With the buzz surrounding Donald Trump, the topic of "illegal immigration" has been discussed more than I have ever seen. The way Donald Trump and others like him have depicted these immigrants is unfair, even with the terms they use to describe them. I will be explaining why the term "illegal immigrants" is unfair, and why it makes such an impact.
1. Those who are called "illegals" are almost exclusively Mexican.
According to Pew Research Center, about half of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. are Mexican. If there are so many (about 5.4 million) undocumented immigrants in the U.S. from places other than Mexico, why do people who use terms like "illegals" only use them when discussing Mexicans? It's a little thing we like to call racism.
2. The term doesn't make a whole lot of sense.
A great article to read on this topic is by CNN's Charles Garcia, called "Why 'Illegal Immigrant' is a Slur." One quote from his article says "If you don't pay your taxes, are you an illegal? What if you get a speeding ticket? A murder conviction?" If someone is "illegal" by doing an illegal action such as being undocumented in the United States, shouldn't anyone who breaks the law be an "illegal" too?
3. The term "illegals" didn't start with Mexicans.
If you need more convincing that "illegals" is racist, then learning its origin may be of interest. This term was first used by the British during World War II. It was used towards Jews who fled to safe countries during the time of Nazi Germany. The term came back up sometime during the 1950s during Operation Wetback. I don't want to give you a boring history lesson, but basically, it was when the United States forced Mexicans back after they had brought them to the States to do farm work during World War II. I'm sure you're thinking, so what? Who cares if "illegals" was used towards Jews first? Well, it shows that the term was always racist, and was used as an attack on a group rather than to describe them accurately.
4. The hatred the term has perpetuated has caused severe damage.
About two thirds of the hate crimes for reasons of ethnicity are against Latinos. The kind of negative opinion that has surrounded Latinos and specifically Mexicans can surely be blamed on the media betraying them as "illegals" and as people who don't deserve to be in our country.
I'm sure many people who read this article will disagree with my views, and I completely understand that. But perhaps by becoming more aware of the language we use in our lives and the effects it can have on others can help us all live in a better world.
