Illegal immigrants and racists: a PC question

[Holy Tedalonia]

Right wingers call illegal immigrants, Illegal immigrants, because they enter the country illegally. They are using the name appropriately, calling Republicans racists, is akin to going to a kids party and calling everybody james regardless of name. They could be james's but not all of them are.

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Right wingers call illegal immigrants, Illegal immigrants, because they enter the country illegally. They are using the name appropriately, calling Republicans racists, is akin to going to a kids party and calling everybody james regardless of name. They could be james's but not all of them are.

There are a lot more James's than Republicans want to admit.

[LimaUniformNovemberAlpha]

"Racist" as a noun isn't offensive, it's just absurd. We've all had racist thoughts. The term is useless.

llegal immigrant is a proper term, it's just that it reflects a bias against people who committed one particular illegal act when we've all done things that are against the law at some point in our lives.

[Cameroi]

the problem with any term, is its misapplication.

every "white" person in the western hemisphere, is a descendant of "illegal immigrants".
every indigenous person, is not.

[Holy Tedalonia]

the problem with any term, is its misapplication.

every "white" person in the western hemisphere, is a descendant of "illegal immigrants".
every indigenous person, is not.

The issue with that assessment is the fact that when colonialism first began there was no government body saying they entered the country illegally. In truth they were simply colonizing and establishing their foothold in the Americas. The only real illegal immigrants were those who trespassed into native american land, which happened commonly.

[Nova Cyberia]

the problem with any term, is its misapplication.

every "white" person in the western hemisphere, is a descendant of "illegal immigrants".
every indigenous person, is not.

I'd imagine most of the Native tribes didn't really have immigration laws, fam.

Besides, there is actually a substantive difference between immigration and conquest.

[Pacomia]

the problem with any term, is its misapplication.

every "white" person in the western hemisphere, is a descendant of "illegal immigrants".
every indigenous person, is not.

Besides, there is actually a substantive difference between immigration and conquest.

That probably wasn't the best point to make. Conquest is generally worse than immigration.
But yeah, Native land had no immigration laws, I think. I wonder if there's anything about moving onto a reservation?

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the problem with any term, is its misapplication.

every "white" person in the western hemisphere, is a descendant of "illegal immigrants".
every indigenous person, is not.

I'd imagine most of the Native tribes didn't really have immigration laws, fam.

Besides, there is actually a substantive difference between immigration and conquest.

Someone tell that to the MAGA crowd who want to convince people that migrants crossing the border are an "invasion".

[Holy Tedalonia]

Besides, there is actually a substantive difference between immigration and conquest.

That probably wasn't the best point to make. Conquest is generally worse than immigration.
But yeah, Native land had no immigration laws, I think. I wonder if there's anything about moving onto a reservation?

Generally the native response to moving on a reservation was that you get killed.

[Pacomia]

That probably wasn't the best point to make. Conquest is generally worse than immigration.
But yeah, Native land had no immigration laws, I think. I wonder if there's anything about moving onto a reservation?

Generally the native response to moving on a reservation was that you get killed.

A modern reservation? Nah. There are reservations that are full of people who moved there, including white people (although most of them just happened to already live in the area designated a reservation).

[Nova Cyberia]

I'd imagine most of the Native tribes didn't really have immigration laws, fam.

Besides, there is actually a substantive difference between immigration and conquest.

Someone tell that to the MAGA crowd who want to convince people that migrants crossing the border are an "invasion".

Perhaps now you lot will finally stop comparing refugees to the people on the Mayflower, eh?

[Holy Tedalonia]

Generally the native response to moving on a reservation was that you get killed.

A modern reservation? Nah. There are reservations that are full of people who moved there, including white people (although most of them just happened to already live in the area designated a reservation).

Well, I was thinking of the old fashion reservations.

[Pacomia]

Someone tell that to the MAGA crowd who want to convince people that migrants crossing the border are an "invasion".

Perhaps now you lot will finally stop comparing refugees to the people on the Mayflower, eh?

To be honest, the Mayflower puritans technically were refugees escaping religious persecution in Britain.

[Ostroeuropa]

1) Calling undocumented immigrants (or unauthorized immigrants if you prefer because you think undocumented is "PC") "illegals" is nonsensical. There is no such thing as an illegal person, and their ongoing status living in the country changes nothing. If you steal something from a store, it's a single illegal act whether you keep the item forever or bring it back 5 seconds after you walk out the door. An illegal border crossing is no different. It's one action.

2) Consider when we do and don't define a person or group by which laws they have broken. If you're talking about Jeffrey Dahmer, the term "serial killer" is going to come up in the first sentence. The first thing one learns about Adolf Eichmann is that he was a nazi and a war criminal. But we don't immediately bring up the fact that Robert Downey Jr. is a convicted felon. We don't refer to all the rockstars of the world as "drug offenders" even though most of them are. We don't call gay people in Saudi Arabia and Iran "illegals" or "illegal homosexuals" even though they literally are. If they are simply "gays" or "LGBT" despite an illegal relationship, why should we say "illegals" in reference to migrants who illegally crossed the border?

3) Consider your biases. Many Jews who lived in Europe illegally settled in countries that banned Jews, not only in the Middle Ages but as recently as the 20th century, so why don't we call them illegals when talking about history? In the present day, the government of Myanmar asserts that the Rohingya people have no right to live within the country despite the fact that their families have lived in the land for several generations, but people of the West tend to think Myanmar is wrong for trying to expel them. So why do we think of the laws of our own society to be more legitimate than historical societies or modern societies on the other side of the world? Why do we think those people have the right to be where they are but not people crossing our borders.

