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It’s time to unpack the phrase “Illegal Alien”
UConn Daily Campus ^ | September 5, 2017 | by Amar Batra

Posted on 09/05/2017 7:14:39 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer

... Close your eyes for a second and imagine the term “alien”. What comes to mind? Probably something not human. Now throw the word “illegal” in front of it. What do you get? Who knows, maybe an alien in a prison jumpsuit. Can you see what I’m getting at?

Calling somebody an illegal alien should never be the wording that you use. Not because it’s not “politically correct” but because those two words completely dehumanize the situation that these people are in and the hardships they have endured.

We don’t call people who come to the U.S. via the legal channels “legal aliens” we call them Americans. They gave up their old lives in order to work for a better life in the United States. We honor that commitment by treating them like human beings and giving them rights. Shouldn’t that liberty apply to everyone?

At the end of the day, every single undocumented immigrant in this country is a person. Can we all agree that? Which means they can’t be illegal. No human being is illegal. And just like no human being can be illegal, no human being can be alien.

Calling immigrants illegal aliens makes it very easy to see them differently for yourself. It allows people to dehumanize them and make them seem like some kind threatening population. Immigration reform is one of the largest human rights challenges of our time. Without knowledge of them being undocumented, every single one of these immigrants is a member of our community just trying to make their lives better. Where I come from, we try and help members of our community not force them out.

Immigrants are people, undocumented or not. Let’s actually treat them as people, in words and in actions. It’s the human thing to do.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailycampus.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Editorial; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: border; globalism; illegalaliens; illegals; invasion
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
via the legal channels “legal aliens” we call them Americans

No, we do not call them Americans until they become naturalized citizens and we celebrate their achievement.

The operative word is ILLEGAL. Different factions may follow the word, illegal, with a word of their choice.

Illegal alien
Illegal immigrant
Illegal documented
Illegal un-documented

giving them rights

Incorrect, rights are not given or granted. Rights are inherent.

Immigration reform is one of the largest human rights challenges of our time

Incorrect again. Immigration law enforcement is the challenge. America is not enforcing existing Immigration Laws.

There is a well documented distinction between someone who has entered America legally and someone who entered illegally.

Why does the left spit on Immigrants who came here legally?

101 posted on 09/05/2017 9:08:36 AM PDT by MosesKnows (Love Many, Trust Few, and Always Paddle Your Own Canoe)
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To: WatchungEagle
"They are not assimilating in any meaningful sense."

Not to worry, their kids will assimilate. All of the ones I ever knew were pretty darned conservative. Of course, that was at a university in the south (LSU) back in the 1970's.

102 posted on 09/05/2017 9:23:41 AM PDT by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel and NRA Life Member)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

These same people believe that humans are no longer “he” or “she”.


103 posted on 09/05/2017 9:27:13 AM PDT by donna (MEDIA = sourpuss-bellyacher-whiner-grouser-crank-faultfinder-crab-complainer)
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To: ClearCase_guy

This dumbass should prove the theory in reverse and take a stroll into Mexico and demand rights. Mexico very strictly defines the term COUNTRY. Idiots like this do not want the USA to be a country but a dumping ground. BTW,so does Mexico and every other dysfunctional country on the planet.


104 posted on 09/05/2017 9:41:04 AM PDT by shanover (...To disarm the people is the best and most effectual way to enslave them.-S.Adams)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

... Close your eyes for a second and imagine the term “alien”. What comes to mind? Probably something not human

Utter nonsense. I know what an alien is. Some one from another country or me if I go to some other country. As for the other worldly crap, I never saw a martian or an alpha centurion and until I do an alien is someone from another country!
You do not get to change the language. They are Illegal aliens not undocumented persons. They are homosexuals not gay men.


105 posted on 09/05/2017 9:42:13 AM PDT by 48th SPS Crusader (I am an American. Not a Republican or a Democrat)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Dehumanization of the species is the intent of the language, and it is just fine thank you.


106 posted on 09/05/2017 9:43:12 AM PDT by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists Call 'em what you will, they all have fairies livin' in their trees.)
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To: Wonder Warthog

You are totally wrong. Obviously, you are an old person from a low immigration part of the country. People like you are the problem here. You keep letting hoards of people from third world countries in and then you force younger Americans to go to school and work in hostile environments.


107 posted on 09/05/2017 9:45:58 AM PDT by WatchungEagle
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To: WatchungEagle

I’ve worked closely with professional immigrants from probably two dozen countries. I often find them say how much better the old country was; there’s too much freedom to do what you want here; there are too many choices here; nobody takes care of you here; there isn’t enough of the government taking care of you here; etc., etc.

Maybe 20% really love the vitality and freedom here. Most, if they had their druthers, would seek to convert the US to full blown socialism. It’s ironic because they are all highly paid, successful business people.

You also haven’t seen much inter-racial marriage the past thirty years, even among second or third generation immigrants. Indians continue to marry Indians; Afghanis continue to marry Afghanis; Iranians marry Iranians; Chinese marry Chinese. The collapse of “the melting pot” is hurting the U.S. When everybody came from Western Europe, you saw all sorts of marriages between people of different countries within a generation or two of arriving in the U.S. No more — it’s all tribal now, as you say.

We are WAY past due for a long pause in immigration.


108 posted on 09/05/2017 9:48:34 AM PDT by ProtectOurFreedom
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To: Lurkinanloomin
This is also why we must not vote for any more Cheap Labor Express Republicans, they are Democrats in R jerseys.

Oh, I forgot not to Vote for the IMMORAL DemocRATS that are emasculating our military with Trangenderds.

109 posted on 09/05/2017 9:59:19 AM PDT by CptnObvious (uestion her now.)
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To: sasherm13

I know and I caught that too.


