Xenophobic fear mongering that posit germs as having a particular country of origin has been broadcast loudly since the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic upon our daily lives. However, this incorrect and harmful ideology did not original in 2020, but has long existed on our shores. The term "Nativism" refers to the strongly held belief in the superiority of established inhabitants of the United States over the new and decidedly "foreign" (read Catholic or Jewish) immigrants, an ideology that flourished from the 1840's on. It was held that the allowance of foreign-born immigrants posed a fatal threat to “authentic” or “true” citizens of this country. Moreover, public health as a medical specialty was in its infancy, thus allowing a toxic mix of xenophobia, nationalism, and violence to wreck harm on those seeking safety and new opportunities on new shores. The sharp rise in immigration between the late 19th and early 20th century also gave rise to a novel “science:” eugenics. In what would form the basis of future events, medical nativism found a suitable praxis in eugenics, which evangelized selective breeding and birth control including sterilization in order to “breed out” undesirable traits in favor of an improved population. Sadly, medical racism, including sterilization and xenophobia cloaked in public health concerns, remains an ever-present threat to members of our community today.