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A28 u.s. news
Dialuna 29 november 2021

Some states dropping ‘dehumanizing’ terms for immigrants

(AP) — Luz Rivas re- use more “dignified, respect-
members seeing the word ful” terms. He said he sug-
on her mother’s residency gested the change because he
card as a child: “alien.” felt the original terms were
belittling to those seeking to
In the stark terms of the work through the immigra-
government, it signaled her tion process.
mother was not yet a citizen
of the U.S. But to her young Fierro said he plans to intro-
daughter, the word had a duce another bill to replace
more personal meaning. the terms during the state’s
Even though they were going next regular legislative ses-
through the naturalization sion, in 2023.
process, it meant the family
did not belong. “We are just trying to treat
people humanely,” he said.
“I want other children of im-
migrants, like me, to not feel Rosalidia Dardon knows
the same way I did, that my from personal experience
family did, when we saw the why the language surround-
word ‘alien’,” said Rivas, now ing immigration is so impor-
an assemblywoman in the tant.
California Legislature.
After fleeing violence in El
The Democratic lawmaker Colorado law, said during a about what semi-controver- Scott said in an interview. Salvador, she spent roughly
sought to retire the term and legislative committee hear- sial words are buried in their 16 months in an immigration
this year authored a bill — ing that words such as “ille- state statutes.” An analysis by The Associ- detention center in Califor-
since signed into law — that gal” were “dehumanizing and ated Press (which doesn’t nia before arriving at a refu-
replaces the use of “alien” derogatory” when applied to The Biden administration refer to people as “aliens” ex- gee home in Texas in 2016.
in state statutes with other immigrants. Gonzales said also received some pushback cept in direct quotes) found She was determined to find a
terms such as “noncitizen” the legislation aimed to re- after its change in policy. that more than a dozen states job while she sought asylum
or “immigrant.” Her effort move the only place in Col- still use the terms “alien” or but had lost her work visa
was inspired by a similar shift orado statute where “illegal In April, U.S. Customs and “illegal” in statutes referring after her protected status ex-
earlier this year by the Biden alien” was used to describe Border Protection ordered to immigrants. Among them pired.
administration. people living in the U.S. il- employees to avoid using is Texas, where a legislative
legally. the word “alien” in internal attempt to transition to dif- Dardon, 54, blames the ankle
Immigrants and immigrant- documents and public com- ferent terminology advanced monitor she was required to
rights groups say the term, “That language has been of- munications and instead use out of committee with bi- wear and the description of
especially when combined fensive for many people,” “noncitizen” or “migrant.” partisan backing this year but immigrants with terms such
with “illegal,” is dehuman- she said. “And some of the “Illegal alien” also was out, failed to get a hearing before as “illegal” for a job search
izing and can have a harmful rationale behind that is really to be replaced by descriptions the full Texas House. marked by rejection after re-
effect on immigration policy. rooted in this idea that a per- such as “undocumented non- jection.
son can certainly commit an citizen.”
The word became a focal illegal act, but no human be- This is the text of a Texas bill One specific moment re-
point of debate in several ing themselves is illegal.” “We enforce our nation’s seeking to prohibit owner- mains frozen in her memory.
states earlier this year as the laws while also maintaining ship of agricultural land by
number of migrants at the Using “alien” to describe the dignity of every individ- someone who is not a U.S. “I won’t give you a job be-
U.S.-Mexico border swelled those who are not U.S. citi- ual with whom we interact,” citizen, or by a foreign busi- cause you are a criminal,”
and led to fierce backlash zens has a long history, dat- Troy Miller, acting commis- ness or government. The Dardon told the AP in Span-
against Biden administration ing to the nation’s first natu- sioner, wrote to employees of AP has highlighted the word ish, repeating what a hiring
policies by Republican gov- ralization law, passed while the largest U.S. law enforce- ‘alien’ to illustrate its use in manager in Texas said to her.
ernors and lawmakers. George Washington was ment agency, which includes state documents.
president. Fearing a war with the Border Patrol. “The “I would ask myself and God
Lawmakers in at least seven France, Congress also passed words we use matter and will State Rep. Art Fierro, a Dem- why I was given an ankle
states considered eliminating the Alien and Sedition Acts in serve to further confer that ocrat, said he expected “kick- monitor if my only sin was
use of “alien” and “illegal” 1798, which sought to sup- dignity to those in our cus- back” when he originally to go to a country that was
in state statutes this year and press political subversion. tody.” proposed the change. But not my own,” said Dardon,
replacing them with descrip- following committee discus- whose immigration case re-
tions such as “undocument- Changing the long-standing Border Patrol Chief Rodney sions, he said that to his sur- mains pending. “Without La-
ed” and “noncitizen,” accord- government terminology Scott objected, writing to prise the change was seen by tinos, this country would spi-
ing to the National Confer- around immigration is not others in the agency that the both parties as an effort to ral downwards. That’s why
ence of State Legislatures. universally accepted as nec- edict contradicted language we should be treated better.”
essary or desirable. in criminal statutes — al-
Only two states, California though Miller made an ex-
and Colorado, actually made Sage Naumann, spokesper- ception for legal documents
the change. son for the Colorado Senate — and plunged the agency
Republicans, said the Demo- into a partisan debate. Scott,
“I want all Californians that cratic-controlled Legislature a Trump-era appointee, re-
are contributing to our so- should be spending its time fused to sign off on the order
ciety, that are small business on matters of deeper impor- and believes his outspoken-
owners, that work hard, to tance to residents, such as ness on that and other issues
feel that they are part of Cali- taking steps to fight inflation, contributed to him being
fornia communities,” Rivas tackle crime and improve ed- forced out of his position in
said of the reason behind her ucation. June.
legislation.
Naumann said he doubted “To change the law is fine,
State Sen. Julie Gonzales, that “the average Colora- but until then you’re really
who co-sponsored the new dan — or American — cares politicizing the mission,”