Drop the I-Word - don't call people "illegals" please

Take the pledge now... see the website in the link below...

I will not call any human being "illegal." The racially charged slur and related terms confuse the immigration debate, fuel violence and don't reflect my values. I join communities nationwide in challenging all media to do the same.

Drop the I-Word is a public education campaign powered by immigrants and diverse communities across the country that value human dignity and are working 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."

http://colorlines.com/droptheiword/

Recommended terms...

1) economic refugee
2) undocumented immigrant
3) undocumented worker

Dehumanizing slurs...

1) illegal alien
2) illegal immigrant
3) illegal migrant
4) illegal worker
5) illegal

Should we consider the words we are using for these workers, residents and visitors in our country? Would you feel comfortable having terms like the ones above use against you if you were pushed to your limits and found yourself in a similar situation as these people? Think about it.

P.S. If 285 Bound users out there are wondering why I would post such a "tree hugger" liberal sort of post, I actually mean what I posted. I was married to an Hispanic for 15 years, her family was in the territory since the 1600's and I have heard many sides of the issue. But the simplest argument I ever heard was this. Ask 10 people what illegal alien signifies to them, and in almost every case, the answer will be related to racially Hispanic persons. That clinched it for me. When a term (a term that actually means any person in this country illegally) suddenly becomes almost exclusively attached to one race of people, from one geographic location... that's term has become racist.

You are full of horseshit.

As my mother is a naturalized citizen of the United States, I still refer to anyone from where ever that is here illegally, as an illegal alien. I am not much for one to say it is only hispanics as it is not. They are from all over the world.

Sorry, there are few definitions in my mind:

1) Citizen - Born in the US or abroad to US Citizen parents
2) Naturalized Citizen - a Citizen who immigrated to the US and followed the legal process to become a Citizen
3) Registered Alien - An Alien who has registered with the Gubment and is here temporarily or working to become a Citizen legally
4) Illegal Alien - A person who is in the US illegally

The current form of Goverment is the law of the land. Fortunately for all of us we live in a Democratic Republic so if any particular issue really grinds your gears you are free to protest and contact your elected officials asking them to pass legislation to make something against the law.

Make the term Illegal Alien against the law? Good luck with that, you might want to refer to the 1st Amendment of the United States Constitution. Ask people to loose the term Illegal Alien as a matter of being civil? Sorry, I'm not going to gloss over an issue that effects National Security, Crime, and allows Illegal Aliens to enjoy entitlements intended for Citizens to spare their feelings.

navycpo7 wrote: As my mother is a naturalized citizen of the United States, I still refer to anyone from where ever that is here illegally, as an illegal alien. I am not much for one to say it is only hispanics as it is not. They are from all over the world.

So... do you believe if you asked my question above ("Ask 10 people what illegal alien signifies to them") you would get an answer of "They are from all over the world" more times then not?

How about Latino illegal immigrants to seperate them from Asian illegal immigrants?

FredHayek wrote: How about Latino illegal immigrants to seperate them from Asian illegal immigrants?

How about calling them what they are no matter where they come from? Illegal Aliens are in the US illegally; let the name fit the crime, no need for additional granularity. Where they come from is irrelevant.

What does every other country in the world call someone who enters their country illegally? Accidental trespassers?

The Blunt Ugly Truth wrote:

navycpo7 wrote: As my mother is a naturalized citizen of the United States, I still refer to anyone from where ever that is here illegally, as an illegal alien. I am not much for one to say it is only hispanics as it is not. They are from all over the world.

So... do you believe if you asked my question above ("Ask 10 people what illegal alien signifies to them") you would get an answer of "They are from all over the world" more times then not?

As I have not done that I could not give you an honest answer. I will tell you though that among those that I do talk to, we all feel pretty much the same.