110 posted on 09/05/2017 10:09:04 AM PDT by jospehm20
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

I’m perfectly fine with using the term “criminal alien” in place if “illegal alien”


111 posted on 09/05/2017 10:22:45 AM PDT by zeugma (I live in the present due to the constraints of the Space-Time Continuum. —Hank Green)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Illegal Invaders.

Immigrants (Aliens) are Invited. Invaders are Repelled.


112 posted on 09/05/2017 10:25:29 AM PDT by Kickass Conservative ( THEY LIVE, and we're the only ones wearing the Sunglasses.)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

“Undocumented immigrants” IMPLIES that this is a temporary situation and some day they ALL will be “documented immigrants”.


113 posted on 09/05/2017 11:14:44 AM PDT by hawg-farmer - FR..October 1998 (---->VMFA 235 '69 -'72 KMCAS <--- F4 PHANTOM... FLYING BRICK)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer
At the end of the day, every single undocumented immigrant in this country is a person. Can we all agree that? Which means they can’t be illegal. No human being is illegal. And just like no human being can be illegal, no human being can be alien.

Nope. I agree that illegal aliens are people. That makes each one of them an illegal alien person. People are perfectly capable of being illegal if they enter a country illegal, overstay a visa illegally, or otherwise commit a crime by remaining where they have no legal right to be. I'm not going to back down just because some whining baby from the left tries the trite "no human being is illegal". That overused lie is false, and it does not scare me.

114 posted on 09/05/2017 3:25:52 PM PDT by Pollster1 ("Governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed")
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To: WatchungEagle
"You are totally wrong. Obviously, you are an old person from a low immigration part of the country. People like you are the problem here. You keep letting hoards of people from third world countries in and then you force younger Americans to go to school and work in hostile environments."

You obviously have serious reading comprehension problems. Apparently the part that says "Of course, that was at a university in the south (LSU) back in the 1970's." was invisible to your eyeballs.

At the time LSU was one of the major channeling points for incoming college foreign students due to their "English as a foreign language" program, so a "low immigration" point it was definitely NOT. The students would go to LSU their first summer to "get English" and then would move on to their target degree university in fall or spring semester. I probably saw more foreigners over a four year period than most folks do in a lifetime.

But I would one hell of a lot rather have foreign immigrants to the US who have good educations than street drug dealer fodder that comes here illegally.

The other point you miss is that acculturation doesn't happen in colleges....it happens in kindergarten and elementary school. By high school age, the children have assimilated. This happens UNLESS the families are ghettoized so they only interact with other immigrants of the same culture, which, in turn, applies almost solely to illegals, who band together to avoid "la migra".

115 posted on 09/05/2017 3:39:02 PM PDT by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel and NRA Life Member)
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To: Wonder Warthog

I grew up in NYC and urban North Jersey. LA and LSU are low immigration environments compared to the rest of the country today and certainly were in the 1970’s. LSU in the 1970’s had few immigrants compared to the average university today, don’t be ridiculous. Foreign students are 20% or more of undergrads at many colleges, with another 20% non-assimlated 2nd generation.

Old people like you from low immigration states are a big problem because you simply do not understand the reality of what is happening. Children of highly educated immigrants are today’s left wing campus activists and Hillary voters. They are not assimilating and haven’t for decades. You have no idea what you are talking about, telling us stories about foreign students in the 1970’s.

Old boomers have no idea what it is like to go to foreign dominated universities today. The percentage of immigrants you experienced was small by today’s standards even if it was high by 1970’s standards.


116 posted on 09/05/2017 8:23:30 PM PDT by WatchungEagle
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

They are not called Americans, any more than I’m call a Canadian, when I visit Canada.

In the writers mind, when I legally entered a foreign country I am called by that countries citizenship name, British, Spanish, Peruvian, New Zealander, Australian, Mexican?

No! If I am there legally on a Visa I am called a visitor, not a residents. If I am there illegally, I am called an alien.

A foreign citizen seeking to immigrate generally must be sponsored by a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident immediate relative(s), or prospective U.S. employer, and have an approved petition before applying for an immigrant visa. These are legal immigrants. No other Visa carries the word immigrant. Those are visitors.

Those who cross our borders, in the process breaking our laws, are illegal. They are not immigrants with a immigrant visa.

They are “criminal aliens”. The word criminal is a description of their committing a crime by entering illegally. The word alien means “Noncitizen”. The following definition is from the Division of Homeland Security’a webpage.

“Alien (Noncitizen)
An alien is any person who is not a citizen or national of the United States.”


117 posted on 09/05/2017 8:45:18 PM PDT by Yulee (Village of Albion)
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To: WatchungEagle
"I grew up in NYC and urban North Jersey."

And you think NYC and New Jersey are indicative of the entire USA??? Sorry, but no. Nor are Seattle and Silicon Valley.

Go back and re-read what I posted....assimilation does NOT happen in college...it happens in kindergarten and grade school.

Here is the REAL data:

"It's up 10 percent, to roughly 975,000, according to a new report by the Institute of International Education and backed by the State Department. In 2014-15, China was still the largest source of students with 31 percent of the total. India was in second place with nearly 14 percent.Nov 18, 2015

Search term: fraction of foreign students at US universities

The Wall Street Journal puts the number even lower (5%) and gives a bargraph for the schools with the highest numbers:

http://graphics.wsj.com/international-students/

118 posted on 09/06/2017 5:12:18 AM PDT by Wonder Warthog (The Hog of Steel and NRA Life Member)
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To: Oldeconomybuyer

Legal aliens are just called “aliens.” It’s in our immigration code. It’s a legal term.


119 posted on 09/06/2017 5:19:26 AM PDT by ReagansShinyHair
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