There is mounting petition from activist groups such as “Drop the I-Word” to stop using the term “illegal immigrant”. They believe this type of terminology is confusing the immigration debate in the United States.
However, groups such as the Associated Press and the New York Times continue to use this phrase when describing those who are living and working in the United States without a visa. Those fighting the immigrant cause are questioning why these people are not referred to as “undocumented immigrants.”
Currently there are an estimated 50,000 Irish living in the United States without a visa, according to the Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform. But what should they be referred to as? Many of them are not “undocumented,” as they have Irish passports and birth certificates, so what should we call them?
The Associated Press recently released a statement explaining their reasons for the continued use of the phrase “illegal immigrant”. Deputy managing editor for standards and production, Tom Kent, said they would continue to use the phrase because sometimes it was the most accurate phrasing.
He added that the AP does not agree with referring to those without visas as “illegal aliens” or “illegals”. He added that calling people illegal “simply means that a person is…in violation of the law”.
Earlier this month, The New York Times public editor Margaret Sullivan wrote that not using the phrase “illegal immigrants” would be a disservice to the readers.
She wrote, "It is clear and accurate. It gets its job done in two words that are easily understood. The same cannot be said of the most frequently suggested alternatives."
Gawker too agrees with Sullivan’s views. They say that “while terms like "illegal alien" are undoubtedly archaic and insensitive, "illegal immigrant" is nothing more than a statement of fact in a country currently doing a horrible job of putting together competent immigration policy.”
Those fighting against the use of the term say that describing people as “illegal” is a “racially charged” tactic.
Speaking to Gawker, journalist Jose Antonio Vargas, himself an illegal immigrant, said he would prefer the use of terms such as “undocumented immigrant” or “unauthorized immigrant”.
The “Drop the I-Word” campaign states that they are “to eradicate the dehumanizing slur "illegals" from everyday use and public discourse. The i-word opens the door to racial profiling and violence and prevents truthful, respectful debate on immigration. No human being is "illegal."”
Where do you come down in this argument? Take part in our poll and let us know.
9 Comments
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.robinked | Oct 24, 2012, 02:58 PM EDT
Lets think back to Who started this Fight....would it be:(drum roll please) jose antonio, i'm an ILLEGAL vargas, Why Yes & why Did mr vargas Start this Fight, well cuz He wants a Pass on his ILLEGAL entry & wants to Drag a whole Bunch of other ILLEGALs into this amnesty...!!!--cuz this 1st step Involves ReEducation of the Taxpaying, LawAbiding American Citizen, a Political Correctness run Amuck, cuz After HE can get Us, the Citizen to 'Think Correctly' about this Issue, then Amnesty (For 12 Million) is a shew-in...AND the Death-Knell for this Country AND Our 2 Party system...lets Be Real, the demoncrappers will have a Monopoly, A Dictatorship..............
gobdawpaddy | Oct 24, 2012, 09:17 AM EDT
Of course the term 'illegal immigrant' is correct, they are in the United States illegally, no ifs, ands or buts. There are currently 23 million americans with no job, why should we permit people to live here illegally, or sugar coat how they are described, while our own are suffering?
faberm1 | Oct 24, 2012, 08:02 AM EDT
They are illegal aliens. A country without borders is no longer a country. I am an American. If I go to Ireland or ANY other country in the world and try to demand social benefits, buy real estate, work freely without a work visa, open a bank account, or vote, I will deported. The United States of America is a sovereign country. The masses of the earth do not have a divine right to come here when their own societies fail to solve their own economic and social problems. This is 2012. The USA can no longer afford to be the world's dumping ground.
Seanmor | Oct 23, 2012, 06:03 PM EDT
Whether the immigrants in question be called undocumented or illegal, all of them should NOT be lumped together in one category. Almost all immigrants from Ireland LEGALLY entered the U.S. (and very few of them seek government assistance) but many overstayed the expiration of their visas - and they all speak good English. Therefore these productive immigrants are far more likely to make valuable contributions to the U.S. than are those who came here ILLEGALLY fromn south of the border, speak little or no English and in many cases are in need of social benefits, including free health care. Let's stop mixing apples and oranges which are easily disdinguishable.
WoundedKnee | Oct 23, 2012, 12:47 PM EDT
I like the traditional term "illegal aliens". "Aliens" suggests they don't belong here, they're outsiders. Which they are.
BajaRat | Oct 23, 2012, 11:43 AM EDT
As clueless as they come is Portia777. Nobody said that human beings are illegal, but their acts and presence can be and are with respect to all of there border-jumping and visa-overstaying parasites.
BajaRat | Oct 23, 2012, 10:25 AM EDT
Words matter. The miscreants who are the subject of this lousy article are not "immigrants." They are criminals. These parasites are called illegal aliens because they are aliens [i.e. foreign nationals] who are in the U.S. illegally [as in violation of federal criminal law]. They aren't "immigrants," and they are hardly "undocumented." They have plenty of documents..... all stolen or forged. I say build a wall and deport 'em all.
Portia777 | Oct 23, 2012, 10:23 AM EDT
No human being is "illegal. That is all there is to it. We are all born of woman on this Mother Earth. She provides for all of us, giving freely. She never set up barriers called countries to divide the spoils of past wars, did she? No one has a receipt to say She sold herself to any one human here, entitling him/her to claim ownership of her lands or people.Most people have simply accepted the "penned in country " mind set, thus allowing a few people to control the rest and declare them illegal, aliens etc. In court in Ireland Americans, Europeans and Japs were all deemed aliens by a judge a few years ago as he ordered them out of HIS court.I would love his public response today.
ellenfromcork | Oct 23, 2012, 10:22 AM EDT
A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.