[Izick]

Everything is a slur.

[Neuromancer]

Nonsense. Idiots used gay as a slur "that's so gay" No one called for gay to be taken out of usage. Just that the derogatory usage be stopped. If someone uses IA as a slur, call them on it.

Idiot is a slur against people with profound mental retardation.

[Anaslex]

Shows just how messed up the US immigration system is

[WanderingWind]

Idiot is a slur against people with profound mental retardation.

Retardation is a slur. Please use "mentally different."

[krypt0nian]

Idiot is a slur against people with profound mental retardation.

Lovely.

Address the issue.

[Rhomega Beta]

Oh, and they're not called "terrorists", they're "enemy combatants".

[Kosmo]

Oh, and they're not called "terrorists", they're "enemy combatants".

That we have engaged in an overseas contingency operation.

[WarMacheen]

Illegal immigration is migration to a country/state in violation of the immigration laws and sovereignty of that country/state.

Fuck whoever has a problem with it.

[Affeinvasion]

The term illegal immigrant is stupid because being in this country illegally is not a crime. Deportation is not a judicial response to a criminal action. The biggest problem with the term is that it is used by right wing fear mongerers to imply that undocumented migrants are more likely to be criminals or commit crimes.

[Kurtofan]

Idiot is a slur against people with profound mental retardation.

No

Oh, and they're not called "terrorists", they're "enemy combatants".

Terrorist has a specific meaning.

[Fantasmo]

Can't wait until we can only talk about puppy dogs and ice cream

[ajf009]

Because it's the proper term

So is 'retard', or 'dumb', but that didn't stop people from using and taking them as slurs

[Vilam]

Unfortunately, while this can seem to be a kind of misguided political correctness, based on what I've seen it IS true that 'illegal' is becoming mixed up with an ethnic slur. Dem Illegal Scum Is Taken Away Our Americuh! etc etc

That's patently ridiculous. It's never used to describe people from Mexico that are here legally. And yes, illegal immigrants should be called exactly what they are - we shouldn't soften the language in a not-so-subtle effort to gain broader acceptance of them.

[Devolution]

That's patently ridiculous. It's never used to describe people from Mexico that are here legally. And yes, illegal immigrants should be called exactly what they are - we shouldn't soften the language in a not-so-subtle effort to gain broader acceptance of them.

Wrong. It's directed towards plenty of Latinos/Hispanic Americans who are citizens. And besides that "illegals" is a terrible dehumanizing term.

[el retorno]

That's patently ridiculous. It's never used to describe people from Mexico that are here legally. And yes, illegal immigrants should be called exactly what they are - we shouldn't soften the language in a not-so-subtle effort to gain broader acceptance of them.

Lol. It is. Many people assume latinos are here illegally and just use the term even if that person was born in the US.

[Mr. Wonderful]

No human being is illegal.

Yeah, you're right. They're immigrants who are here illegally. Hence illegal immigrant.

I also enjoy "No human is an alien."

Nobody tell that person the original meaning for the word "alien".

I sympathize with those who immigrate to America, BTW. I just don't like the PC stuff.

[The Albatross]

I'd prefer to use the term "undocumented alien" or "undocumented individual," but in time, somebody will challenge that and say that it is racist or an ethnic slur to say that somebody is "undocumented," because it's unfair to say that just because they don't have documents confirming their citizenship, that doesn't mean their other forms of documentation (ie, from their home country) are illegitimate.

[cutmeamango]

Immigration = moving to a foreign country with the pupose of residing there.
Immigrant = someone who moves to a foreign country with the pupose of residing there.

If the law of said country predicts that immigration should follow procedures as to obtain permanent residence, that 'legalizes' the process of immigration. This type of legislation is done to protect uncountable interests from both parties.

If an immigrant does not comply with said procedures yet he resides in that country, he is doing such illegally.

Thus, illegal immigrant.

The use of the term incorrectly (to refer to legal immigrants or natural-born citizens) only 'devalues' the subjects' compliance with the law.
Any other "weight" the term carries is interpersonal and should not be taken in consideration.

[JokerOfSpades]

Wrong. It's directed towards plenty of Latinos/Hispanic Americans who are citizens. And besides that "illegals" is a terrible dehumanizing term.

1) It's not supposed to. People are using it wrong, just as they have used the word "gay" to describe bad things.

2) If it catches on, undocumented will be one in some years time.

[Karsticles]

Soon the term "male" and "female" will be politically incorrect.

Plenty of people already find this offensive.

[spiderman123]

Not a slur

[Volimar]

How did I know this was a Kosmo thread?

Can't we just say "immigrant in the US unlawfully" and get on with our lives?

[Alligatorjandro]

Its a slur if you use it in a derogatory way.

[Hartt951]

I've heard undocumented migrant thrown around a lot recently.

There's so many labels for people who immigrate illegally, it's ridiculous.

[Chumly]

That's patently ridiculous. It's never used to describe people from Mexico that are here legally. And yes, illegal immigrants should be called exactly what they are - we shouldn't soften the language in a not-so-subtle effort to gain broader acceptance of them.

I got a good laugh out of this.

[HigherLevel]

Lol @ at the political correctness movement. So dumb.

[Flynn]

Can we start calling people who don't pay their taxes "Illegal Citizens?"

