"Miscegenation": the political implications of misplaced stress

Every newscaster or commentator that I've heard recently using the word "miscegenation" on the radio or television has placed the primary stress on the fourth syllable and the secondary stress on the second: "misCEgeNAtion". Even Terry Gross, that goddess of wisdom, truth, good humor and enlightenment says it that way. But this pronunciation implies that there's something wrong with miscegenation: Whatever cegenation is, mis-cegenation must be some sort of bad behavior. If you want to make the case that there's nothing wrong with persons of different races having children together, as most reasonable people would agree, then you're digging yourself a hole right at the beginning of your argument by making the word sound like a negative.

Instead, we need to pronounce the word in such a way that suggests its true meaning. "Miscegenation" just means the mixing of races (genuses if you prefer), and the secondary stress belongs on the first syllable: “MIScegeNAtion”. Rather than the pejorative "mis", this pronunciation naturally brings out the Latin root "misce", from "miscere", to mix, as in miscellaneous or miscible.

By the way, the 1957 dictionary here in my office gives only the "misce-" pronunciation. That anyone would pronounce it the other way is a sorry comment on the state of American education.

If you say "Barack Obama is a product of misCEgeNAtion", you’re setting yourself a hurdle to get over: "Barack Obama is a product of miscegenation, but I’m going to vote for him anyway". Why would you do that? Say instead: “Barack Obama is a product of MIScegeNAtion. Cool! This is the 21^st century. Of course I'm going to vote for him."