternative to illegal abortions. However, this syndicate soon drew the attention of law enforcement agencies, leading to a surge in "abortion tourism" in the early 1950s. Many women seeking abortions were forced to travel across the border into Mexico, where the practice was legal and relatively accessible. This movement southward ultimately compelled the California Supreme Court to declare its abortion statute void for vagueness in the landmark case of People v. Belous in 1969. This ruling came four years before the landmark Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion nationwide.

Gutierrez-Romine's book stands as the first comprehensive exploration of abortion on the West Coast and the U.S.-Mexico border. It offers a fresh perspective on the study of how providers of illegal abortions and their clients navigated this clandestine network. In the aftermath of the Dobbs decision, this paperback edition of From Back Alley to the Border includes a new afterword by the author, highlighting the limited lessons we have drawn from history. The book serves as a timely reminder of the ongoing struggle for reproductive rights and the importance of understanding our past to shape our future.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781496237460