[mac]

I do think it's a little odd how working as a dishwasher for 20 years is the one crime in this country that labels you an "illegal." You could dump a sofa on the side of the highway or commit some other crime but you don't get called an "illegal."

[cutmeamango]

Can we start calling people who don't pay their taxes "Illegal Citizens?"

If the illegal adjectif refers to citizenship, I don't believe that not paying taxes revokes citizenship.
Better to just call them criminals.

[spiderman123]

If the illegal adjectif refers to citizenship, I don't believe that not paying taxes revokes citizenship. Better to just call them criminals.

Or Tax Evaders

[cutmeamango]

Or Tax Evaders

When I think of evading, I think of ninjas and spies. Makes it seem they are astute. :P
Same for 'outlaw'.

-"Hey, you are an outlaw!"
-"Yeah, badass, right?"

-"Hey you no-good tax evader!"
-"I'm too quick for the IRS, they can't catch a shadow."

[Darknight]

Unfortunately, while this can seem to be a kind of misguided political correctness, based on what I've seen it IS true that 'illegal' is becoming mixed up with an ethnic slur. Dem Illegal Scum Is Taken Away Our Americuh! etc etc And for some people, it does indeed have racist connotations and xenophobic tint. The right wing media machine gloms onto anything it possibly can to demonize and dehumanize anyone who might scare its base, so it has glomped onto 'illegals' as well. To be honest, even on GAF here I have seen a handful of times where some random poster refuses to call an undocumented person anything but an 'illegal' in order to constantly ram home the evidently titanic degree of evil they're inflicting on life just by existing. People love to use labels to dehumanize and exert authority over other people, news at 11 I guess.

You nailed it.

Some of believe its not used as a "slur" or putting people down but Republicans do it all the time and people who dislike brown people will use the phrase" illegals" in a negative tone. (And even assume/racial profile 'legal' Hispanics)

[Count Dookkake]

I do think it's a little odd how working as a dishwasher for 20 years is the one crime in this country that labels you an "illegal." You could dump a sofa on the side of the highway or commit some other crime but you don't get called an "illegal."

But is the sofa dumper an alien?

[Zhengi]

Lol. It is. Many people assume latinos are here illegally and just use the term even if that person was born in the US.

How do you know many people assume that? Do you have a link to stats showing that? Or is it just something you came up with?

[Arment]

I can see it.

I've used the term illegal immigrant and illegal alien before but try not to use either now. It's dehumanizing in my opinion. I don't have a better phrase though so sometimes it's just easier to use than to type out some politically and technically correct description.

[Fancy Corndog]

Personally I think calling people "immigrants" is racist. It just feels racist, ya know? Those republicans go on and on about it, but you know what they really mean.

[Alligatorjandro]

We are all immigrants

[Balphon]

The term has certain xenophobic connotations even apart from the racial context is has nowadays, so I suppose the author has a point.

Wait... it's not?

Improper entry into the United States is a federal crime (8 U.S.C. § 1325). Presence after such entry is not, as far as I know. Instead, it merely renders a foreign national subject to deportation, which is non-criminal in nature.

[Ganhyun]

since Illegal Immigrant is the term for someone who did not follow the proper legal procedures to immigrate to the U.S., I don't see a problem with the term. Can people use it as a slur? Of course. You can use any word as a slur if you decide to.

To the people complaining about why the focus for border control is on the U.S./Mexico border, its because, as far as most of us know, there is not a rather large number of Canadian people illegally immigrating into the United States.

[rohlfinator]

I don't see anything wrong with "illegal immigrant" since it's a reasonably accurate descriptor, but "illegals" has rubbed me the wrong way since hearing it used over and over during the Republican debates. I've never heard it used in a context that didn't sound hostile and racist.

And besides that "illegals" is a terrible dehumanizing term.

Exactly. It smacks of Frank Luntz-esque word manipulation to define a group of people by one characteristic that makes them sound evil and scary.

[Flynn]

Or Tax Evaders

Then the immigrants are Paperwork Evaders?

[CitizenCope]

Give me a break. They are illegal immigrants. Will continue to use.

[Pctx]

This countries hell bent elitist PC crowd needs to stop redifining shit they don't understand.

[empty vessel]

I take issue with it for the same reason I take issue with calling a person a "criminal." Or, for that matter, reducing any person to an act. People illegally immigrate. Just like people commit criminal acts. But people are not "illegal immigrants" or "criminals." Calling them such is a form of dehumanization that reduces their entire being to single acts they once committed, when any person is much more than a single act. This can be expanded to encompass any "he is..." or "she is..." sentence.

[travisbickle]

And for the record I'm considered an alien by the current country I reside in. I even have a special card and all that says I'm a Registered Alien. To infinity and beyond, bitches!

Don't you live in Korea?


"Alien" is the English on the card.

The Korean used is "외국인" foreigner, or literally translated is outside Korea person.

"외계인" is alien in Korean, or literally outside Earth person.

[Tomat]

Sorry, but the term illegal immigrant makes a lot of sense.

People who use it as an insult simply have nothing better to say and should be ignored.

[Plywood]

If you're here illegaly, and you immigrated from a country outside of the country you belong to, what else should you be called?

American

[Count Dookkake]

Not going to stop using this accurate descriptor.

[homerule]

.

[zethren]

Give me a break. They are illegal immigrants. Will continue to use.

Yup. So stupid.