Immigration rally to drop the word '"Illegal"

wbtv.com
By Sarah Batista, Reporter
Updated: Dec 20, 2011 10:36 AM EST

CHARLOTTE, NC (WBTV) - A group of students in Charlotte are rallying to convince the community to stop using anti-immigrant language.

The say the word illegal is demeaning and criminalizing.

The United 4 the Dream group is asking the Charlotte Observer to drop the word "illegal" when referring to people in the country illegally.

Their goal is to bring attention to the issue of immigration reform.

They prefer the word undocumented over other terms such as illegal alien.

Anti-illegal immigration activists say the word illegal is correct because of the group's immigration status.

But organizers disagree.

"Not everything about that person is about their immigration status, they're a person first, so by calling them that it's using that to make them seem like they are less than human," said Melissa Siegal, Organizer.

The Charlotte Observer did not comment on the rally.

The rally will continue each day outside of the Charlotte's Observer's office through Thursday.

http://www.wbtv.com/story/16361249/i...e-word-illegal