Semantics or Racist?

[Dixie Cup]

I was watching Fox News yesterday and there is now a movement in the U.S. that states the word "illigal" i.e. "illigal" immigrants as being racist. The term is "de humanizing" and we need to irradicate it from our vocabulary,

Are you kidding me?? What the heck is going on? Isn't the term a legal definition of the status of the individual? I always thought so and I don't find it racist or dehumanizing at all. An illegal immigrant can just as easily be white - would that be considered racist too?

Unbelievable.

JMHO

OMG, my spelling sucks! I did it AGAIN!! Gez!

 

[karrie]

If you've ever spent much time visiting Texans, it quickly becomes clear that 'illegals' refers to any Mexicans who retain their culture or don't speak English well enough, not to any percieved immigration status. I can't blame people for starting to take umbrage with the term. It's a lot like 'retarded'. The way it was used is what caused the end of its use, not its technical meaning.

 

[Niflmir]

Now two things. First, I don't really support pushing for people to stop using a word. If use of the word is actually a sign of racism, then it is useful for alerting a listener that maybe the speaker is racist.

The second point is, as with all generalizations, you can generally only say one true statement about "illegals" and that statement is, "Illegals do not possess a valid visa to stay in the country." Anything else you might want to say, is likely just silly.

 

[damngrumpy]

If so the place has gone completely mad and they will lose any grip on immigration period.
Illegal immigrant is a valid term regardless of where the person comes from. The whole lot
of illegals should be deported to the country of origin and let them reapply from the nation
they are from, unless of course it is a refugee situation that would be unreasonable.
What about people who have lived there for years or decades? Tough they lived there
illegally and just like any other criminal they should forfeit their assets because you cannot
make financial profit from illegal activity.
I know this is all anti Mexican, in the view of many. It is not because it applies to people from
everywhere. All nations must get control of their boarders. Immigrants illegally entering the
country put a strain on the programs designed for citizens. Legal citizens end up with less
benefits and the taxpayers are paying for services to those who do not qualify.
It is a simple matter of sanity not racist at all. Someone from Russia illegally in America poses
the same problems as someone from Mexico or Canada for that matter.

 

[Niflmir]

Interesting fact, today I found out that the particular way in which people I know have been consulting in the US is considered illegal.

What was going on was, a company in the US would pay this Dutch company a certain amount of money for consulting services and products. The consulants would then go to the US for a few months on a business tourist visa to teach the US company the things that they wanted to learn about. These consultants being paid by their Dutch company, and maintaining their Dutch residences.

So the silliness with illegal immigration: it is legal for the company's employees to travel here as part of their work to learn, it is legal for the consultants to help them in their development and planning here in the Netherlands, but not legal for consultants to go to actively consult in the environment where the particulars happen.

Makes perfect sense.

 

[Dixie Cup]

If you've ever spent much time visiting Texans, it quickly becomes clear that 'illegals' refers to any Mexicans who retain their culture or don't speak English well enough, not to any percieved immigration status. I can't blame people for starting to take umbrage with the term. It's a lot like 'retarded'. The way it was used is what caused the end of its use, not its technical meaning.

Yet "retarded" is a medical term still used by physicians.

The push is being made by moveon.org in the US. I think the whole thing is ridiculous.

JMO

 

[JLM]

If you've ever spent much time visiting Texans, it quickly becomes clear that 'illegals' refers to any Mexicans who retain their culture or don't speak English well enough, not to any percieved immigration status. I can't blame people for starting to take umbrage with the term. It's a lot like 'retarded'. The way it was used is what caused the end of its use, not its technical meaning.

I can understand the use of slang like the "N" word as being offensive but the use of bonafide words that have negative meanings as being offensive is absolutely ridiculous. What are we going to do when Paul Bernardo starts objecting to be labelled a "criminal"? Oh, I get it, he's "legally challenged". :lol:

 

[DaSleeper]

Ma I don't like the way he's looking at me...:roll:

 

[TenPenny]

A lot of the 'illegal Mexicans' aren't Mexicans, they're from various parts of Central America.

 

[karrie]

Yet "retarded" is a medical term still used by physicians.

The push is being made by moveon.org in the US. I think the whole thing is ridiculous.

JMO

And I'm sure 'illegal immigrant' will still be used as well.

What I think they're trying to educate people on is the fact that human beings are not something that should be summed up with one loathing filled word. Illegals.

 

[The Old Medic]

If you've ever spent much time visiting Texans, it quickly becomes clear that 'illegals' refers to any Mexicans who retain their culture or don't speak English well enough, not to any percieved immigration status. I can't blame people for starting to take umbrage with the term. It's a lot like 'retarded'. The way it was used is what caused the end of its use, not its technical meaning.

little Miss Naughty does not know a damn thing about Texas, if she believes what she said here. Texams make a VERY clear distinction between Illegal Aliens, and people that are of Hispanic descent and in the country legally.

Illegal aliens is what they are, and what they should remain. And I speak as a person who's father WAS an Illegal Alien from Canada!

 

[karrie]

lol... I've seen the discussion from both sides... Texans ranting about 'illegals', and Texans who refuse to move back from Canada because of the racism. I know plenty. But nice try.

 

[winniethepooh]

I don't see it as racist if the people being referred to are actually illegally in the country. IMO it's just another way of trying to shut down those opposed to illegal immigration.