Name Calling
Feb 26th, 2008 | By Michel Marizco | Category: General News, Immigration, Politics
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THE BORDER REPORT
If there’s one aspect of the immigration debate where rational thought falls apart faster than any other, it’s the fight over what to call them.
Nothing, and I mean nothing, not the cost vs. benefits squabble, not the recidivism battle, not the wall, not even the amnesty vs. guestworker plan shout-fests draw people’s ire more than what to call these people.
Myself, I prefer calling them illegal migrants, since they 1) illegally entered the country, and 2) are not immigrants but migrants who only intend to stay for a short part of their lives.
The Arizona Daily Star calls them illegal entrants which is awkward to say.
The Arizona Republic, and Gannett Company, Inc., calls them undocumented immigrants, which is long and boggy.
The Associated Press calls them illegal immigrants, which ain’t half bad.
The television networks seem to call them illegal immigrants or illegals when reporting the news and illegal aliens when discussed by commentators.
And then there’s the Washington Times who always called them illegal aliens –until now.
As of this week, the politically conservative paper will now refer to them as illegal immigrants, dropping the whole aliens thing, which I believe has its roots in some post-World War II INS manual.
Guess times change, even at the Moony paper.
– Michel Marizco
Michel: You presume to know that the illegal humans breaking U. S. law by entering the U. S. southern border without “inspection” are “only migrants who intend to stay for a short part of their lives” How about: crime, wages lowered for all, health & education costs?
Statistic show that over 80% are Mexican Nationals. A recent poll of Mexican Nationals reveals that over 66% of them (over age 18) believe that they have a right to cross the border. What percent of those do you think have family in the U. S. that will/should help them? I’d say millions do; which blows you presumtion out of the water!
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Right on Richard!! How can anyone presume that an illegal border crosser only intends to stay for a short period of time? Sounds like wishful thinking to me.
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One Border Patrolman I met calls them “persons of Hispanic descent lacking proper credentials.” He tells the story of a Mexican who boasted, “My Daddy was a wetback. I’m an illegal alien. But my son, he’s the pride of the family. He’s an undocumented Mexican national!”
– On the Border: Portraits of America’s Southwestern Frontier, by Tom Miller (who prefers to call them “pre-citizens”)
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A migration back and forth between the US and Mexico borders for survival conflicting with the political borders that human groups establish for protection, identity and to keep ‘others’ out.
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Gail: you and the rest of your “bleeding hearts” for illegal aliens need to go to http://www.immigrationscost.org and learn how they are killing Americans at an extremely high rate, especially in drinking and driving incidents, not to mention: child molestation, rape, murder etc.
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Richard: Do I take it that my somewhat anthropological restatement of the situation offended your sensibilities?
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Twenty years ago everyone called them “illegal aliens”. At least two letters to the SDUT referenced mid 1950′s law which identified them as “illegal aliens”. About 20 years ago the SDUT recieved letterss complaining about the name beacuse they “were not from outer space”. (Remember these people drop out after 8th grade.) So the the SDUT started calling them illegal immigrants and papers across the nation followed suit. The major aggravation I have is the dropping of the term “illegal” by some many writers and speakers. The SDUT is the greates transgressor in the last 20 years. Especially when it came to Pete Wilson and Prop 87. Every time time they misquoted him and dropped his term “illegal”. The satff iss very hateful and mean-spirited towards anyone trying to discuss “illegal aliens”.
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