Why are we allowing the US to call illegal immigrants “illegal aliens”?

[KimGym]

I find this absolutely sickening!!!! It’s a disgraceful term to use and I feel as though if the US are going to use this disgusting terminology, it should at the very least, be censored in other countries. It is so disrespectful and dehumanising. It’s this sort of language that leads people (hopefully only those who have lacked a basic education) to deem immigrants to be sub human, and paves the way for public acceptance of them being treated in a sub human manner. AIBU to think this is totally abhorrant?

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alien

I’m honestly starting to believe that people look for things to be offended by. They call everyone that enters the country illegal aliens, it’s not targeted at a specific demographic or group, to them it’s literally covers the whole world if they shouldn’t be there.

Asylum seeker is a good example. The term 'lunatic asylum' tends to be thought of as a prison for the mentally ill but was actually intended as a place of safety. (How they might have been treated is a different subject altogether)

Dictionary
Definitions from Oxford Languages · Learn more

asylum
/əˈsʌɪləm/

noun

the protection granted by a state to someone who has left their home country as a political refugee.
"she applied for asylum and was granted refugee status"

dated
an institution for the care of people with mental illness.

The word 'alien' was used for a foreigner before there was any concept of aliens from outer space.

"Resident Alien" sounds like the name of a doggy 80s rap!

What is wrong with ex pat please?

I'm an alien spouse on my greencard application lol. It's not offensive.

The US does use language differently to us though.

I work in finance and the word “delinquent” pops up a lot in the context “you’re late sending a mandatory statutory return “.

Here we just thinking of delinquents as naughty teenagers!

Because it’s not being used as a derogatory term to bring down a race of people like the N word for example.

aliens just refers to them not being from that country. It’s been used for the longest time. I really don’t think it’s a big deal

This must be the stupidest thread I’ve read on here. Not only objecting to the correct use of a word, but imagining that we have any say in ‘allowing’ the US to do anything!

Leviticus 19:33-35

(International Standard Version)

“If a resident alien lives with you in your land, you are not to mistreat him. 34 You are to treat the resident alien the same way you treat the native born among you—love him like yourself, since you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

I'm not a fan of 'British subject' either.

Come on. It's a difference in language between the US and the UK. Just like pavement/sidewalk or supermarket/grocery store.

In the US they talk about "handicapped parking spaces" which would not be appropriate terminology here, where we would say "disabled parking space". You cannot start demanding another country change what language is acceptable there because you don't like it.

P.S. Nobody tell her about fanny packs.

Anyone who thinks of Martians when discussing immigration is off their trolley.

Thank you for raaising a smile on a wet weekday morning, @HeadyLamarr

I get called this in England by English people - its not just Americans who use it...

At some point, the word “immigrant” will probably carry negative connotations for some people, not everyone, and that’s because of the context around it, not the word itself. If we keep changing language every time that happens, we’re eventually going to run out of useful, meaningful words.

I personally don’t have a problem with using the word “alien” in its literal sense as a descriptor. The negative meaning some people attach to it is very different from how I understand it. When I hear it, I’m definitely not thinking little green men or sci-fi, those associations just aren’t there for me, what are the connotations you are attaching to it?

This thread's complaint is an alien concept which must be alienated. It is alien to my understanding. It's not about little green men (aliens), which in context isn't the first thing which comes to mind.

Ha! My nephew lives in US for a long time - had a green card. Delighted in telling everyone he was a legal alien!

”I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien, I’m an English man in New York” (Sting, 1987).

This. It's hardly new.

When I was a kid I thought Sting was singing about evil aliens 😂

This is it exactly.

I understand where you’re coming from, OP, but I think people are getting weary of the never-ending ‘correction’ of language, particularly in relation to minorities. It’s just endless word games. I really don’t believe that the phrase ‘undocumented migrants’ (the approved term currently) will change anyone’s mind on immigration issues. And I wouldn’t be surprised if that term falls out of favour in the next few months.

There must be more practical things we can do than froth continually over the words people use.

How do you know aliens aren’t beautiful and smart, I’m sure they’re not all little green beings or ET lookalikes. And without the word we wouldn't have that great song from Sting.

I’ve never come across anyone ever who took umbrage at this word.

Careful, OP will be calling for Sting to be “cancelled”

An alien isn’t a particilar group though. If I was illegally in the US I too would be an alien but that doesn’t mean you know what race, colour, religion, nationality, social status, age, sex I am.

How do you think Starmer or Farage would handle that sort of immigration crisis?!

Hopefully, we are past the peak of cancelling every time an overly senstive person is feeling offended on behalf of others. 🤞