The Power of Words: Understanding the Complexities and Consequences of Labels in Immigration Discourse
The United States political landscape has witnessed significant shifts in immigration policies and discourse over the past decade. In 2017, then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi extended an invitation to Jose Antonio Vargas, a former Washington Post reporter and founder of Define American, to attend President Donald Trump’s first address to a joint session of Congress. Immigration was a central issue during Trump’s election campaign, and calling people like Vargas “illegal” was part of the Republican nominee’s rhetoric.
Fast forward to 2021, during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address, he referred to an undocumented immigrant who allegedly killed a young woman as “an illegal.” Pelosi acknowledged this during a News Finder interview, remarking, “He should have said ‘undocumented,’ but it’s not a big thing.” While some may view this as a mere slip of the tongue, others see it as a reflection of the country’s political reality regarding immigration.
Seven years after Pelosi’s invitation to Vargas, the language used to describe immigrants has evolved and continues to shape the narrative around immigration policies. Though Biden’s administration initially aimed to address the longstanding issues with the broken immigration system, it now faces pressure from both sides during the reelection campaign.
In 2017, Biden ordered US immigration enforcement agencies to stop using terms like “illegal alien.” Three years later, the President invited Trump to collaborate on a border security bill. This complex reality of being undocumented in America is characterized by living in a country that has been home for decades, paying local, state, and federal taxes, and making up a significant portion of the population in major states. However, undocumented individuals lack the right to vote.
Immigration is a potent electoral force for both sides, often used as a boogeyman to rally votes. For the right, it’s about preventing “the left from legalizing them and turning them into voters.” Meanwhile, for the left, it’s a matter of acknowledging that “the right will never legalize them.” The term “illegal” holds no substantial meaning or substance – it’s merely a divisive label.
When Vargas publicly disclosed his undocumented status in 2011, he established Define American, a nonpartisan organization dedicated to changing the narrative around immigrants through storytelling and providing factual context. The importance of understanding the intricacies of legalization lies in the power of language. Language sets the foundation for our understanding of immigration issues and can lead to misconceptions.
Advocates have been working to change language and humanize immigrants since the early 2000s, with campaigns like “Drop the I-Word.” Unfortunately, for every term that is changed or dropped, new ones emerge. Biden’s use of the term “illegal” during his State of the Union address should be viewed in context with the current proliferation of the “migrant crime” narrative.
Recent research from Define American and the Norman Lear Center reveals that 40% of all migrant characters on scripted television shows between July 2020 and June 2022 were associated with crime, an all-time high. In reality, native-born US citizens are more likely to be arrested for violent crimes than migrants. Migrants are 30% less likely to be incarcerated than White people born in the United States, and as the relative size of the foreign-born population increases, the violent crime rate decreases.
It’s crucial to understand that migrants and asylum seekers are two distinct groups. Migrants refer to individuals who move to another country, while asylum seekers or asylees are a protected group under international law due to their inability to return to their home countries. Mislabeling individuals can result in serious consequences.
Biden’s “illegal” gaffe is a minor setback on the long journey to change the narrative around undocumented individuals. The true challenge lies in addressing the systemic issues and advocating for policies that will benefit millions of people like Vargas who may have a voice but lack a vote.
Words carry immense power, and in the context of immigration, actions hold even more significance. The focus should be on what Biden does to support undocumented individuals rather than what he calls them.
