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?

Exactly. Quentin Crisp wrote a charming book called "Resident Alien" back in the 90s. It's not as if "illegal alien" and "resident alien" are new terms in the US. The popular American TV show "Resident Alien" plays on the name.

With the current government in America, it’s highly likely they are talking about people who are not white.

@KimGym OP I think you’re under the impression that the word alien was specifically created to describe little green men from Mars (or the like). It wasn’t.

Google tells me it appeared first in the English language in the 14th century, meaning someone from another country or stranger/foreigner. Make yourself a cup of tea, take a deep breath and know that we all learn something new every day.

It’s not a uniquely American word. You can be a legal or an illegal alien.

It doesn’t mean someone from outer space.

But we are talking about America and America using the term Illegal Aliens in this thread.

FFS
PEAK virtue signalling there OP

It’s not used just for “minority groups”. It’s a term the US has and continues to use for anyone who isn’t a US citizen. You can be a legal / resident alien, illegal alien etc.

So KimGym would be fine about illegal aliens being used in the UK or Australia, just not America? It’s a common term.

I don’t know ask KimGym?

Agree.

*BunnyLake ·
”I’m an alien, I’m a legal alien, I’m an English man in New York” (Sting, 1987)
Also Genisis had a hit with 'illegal alien' in 1983. They didnt find it fun being an illegal alien though!

When it's used instead of 'immigrant' by someone, usually British, living in another country. It happens a lot on MN.

Did they not start the thread.

The fact is you can be any nationality and be a legal or illegal alien. In fact every single person on earth is a potential alien!

Did you not know that the UK has no jurisdiction over what the Americans do or say?
Just imagine Starmer saying: "Now Donald, we've had a complaint " 🤣

I don’t know the Genesis song, will have to look it up.

Is that before or after he’s licked Donald’s arse.

And based on ignorance.

They did start the thread, but you asked me if KimGym would use the term in the UK and I said I don’t know ask them 😂 I don’t think it should be used anywhere.

I do understand what the term means, I understand the definition and the history, I just still think its derogatory and that the current US government love using it to describe immigrants ( and tbh us citizens) who are not white. IMO of course.

No. It's simply a poster not understanding the legal and historic meaning of the word. I absolutely hate the term virtue signalling i.e. anyone who speaks up about something they think is wrong.

I have nothing but disgust at the tactics of Trump and ICE in the US but 'alien' is just a word with a specific meaning and not racial. If anyone is using it to mean a racial minority then they are mis-using the word.

The word has a range of connotations, and a number of them are negative. The country is struggling at the hands of a racist president and many citizens share his racist views. This word is very othering. It’s not by coincidence, that it was chosen to mean “little green aliens from outer space”. Its use for that meaning was linked to its existing uses at the time. It’s not like a word with two completely differentiated meanings. The root of the word means that it has “othering” and dehumanising connotations, and it is now being weaponised.

During 😉

Did you not see my second post???

That was the first thing that sprung to my mind when I saw the thread title.

'I'm and alien, I'm an illegal alien, I'm an Englishman in New York'.

Great track.

Sting doesn't seem to mind it.

The word 'alien' meant out of place or not seen before, way before it referred to little green men from outer space.

I think their actions are much more worrying than their words.

That is now running through my head on repeat :-)