Living Illegal
In the modern world, there are an increased numbers of people fleeing their homes to seek refuge in other lands. The reason as to why many people opt to use any means possible so as to enter into countries in Europe and USA is in pursuit of greener lands. The rise in the people who are finding their ways to these countries while undocumented is alarming. In such states, there are terms that people use in reference to these people that really matters. In reference to Living “Illegal”: The Human Face of Unauthorized Immigration the relation of these terms to the debate ongoing currently on immigration in the US is explored.
Firstly, words have consequences. In a setting that strong emotions and social reactions can be easily evoked, the word choice really matters (Marquardt et al., 157) in using the word illegal for undocumented, this makes the picture of his existence to be questioned. In the eyes of the law, each person’s existence is legal. It is an action of a person that can be illegalized but you cannot term a person as being illegal. Since the words can provoke serious emotional reactions and the general picture, we should therefore be sensitive on the word choice.
To sum up: There have been a lot of controversies surrounding the great debate on these immigrants. In proper use of the words and avoiding such terms like illegal immigrant, there is a positive societal picture. By calling people who flee their land in seeking refuge as immigrants, the country downplays their responsibilities of caring for them (Gulan, 101). Anyone who is fighting for a basic survival needs not to be branded names that are against them. The wrong terminology takes away their voice and therefore the society and our political leaders need to use a right term.
Works Cited
Gulan, Nicholas M. “Living” Illegal”: The Human Face of Unauthorized Immigration by Marie Friedman, et al.” Diálogo 16.1 (2013): 101-102.
Marquardt, Marie, et al. Living” illegal”: The human face of unauthorized immigration. New Press, The, 2013.