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?

The “meat van guy” from Bilston. That was one of the funniest things I’ve watched.

I’m off to YouTube for some lunchtime viewing.

Bloody hell OP, how can you be so incensed about a legal term which has been widely used in the USA for decades?
It is not a racist term. Educate yourself. I don't know if it is still the case now, but UK used to use this term not that long ago. It defines someone's status as having not been born in that country.
Besides, it's up to them to decide what language they want to use in their own country.
This is one of the most idiotic posts to date on MN, showing such ignorance.

Who are the 'we' that get to dictate to others what words they are and aren't 'allowed to say'?!

For goodness’ sake. They ARE other. You won’t change that by choosing nicer words, because it’s the truth.

Honestly, get a grip and try dealing with reality as it actually is.

Or, as you posted re Sting, you can also be a legal alien.

It's I'm a LEGAL alien. He's not illegal, he had a visa which just goes to show it's not offensive, just the term for someone that doesn't live there. Although Sting obviously found it a strange term as well

LOL

To those in support of using the term, it might be worth giving this article a read:

https://www.fosterglobal.com/blog/the-dehumanizing-history-of-the-words-weve-used-to-describe-immigrants/

Why are we allowing them to call crisps chips, trousers pants and bum bags Fanny packs? Because they use different words to us that’s why. Not everything is there to offend you.

That wasn’t worth reading at all. People thousands of miles away, arguing about nothing. Find something useful to do with your time and stop wasting ours.

I too agree with you too OP and I was coming on to say exactly this.

Those Yanks do insist on being able to develop their own parlance. Imagine saying ‘fanny’ and then slyly pretending they are referring to an arse. When we all know what they are really trying to get away with. Rude buggers.

I won’t even go near the ‘our’ such as colour and them deleting the u part. They are definitely doing a bit free mason ‘non u’ there. Pretending a bag is a purse, and the spelling of jewelry, aluminum, anemia, analyze. It is not a ‘cell phone’, it is a mobile phone.

All to outwit and alienate non Americans even more, no doubt. Or simply aliens as they call them. Every non American, or alien as they call us, needs to tell them for once and for all what they can and can’t do.

Then we’ll China, Afghanistan, Iran and Russia. But those places are definitely of a lesser threat to human rights abuses, so can wait in line.

I think you're being overly sensitive about the word alien. It may not be your choice, nor mine, but it does only mean from elsewhere.

If we start over-policing language we'll have no words left, no way of differentiating people when it's legitimate to do so. This may be intentional in some cases. We've seen in the UK no doubt well-meaning people objecting to the use of 'illegal migrants' for the arrivals in small boats on the south coast. But they are migrants and they are arriving by illegal means: if we change the terminology we'll be failing to draw a distinction between them and the ones who arrive by legal means. A backward step, IMHO.

It’s also used in a lot of other countrie in official documents/correspondance, for example the Netherlands

Another article outlining the importance of considering the language used around immigration, for anyone interested.

www.bbc.com/news/magazine-34061097.amp

@KimGym You are aware current UK legislation still has live on the statue books the Aliens’ Employment Act 1955
https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/Eliz2/4-5/18

Yes, my error. It’s really a generic term, but I guess when it comes to America they can be provocative.

Lol my son is,Diabetic and im on an American Facebook group for Diabetes
It does make me chuckle when they talk about carrying all their diabetc equipment around in their fanny packs.

It’s a legal term in the U.S.

You’re thinking too much into it.

I dont think we have any control over the language the US uses! Or their actions unfortunately.

I agree with you it’s not a term I’d want to hear used over here.

That said, my grandfather who was an immigrant used to refer to himself as an alien. But I think he thought it was funny.

I guess someone should have corrected David Attenborough when he was describing the great migration of the Caribou, they weren't migrating, they were seeking refuge.
Why are you so bent out of shape about perfectly reasonable descriptive words.
I guess some people really try hard to find things to be offended about and it's usually on behalf of someone else.
Are you really saying you would be offended, feel othered and dehumanised if at some stage in the future you traveled to America and were considered an alien by TSA? Or is it just if someone else, not you, is technically considered an alien in the states?

Yes, I am aware. Thank you. It was commonly used term in the UK pre WW2 - its usage reduced after that, hence this Act dating back to 1955. I highly doubt that an Act passed now would be named in such a way, don’t you? I wonder why that is?

Because of people like you?

What are people like me? Why has the word fallen out of favour here? Surely if it’s only such a small minority of people who have any issue with the word, we would still use it?

Why are we allowing the US? We don't own the world, don't be so ridiculous.