What to Call What We Are
 

Illegals
Illegal Immigrants
Illegal Aliens
Undocumented Immigrants

These are what we are known as by others.

For my whole life I have called myself an illegal immigrant or "an alien here." But I have been scolded by someone of my own kind for the first time ever for"insulting all undocumenteds" because I used such words to describe myself. I have always used these words and did not know that there existed a people who were offended by them. I see undocumented as a softer word...yes... but I don't think it honest. Changing what we are called doesn't change what we are, or what we did: we are human beings who broke the immigration laws of the USA, however strict and cruel those laws might have been. We are here "illegally" and can face apprehension and deportation at any time.

I will continue to call myself these words. Not because it helps a cause, but because that is what I am -- and that is who I am fighting for. I have to be true to myself because if I can't do that, I can't ever help myself get out this slump I have been living in for fifteen years. I have to accept what I am, and fight for myself on that basis. I am an illegal immigrant and an alien here.

Re: What to Call What We Are
 

My mother and I know that we're illegal immigrants but I always choose the word "undocumented" because it's less harsh and it gives the impression that my mother and I either lost our documents or those documents didn't arrive or weren't received.

If we use the word "illegal" it implies that we're strictly in violation of the law which isn't possible in our case.

Use the word "undocumented". It draws sympathy and it's not as harsh as "illegal". :smile:

The only people who use "illegal alien/immigrant" are those who don't want illegal immigrants here. :evil:

Re: What to Call What We Are
 

i'm really really saddened that you are willing to label yourself with stigmatized words thought up and propagated by people who hate immigrants. please, educate yourself on how nativists use hate speech to dupe everyone, including us. when we start seeing ourselves as sub-human and unworthy of respectful words, they win.

please watch this:

Re: What to Call What We Are
 

This guy is probably an anti-immigrant troll.

Re: What to Call What We Are
 

Calling myself undocumented doesn't change me being illegal, and calling myself illegal doesn't change me being undocumented. I'm not going to use a label just because "it helps draw sympathy." I want the same respect as anyone else gets. Hollow sympathy isn't included in that. Calling myself "undocumented" makes it sound like I came here as a legal resident and I just didn't receive my 'documents' due to a paperwork error or something, and that just ain't the truth, my man.

dreamerhippie: We are using codewords too! They are codewords of misdirection, though. And that isn't what we should be about.

Re: What to Call What We Are
 

I don't call myself an illegal alien because
1- it's not my fault I don't have papers.
And 2-because I consider myself American. I grew up here and can't imagine living my adult life in a country other than the US.

So I call myself undocumented because I'm as American as any other kid my age, only I don't have the papers to fully live my life. And again, that's not my fault.

Re: What to Call What We Are
 

We, the undocumented, need to use language that draws sympathy.

Do really think that the average citizen is going to support someone who considers himself/herself to be an illegal? Of course no!!!

That's why we must always use words such as "undocumented", "in the shadows", or something that's not as harsh as "illegal".

Again, the only people who use the word "illegal immigrant/alien" are those who don't want us undocumented to be here.

Re: What to Call What We Are
 

We need to be honest with both ourselves and the people we appeal to. The truth wins in the end. I will call myself what feels natural for me to do. I am an illegal immigrant, an alien, who is seeking understanding from the government of the USA to realize that I did not make my family's decision to come here six years ago. That is what I am. There is nothing wrong with that, that needs to be masked by carefully picked out words. It is the burden we bear.

To the person who called me a troll: you're a fool, so what-thefuck-ever to you. I came here from the UK at age 15, and things have been very difficult for us here. No money, no status. We are living a lie to all the people in our neighborhood who assume that just because we are English, that we not only are legal residents in the USA but also that we are well-to-do. You have no idea what it is like to keep up the appearances that we are expected to keep up in front of people here. It is not easier when you don't "wear" your illegal status on your skin, regardless of what those of you who do may think.

Re: What to Call What We Are
 

at the risk of explaining the blatantly obvious: every word has a loaded meaning behind it. calling ourselves "undocumented immigrants" isn't a code word of hate because it's describes us rather well. we are foreign-born people who lack documentation at the present moment. i don't see what's being misrepresented. this is in contrast to "illegal aliens" which ascertains both criminality and being non-human, and as such, is totally a code word for hate and is definitely meant to misdirect people and scare them into not questioning why they're using those words to describe people in their community.

as an immigrant for the UK, i'm fairly certain you came here on a visa and simply overstayed. you should know that illegal presence is in fact NOT prosecuted as a crime in the US legal system; it's a civil issue, not a criminal one. when you call yourself a criminal based on you lack of status, you are doing it without warrant. again, please educate yourself on the hate speech and subversive tactics and words used against us to instill fear and distrust in the general populous, who by and large fall for it like sheep.

Re: What to Call What We Are
 

From the UK? If you came on a visa which later expired wouldn't that imply that your family is quite well-off because poor people are almost always incapable of being issued visas.

Anyway, if you use the word "illegal immigrant/alien" do you honestly think the average person (who doesn't know about the DREAM Act) will sympathize with you? Illegal is bad word for someone who ran across the border or overstayed a visa.

Using less harsh words such as "undocumented", "in the shadows", or anything similar is a necessity to gain someone's sympathy. Using the word "illegal" may cause someone to question our statuses and views.