1. *rolls eyes*

2. Murder -> Murderer. Theft -> Thief. Illegal immigration -> Illegal immigrator. But that's dumb sounding and isn't already a word, so immigrant.

3. Because that's what it takes for our society to function and not be overrun with immigration.

[Petrolheadia]

They have immigrated? Yes.
Illegally? Yes.

I guess it's OK then.

1) Calling undocumented immigrants (or unauthorized immigrants if you prefer because you think undocumented is "PC") "illegals" is nonsensical. There is no such thing as an illegal person, and their ongoing status living in the country changes nothing. If you steal something from a store, it's a single illegal act whether you keep the item forever or bring it back 5 seconds after you walk out the door. An illegal border crossing is no different. It's one action.

If I spent a few years stealing stuff from a store, the media would probably keep calling me a robber.

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1) Calling undocumented immigrants (or unauthorized immigrants if you prefer because you think undocumented is "PC") "illegals" is nonsensical. There is no such thing as an illegal person, and their ongoing status living in the country changes nothing. If you steal something from a store, it's a single illegal act whether you keep the item forever or bring it back 5 seconds after you walk out the door. An illegal border crossing is no different. It's one action.

2) Consider when we do and don't define a person or group by which laws they have broken. If you're talking about Jeffrey Dahmer, the term "serial killer" is going to come up in the first sentence. The first thing one learns about Adolf Eichmann is that he was a nazi and a war criminal. But we don't immediately bring up the fact that Robert Downey Jr. is a convicted felon. We don't refer to all the rockstars of the world as "drug offenders" even though most of them are. We don't call gay people in Saudi Arabia and Iran "illegals" or "illegal homosexuals" even though they literally are. If they are simply "gays" or "LGBT" despite an illegal relationship, why should we say "illegals" in reference to migrants who illegally crossed the border?

3) Consider your biases. Many Jews who lived in Europe illegally settled in countries that banned Jews, not only in the Middle Ages but as recently as the 20th century, so why don't we call them illegals when talking about history? In the present day, the government of Myanmar asserts that the Rohingya people have no right to live within the country despite the fact that their families have lived in the land for several generations, but people of the West tend to think Myanmar is wrong for trying to expel them. So why do we think of the laws of our own society to be more legitimate than historical societies or modern societies on the other side of the world? Why do we think those people have the right to be where they are but not people crossing our borders.

1. *rolls eyes*

2. Murder -> Murderer. Theft -> Thief. Illegal immigration -> Illegal immigrator. But that's dumb sounding and isn't already a word, so immigrant.

3. Because that's what it takes for our society to function and not be overrun with immigration.

Which society is overrun by immigration? I live in Germany, a country of a bit more than 80 million that has taken in more than a million refugees and we aren't overrun over here, so who is?

[Petrolheadia]

1. *rolls eyes*

2. Murder -> Murderer. Theft -> Thief. Illegal immigration -> Illegal immigrator. But that's dumb sounding and isn't already a word, so immigrant.

3. Because that's what it takes for our society to function and not be overrun with immigration.

Which society is overrun by immigration? I live in Germany, a country of a bit more than 80 million that has taken in more than a million refugees and we aren't overrun over here

Opinions are split on that.

[Ostroeuropa]

1. *rolls eyes*

2. Murder -> Murderer. Theft -> Thief. Illegal immigration -> Illegal immigrator. But that's dumb sounding and isn't already a word, so immigrant.

3. Because that's what it takes for our society to function and not be overrun with immigration.

Which society is overrun by immigration? I live in Germany, a country of a bit more than 80 million that has taken in more than a million refugees and we aren't overrun over here, so who is?

No society is overrun with immigration because we don't allow totally open borders where anyone has a right to cross and reside.

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Which society is overrun by immigration? I live in Germany, a country of a bit more than 80 million that has taken in more than a million refugees and we aren't overrun over here

Opinions are split on that.

My German wife and all my German friends aren't split on that, and I'd point out the anti-immigrant AfD's supporters are less than 15% based on election results

[Petrolheadia]

Which society is overrun by immigration? I live in Germany, a country of a bit more than 80 million that has taken in more than a million refugees and we aren't overrun over here, so who is?

No society is overrun with immigration because we don't allow totally open borders where anyone has a right to cross and reside.

All German borders are open for EU citizens (although we aren't the worst bunch).

[Rojava Free State]

If you crossed the border without telling anybody, you're an illegal immigrant

If you get triggered when someone of a different skin tone appears, you're racist

This is how it is

[Bonenburg]

I thought PC meant Personal Computer. I geuss i am getting old.

[Rojava Free State]

Right wingers call illegal immigrants, Illegal immigrants, because they enter the country illegally. They are using the name appropriately, calling Republicans racists, is akin to going to a kids party and calling everybody james regardless of name. They could be james's but not all of them are.

There are a lot more James's than Republicans want to admit.

I can't breath now

[Bear Stearns]

Being called racist is like being called a communist in the 1950s.

[The Emerald Legion]

Being called a 'racist' (probably for acting racist) and getting called an 'illegal immigrant' (someone who's trying to cross an imaginary line drawn on the ground) are two radically different things and the fact that somehow you found a way to equate one to another is baffling.

Not really. The concept is more or less sound. You just hold one ideological axiom in contempt while making the other a key part of your worldview.