web analytics
Illegal immigrant, illegals, Mexicans, immigration law

Throat Punch Thursday ~ Illegals are NOT Okay Edition

by Deborah Cruz

Throat Punch Thursday,illegal immigrant, the i-word, Charlotte NC, Tommy Arias,illegal immigration

Calling people illegals is dehumanizing

” Illegals” are not okay~ Earlier this month, the Charlotte Observer published a story about the birth of Tommy Arias, the first baby born in 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. The article sparked an outpouring of hate from some readers.This really gets me hot because another beautiful brown baby was born a day later, my nephew, and I don’t understand how something so precious could incite racism? How could the birth of any baby ( black, white, brown, purple, green, yellow) spark hate? The hate came from the color of the baby’s skin and the assumption that the parents were illegal immigrants, prompting an explosive use of the term illegals or the i-word for polite society.

The entire immigration situation in the United States has been ridiculous for quite some time now. I am Mexican. I am a first generation American. My father was born in Mexico. Just because my father is of brown colored skin does not give anyone the right to assume that he is in the country illegally or to call him derogatory names such as illegal, wet back, Spic, Bean eater, illegal aliens (WTF, we’re not from outer space) and all the other wonderful names that people come up with for Latinos nor does it give people the right to comment so heinously on a newborn baby. I don’t give a flying fuck where you fall on immigration legislation. People are not inanimate objects, they have thoughts and feelings and they can hear your words and be hurt by your actions, even when you think they don’t understand. Believe me, they do understand. English is taught in the schools and not as an elective, as a requirement.

Here’s what happened. A photo of new mom Lucero Arias, 19, and baby Tommy, was published along with the article, which did not reference Ms. Arias’ immigration status, or national origin. The piece, however, did mention that Tommy’s grandfather called from Mexico City. How asinine is this? My children’s grandfather calls from Mexico on certain occasions at certain times of the year because he’s retired and that’s where he goes when it’s cold. Besides, would there have been such an issue if  baby Tommy’s grandfather had called from Spain? Italy?Australia? Germany? Japan? Africa? I’ve got news for you, we were all immigrants (unless you are a native American) at one time in our history. Some of us just got here sooner than the others. But make no mistake, we are all descendants of immigrants; illegal or otherwise. We are not all “illegals” and no one deserves to be called by that name.

Illegal immigrant, illegals, Mexicans, immigration law

“illegals” is derogatory and hurtful

That was enough for the comments section to fill up with anti-Latino, anti-immigrant rants, causing the Observer to shut down commenting for the article. The paper also added this note: “Comments have been disabled because of repeated violations of site policies. Please refrain from profanity, obscenity, spam, name-calling or attacking others for their views.”

They had to disable comments because of all the venom that was being spewed about a baby who happened to have a Grandfather who called from Mexico, really? Do people just wait for any excuse to hate other people? It’s like a license to treat people like inanimate objects because they are Latino. Not every Latino is Mexican, and not every Latino is here undocumented, and not every Latino looks Latino so you should probably watch what ignorant comments will be coming out of your mouth because we come in all different shades; including white.

According to Observer readers and Drop the I-Word supporters, the attacks included the derogatory i-word and “anchor baby” slur. Jess George, the Executive Director of The Latin American Coalition, wrote the Observer asking them to Drop the I-Word. They didn’t drop it, but they published the letter, which also sparked hateful reader comments, including these: Way to be an asshole Observer!

” … When kids see lawbreakers get away with their crimes they think they can as well and kids know what illegals are. There IS a difference between Human Rights and US Citizens Rights … “

“Thats right. When an illegal takes a job, he displaces a citizen. When the citizen collects unemployment and goes on food stamps, we pay. This is just one hidden cost of employing illegals.”

“… The way to stop “stereotyping” is to have no illegals here, only legal Latinos. Where could any U.S. citizen sneak over a foreign border and expect a free ride?”

The incident is worrisome, as Charlotte, the city with the largest Latino population in the state, and host for this year’s Democratic National Convention, has also seen a rise in anti-immigrant, ant-Latino bullying. In a span of two weeks at the end of 2011, at least seven cases of anti-Latino bullying in Charlotte public schools were reported to the Latin American Coalition.

The term “illegal immigrant,” which many journalists are having a hard time giving up, is not too far of a stretch from describing people simply as “illegals,” which the Associated Press, New York Times, and the Observer itself have deemed pejorative. Both terms are dehumanizing and further the concept that a person’s being can be illicit. “Illegal immigrant” is not even legal terminology; the Board of Immigration Appeals does not use it, and neither does the Supreme Court. It’s not constitutional or precise language not only because the term convicts people, denying due process. But also because people are never found by courts to be “illegal.”

Can we please stop using this insulting term? How about Latinos? Mexican Americans? Mexicans? You wouldn’t use the n-word, don’t use the i-word. Humans should not be reduced to being called “illegals” it implies that the person is breaking the law by their very existence. It’s derogatory, it’s mean and it’s not going to be tolerated any longer. Throat Punch to anyone who thinks this term is ok. Throat Punch to anyone who uses it. Throat Punch to anyone who can hate a child for the color of it’s skin. Throat punch to the human who can not recognize the humanity in the eyes of another human, even if those eyes are dark brown and happen to belong to a Mexican.

