Ask USA Today: What Do You Mean By "Illegal Students?"

by Prerna Lal · 2009-12-16 20:46:00 UTC
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Would a truly reputable national newspaper use the N-word to describe African-Americans or categorize the entire LGBT community as "fags?"

I doubted it. But the USA Today has gone and done something quite similar.

The USA Today article "Groups try to delay deportations of illegal students" gets it wrong once again by calling immigrant students in the United States "illegal."

BEWARE: USA Today reporter, Emily Bazar thinks it is alright to call us “illegal immigrants” because the hate-group NumbersUSA has no problem with the phrase. Here is the email to prove this.

But wait, I get the “illegal immigrant” because that slur is familiar. However, WHAT is an “illegal student?”

How do you recognize an "illegal student?" Is USA Today trying to score points by making up new terms to describe undocumented youth?

In her correspondence with me, Ms. Bazar fails to directly respond to any of the points raised.

The proper words are undocumented and unauthorized in reference to immigrants. Even the Supreme Court gets it nowadays due to the influence of Judge Sotomayor and calls us "undocumented immigrants."

Sign the petition to tell Emily Bazar and USA Today that no student and no human being can be illegal.

Benjamin Reed, a journalist, told me via Facebook:

As a journalist, I always try to avoid using that word [Illegal]. To me, it's an insult, and better refers to an ILL EAGLE, a bird with stomach problems, not a HUMAN!

The use of the word illegal to describe young people seeking the right to stay in the United States speaks volumes about the absurdity of labeling out-of-status human beings as "illegal." There is no such thing as an "illegal student" and the ridiculousness must stop now!

Calling people ‘illegal' is the real euphemism. Classifying people as "illegal aliens" or "illegal immigrants" without granting them a chance to explore the legal options available to them is a slur. It is similar to calling someone a robber or murderer without first granting that person due process of law.

Sign the petition to tell USA Today to stop competing with our archaic immigration system and get with the program. No human being can be illegal.

(Photo Credit: DreamActivist)

Prerna Lal is co-founder and Online Coordinator of DreamActivist and a board member of Immigration Equality. She is currently attending George Washington University Law School.
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