Xenophobia is alive and well. It's hatred and/or fear of foreigners. Ever hear people talk about how 'they're taking our job' or 'they're ruining our economy’? "They" are the outsiders, the scapegoats on whom the blame rests for all the mistakes and all entire downfall of a society. For the Nazis it was the Jews, for Germans today it’s the Turks, for the Italians it's the Albanians, for the Russians it's the immigrants of the poor, former Soviet republics, and for us… it's "illegal immigration." Although seemingly a general term, most Americans when presented with the term "illegal immigration" (or just "illegal") think of Latin Americans.
There's an undeniable fear in the hearts and minds of (now) traditional white and black Americans when Latinos are involved. Unlike countless cultures that immigrate to the United States, Hispanics are the least likely to part with their customs and heritage, and most not only speak Spanish, but they see it as their responsibility to pass on the language to the next generation.
It's no secret that
many "patriots" in the United States have taken the English-only cause to heart. In Philadelphia, Geno's Steakhouse (one of the most popular restaurants in America) received overwhelming support from the 'Patriot' movement as well as Fox News for posting signs throughout the establishment asserting that English is the language spoken in America and that those that cannot speak English will be turned away. In California, Neo-Nazis have long infiltrated the Patriot movement, standing side by side with Minutemen terrorizing migrant workers and their families. Programs like ABC's "What Would You Do" have been able to put their finger on the social pulse, taking note of the hatred harbored by Americans of all ages, races, and walks of life against foreigners.
But something positive is happening as well. More and more people are realizing that "illegal immigration" classification is inaccurate, and that calling a human being an "illegal" dehumanizes that person. Calling a man an illegal is akin to the Three-Fifths Clause; the idea of using a term that implies someone is a sub-human doesn't bode well for government or the media. In fact, the Associated Press, the largest news gathering service in the world, has banned the use of the term "illegal immigration" and forbids its staff from using the term "illegal" to refer to human beings. (1) The LA Times, San Francisco Chronicle, and USA Today have all joined in the effort to never again use either term in reporting. (2)
The website ColorLines.com has launched a campaign called "Drop the I Word, which has created a great deal of social awareness in the media. Their actions have led to the aforementioned victories, and their continued efforts seem to be gaining ground with other key media sources, such as the New York Times.
In a unanimous resolution, UCLA's student government declared "the 
use of the term illegals (the ‘I-word’) and its derivatives when referring to people dehumanizes and divides communities, contributing to punitive and discriminatory actions aimed primarily at immigrants and communities of color..." (3) UC Berkeley's student government passed a similar resolution, stating in part, “[n]o human being is illegal; 'foreign nationals,’ ‘undocumented immigrants,’ ‘immigrants without papers’ and ‘immigrants seeking status’ are examples of terms we can use that do not dehumanize people.”
But they're just students you might say. Well, it’s students and workers that are the backbone of society, and if that's not enough for you, then think about this. Others are opposed to the I-word, simply because it's not factually accurate. In an article for CNN.com, Jonathan Rosa, an assistant professor of linguistic anthropology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, wrote "[i]t isn't a legal concept, which is why you don't hear judges and lawyers using this terminology in the law. The U.S. Immigration and Nationality Act defines immigrants as people who have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence." (5)
And he couldn't be more right! In fact, in her case on the matter, U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the first Hispanic-Latino to sit on the high court, used the word 'undocumented immigrant' as opposed to illegal alien. (6)
So, why are we talking about the term "illegal" on RxMuscle.com? What the hell does this have to do with bodybuilding?
As we get closer to realizing our dream of launching RxEspañol, we must come to grips with the fact that there's a world around us. We live in a country where local communities are being put to the test. We're living in a time when our economy is in trouble and certain elements donning American flags and spouting patriotic slogans are pushing ages old agendas that include terrorizing immigrants and demonizing those that defend them.
There's a big misconce
ption here that the vast majority of undocumented workers 'sneak across' the border or come to America to steal, rape and pillage. The reality is, many immigrants that come here to work (e.g. former President Bush's guest-worker program) or come to study in American colleges and universities, for whatever reason, let their visas lapse and thus fall outside of the law.
There are countless websites, books, and news programs that paint a much distorted picture. They blame immigrants for smuggling and distributing illegal narcotics; they blame them for unemployment and the weak economy. While other forums are less discrete, openly using terms such as "wetbacks," "beaners," and the very term this article is joining in the fight against — a racist slur no different than the N-word.
I understand that many of you are disinterested with being politically correct; others may think that this just isn't that big of a deal. Some black people use the N-word. Hell, some black comedians and musicians use the term in their own context. Does that legitimize an ages old racist slur? Should we base our morals on their corrupted ones?
As we get closer to starting a new, innovative and rewarding chapter of RxMuscle.com, we must not only welcome new friends, but we mustn't ignore the realities at play. I have been in situations where I'm the only Latino in the room and I have to take a stand. Every single time I go to the grocery store, the gym, anywhere really and I'm on the phone with my parents, I'm speaking in Spanish. I've had people tell me what language to speak! On my phone, on my own time!
This I-word has as much to do with immigration reform as being a bigot has to do with being a patriot. The English-push, the I-word, and laws that promote racial profiling (e.g. Arizona SB 1040) create a xenophobic climate in our society. Even if you don't do a thing to counteract the tide, by reading this article I know you've been presented with facts that will hopefully help shape your outlook on what terminology you choose to use in the future.
Cites
(1) http://colorlines.com/droptheiword/
(2) Ibid
(3) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/03/ucla-illegal-immigrant_n_3862671.html
(5) http://www.cnn.com/2013/04/04/us/illegal-immigrant-term-still-a-challenge/
(6) http://freedomoutpost.com/2014/02/sonia-sotomayor-referring-illegal-aliens-illegal-seem-insulting/
