Posted on 04/06/2006 6:29:49 AM PDT by John Jorsett
Three minority journalism groups are asking the American press to stop using "dehumanizing" words when covering immigration.
The terms "alien," "illegal alien" and "illegal immigrant" should be avoided, according to the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and the Asian American Journalists Association (AAJA).
The preferred terms are "undocumented immigrant," "undocumented worker" or "economic refugee," which the organizations consider more accurate and less offensive.
Some, however, question the motives of the groups. "These groups are acting political, not journalistic," said Tim Graham of the Media Research Center (MRC).
"This is not about inaccuracy, it's about identity politics. When words like 'dehumanizing' come up, it's all about sensitivity, not credibility. They are taking personal and ideological offense, not enlightening journalists."
The 2,300-member NAHJ is particularly vexed by the one-word descriptor "illegal," saying, "Shortening the term in this way stereotypes undocumented people who are in the United States as having committed a crime. Under U.S. immigration law, being an undocumented immigrant is not a crime, it is a civil violation."
The group also denounced the "use of degrading terms 'alien' and 'illegal alien' to describe undocumented immigrants because it casts them as adverse, strange beings -- inhuman outsiders who come to the U.S. with questionable motivations."
Mr. Graham, however, called for a reality check. "It's not like news organizations are using the term 'Frito Bandito,'?" he said. "And what about the definition of 'illegal'? This population doesn't choose to enter the country by legal channels, or stand in line like immigrants who played by the rules. That sounds illegal to me."
[snip]
"The words we use frame a debate, and we need to make sure those words are not loaded with baggage," said Bryan Moore, president of NABJ.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
How about Klingon or Romulan?
Or lying, skulking, thieving, sneaking weasels? They sneak into our country, they form criminal gangs, they steal services from hospitals, schools and welfare agencies--what, then, are we supposed to call them?
how about calling a spade a spade, then? If they're here illegally, and they don't want to call them illegal aliens, how about calling them criminals?
"F" PC bump
I'll go with undeclared invader.
I'm sure CAIR and the ACLU will be joining with these voices soon.
Well, if you like none of the above, I guess we Texans can always return to the aptly-descriptive, "wetbacks"...
I thought "refugee" was supposed to be a terrible thing to call somebody whose house, job, belongings, and family was just wiped out. But it's the preferred term for somebody who's looking for a better job, I guess. It's so hard to try to keep these things straight when they're just being made up.
War is peace, Freedom is slavery, Ignorance is strength, less accurate is more accurate.
If our government had any cojones, the accurate term would be "felon."
}:-)4
Erstwhile Mexican ?
If they got fake SSNs and drivers licenses, or if they've been kicked out and came back in, they're documented. And "undocumented worker" doesn't apply to the ones that don't work. If they're refugees (asylum seekers), then we have another process to deal with that where they can gain the status of refugee.
All of their suggested terms are inaccurate.
LOL!!
Economic refugee?
Are these guys out of their mind?
Should be: economic evac-u-eee!
EXACTLY WHY we should use these terms.
They are violating the term "immigrant" by insisting we sue it for these people.
OUR ancestors were immigrants - they came here legally - for the most part.
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