Illegal Immigrants and Racial Slurs

07 July 2014

Columnist Sally Kohn, as reported by the Inquisitr, made the case that the phrase, "Illegal Immigrant" is a slur on par with the "N-word" and certain slurs aimed at homosexuals.

Let's set aside for a moment that the correct phrase is, "Illegal Alien."  "Illegal Immigrant" implies actual immigration, which means a legal process has been followed.  When one is in a country in which one is not a citizen, the term used is "alien."  When in said country legally, the full term is, "Resident Alien."  When in said country illegally, the term is, gasp, "Illegal Alien."  Okay, so I didn't set that aside.  Tough.

While Ms. Kohn's premise is that "Illegal Immigrant" is a "putdown," her supporting arguments have little to do with her premise.  The phrase, "Illegal Immigrant," is used for rallying on both sides of the immigration debate, regardless of being the incorrect phrase to use.

From Ms. Kohn's column:

During the civil rights era, Alabama Gov. George Wallace was asked by a supporter why he was fixated on the politics of race. Wallace replied, ‘You know, I tried to talk about good roads and good schools and all these things that have been part of my career, and nobody listened. And then I began talking about n*ggers, and they stomped the floor.’

In the 1980s, during the rise of the gay rights movement, North Carolina Sen. Jesse Helms accused a political opponent for supporting ‘f*ggots, perverts [and] sexual deviates of this nation.’

Today, opponents of immigration reform attack undocumented immigrants as ‘illegal immigrants.’ Even worse, like anti-immigration extremists, some prominent elected officials use the term ‘illegals.’ Maine Gov. Paul LePage, a Republican, said, ‘I urge all Mainers to tell your city councilors and selectmen to stop handing out your money to illegals.’

Not the same thing? Of course it is

"Undocumented immigrants" is even more misleading than "Illegal Immigrants."  The folks in question have not gone through the legal process to immigrate to the United States.  They are literally and legally, "aliens" in terms of residency.  Labeling these folks as "illegal" is hardly as demeaning as racial, sexual, or ethnic slurs.  It points out the fact that these folks are in this country illegally.  It does not attack their parentage, their choice in sexual partners, etc.  Ms. Kohn is blatantly attempting to leverage emotion over logic and pull a sleight of hand.

One of her other points revolves around "dehumanizing" illegal aliens by labeling them "Illegal Immigrants."  Dehumanize?  Possible.  "Liberal" and "Conservative" are used to accomplish the same thing by people on opposite sides of the mainstream political fence.  Listen to Talk Radio sometime.  Dehumanization occurs across the political and philosophical spectrum.  But whether or not the "i-word" dehumanizes them has nothing to do with an illegal alien's status in this country.

Next time someone mentions "Illegal Immigrants" or "Undocumented Immigrants" or "Undocumented Workers," remind him or her that the proper and legal term is "Illegal Alien."  Then, reframe the debate in terms of what the US Constitution has to say about aliens in this country.

Does our immigration process need an overhaul?  Absolutely.  But that does not negate a person's status in this country, legal or illegal.  Let's stick to rational debate and avoid emotionalism.