The term "illegal immigrant" dehumanises and criminalises people who are denied the opportunity to obtain authorisation. Language has been in the news lately. Last Tuesday, on April 2, the Associated Press announced it would no longer use "illegal immigrant" to refer to people living in a country without permission. The previous week, Alaska Republican Congressman Don Young referred workers in his father's farm as "wetbacks", although he subsequently apologised for the racialised slander. Why is language so important? What are people so upset about? The word "wetback" is a reference to the fact that many people who cross into the...