First, this is a post since I couldn't make it 140ch on twitter yesterday when I ended up in a conversation with @dr24hours @doctor_PMS and @SciTriGrrl in regards to the use of words "illegal immigrant" and especially in context of that some democrats now are using it against Mrs Trump.
There's a few disclaimers I want to mention, mainly because it is an inflammatory discussion and a sensitive subject. I'm an immigrant to the US (been on a VISA, on a green card now). I'm a white female, educated and ESL (english as a second language).
Why this means something to me in this discussion? That I've felt fear, being scared standing by the immigration when entering the country. The ice cold feeling when you get a letter explaining something is wrong with your application and you have short few days to correct it or else you get deported. The underlying nervousness filling in "all the countries you've visited last 10 years" and knowing that if something isn't accurate that's cause for ... .you got it, deportation.
In short: TLDR "there are no mistakes in visa applications, only viewed as deceptions an d lies"
Regarding "illegal immigrants", or even "illegal aliens"- my base stance is that no one is illegal just by being human.
However, sometimes you need to point out hypocrisy with using the same words the hypocrites like to use. In this specific example, most of the use of "illegal immigrants" is used for non-whites, less educated people. It's very similar to that many people drop the "immigrant" word while making sweeping generalizations (not good ones) and then I raise my head and state I'm an immigrant and then they backtrack since "You're not really an immigrant, I speak English etc...." but base line is the same. You use sweeping generalizations, you should realize the broad brush touches everyone. And in this case even a presidential candidate's wife. Especially a presidential candidate wife. Maybe then will people see that it's horrid to use these words on people? Or at least that it is debasing and doesn't lead anywhere constructive since it is basically name calling and fear mongering.
And if nothing else, maybe bring about a discussion on visa rules. How many things one has to fulfill while on a visa? How many things that are different being on a visa, a green card and a citizen. And maybe how many people today are employed in the US on a visa - since that is where people seem to go. And what kind of jobs they have. Not to mention, where are the undocumented people working. What kind of jobs are they "stealing" (let's be honest, those jobs aren't what many people want to do. It's like a similar situation in California that is going on in Spain where the government knows that the undocumented people are the backbone of the farming industry and that at least for now gives an export industry.)
That said, I would hope that you/we keep your/our heads above water and not sink to the low level of hate. But it's also important to make the point how much words hurt and that we should be better at not painting broad brush strokes with hateful words and focus on the stakes at hand. Once we dehumanize humans, the road unequivocally descends into the place where unspeakable things happen and we all come out less than human doing despicable things and losing all semblance of moral beings.
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