Hope you will link up your Throat Punch Thursday posts with me. I wanted to extend a personal invite to all of you to link up any posts in which you air a grievance, call out any asshatery,or just dole out a well deserved throat punch to one of societies shortcomings or political douche canoes. If not this week, I do it EVERY single Thursday and would love for any or all of you to join in! All you have to do is grab the Throat Punch Thursday button ( listed under the “about” tab at the top of the page), put it in your blog post and link up. If you’d like to stay in the Throat Punch know, I’d love it if you would email or RSS subscribe ( as GFC will stop working soon). People are no more illegals than they are felloniouses, unconstitutionals, or forbiddens ( do you see how stupid the misuse of these words truly are?)

 

Just say no to the term Illegals

 

You may also like

Leave a Comment

* By using this form you agree with the storage and handling of your data by this website.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

17 comments

Tracy 2012/01/26 - 1:08 pm

Again – great post. It never ceases to amaze how people can act like such douche bags in response to something to simple as a birth announcement. I think some people are just looking for a spiteful bandwagon to jump on because that’s where their personalities take them.

Reply
Truthful Mommy 2012/01/26 - 3:54 pm

You are probably right. I just don’t understand this response. It’s crazy and shameful.

Reply
Jess 2012/01/26 - 4:05 pm

People are such asses. I’m embarrassed that in 2012 you have to even write this. What a bunch of jerks.

Reply
Truthful Mommy 2012/01/26 - 10:54 pm

I can’t believe that I had to write this post either. I don’t understand how anyone could be so evil to their fellow human. AFter all, aren’t we all people?

Reply
Charlene 2012/01/26 - 9:11 pm

This was very well written. I always find it amazing how much ignorance still exists in the world today.

Reply
Truthful Mommy 2012/01/26 - 10:55 pm

THank you and I am in complete agreement.

Reply
Pettina26 2012/01/30 - 6:27 am

Such in my case we planning to immigrate these month to my mom in California, I know that these is not just easy.

Reply
mitch16 2012/02/02 - 11:23 am

My friends told me about your blog, And i define it really nice and full of ideas.

Reply
The TRUTH About Motherhood – Throat Punch Thursday ~ Trayvon Martin & the Racist Vigilante Edition 2012/03/22 - 10:11 am

[…] says that it was self- defense. Evidence proves otherwise. Just because he was a racist who felt threatened by the color of a boy’s skin is not a legitimate reason for shooting Trayvon Martin dead and robbing his parents of their son […]

Reply
The TRUTH About Motherhood | Nina Davuluri was Crowned Miss America & if that Bothers You, You Might be a Racist! - The TRUTH About Motherhood 2013/09/16 - 6:24 pm

[…] I am writing about Miss New York, Nina Davuluri, winning Miss America. Why? Because apparently racism is running rampant and it demands to be discussed so that our children know better. People are very […]

Reply
The TRUTH About Motherhood | Richard Cohen's Throwing Up in His Mouth Over You and Your Biracial Children - The TRUTH About Motherhood 2013/11/14 - 12:21 pm

[…] am the product of a biracial marriage. My children are the product of a biracial marriage. I am trying to raise my children in the United […]

Reply
The TRUTH About Motherhood | Coca-Cola's Super Bowl Ad Brings out the Ugly in America - The TRUTH About Motherhood 2014/02/03 - 5:14 pm

[…] Spanish, English, French, Italian, Irish and Cherokee. I am proud to be all those things. I am proud to be a part of a country that allowed this to happen. I am proud to be able to experience the entire world from my home state of Indiana. I love […]

Reply
The TRUTH About Motherhood | Immigration: Refusing Sanctuary and Sending Children to be Slaughtered - The TRUTH About Motherhood 2014/07/08 - 10:09 pm

[…] Immigration laws are very important to me. I am a Mexican-American Latina, first generation born in the United States. If my dad had not left all of his family and everything he knew behind, my story could be different. Immigration laws could mean life or death for me. I could have been one of the children at the border begging for sanctuary. I could have been one of the mothers begging for mercy for my child’s life, willing to give them up and do anything to save their life. […]

Reply
#CrimingWhileWhite Gets You a Slap in the Wrist while Being Born Black Gets You Killed in America - The TRUTH About Motherhood 2014/12/04 - 10:03 am

[…] like being caged and silenced. Imagine having to always try to prove yourself as worthy. Imagine praying that people can see past the color of your skin and get to know you the person before putting you in a box because of what you look like. If you do […]

Reply
The Charleston Shooting is a Black and White Problem and We're All Responsible - The TRUTH About Motherhood 2015/06/19 - 11:50 am

[…] isn’t  just limited to African Americans. What about Latinos? What about women? What about the Jews? What about every single minority in America that has to […]

Reply
Is Donald Trump the Next Hitler or is it All an Act? - The TRUTH About Motherhood 2015/12/10 - 7:06 am

[…] go, like a toddler testing their boundaries. I don’t know about you, but Donald Trump and his proposed immigration reform scares […]

Reply
Is Immigrant really such a terrible thing for the United States? 2017/02/17 - 3:55 pm

[…] wonder why an immigrant, illegal or otherwise, really comes to the United States willing to risk his life? Maybe that question is too big, maybe […]

Reply

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Accept Read More