Thread: Students Against "Anti-Immigrant Slurs" Collect Si

Students Against "Anti-Immigrant Slurs" Collect Signatures of Support
story Created: May 1, 2011 at 8:41 PM EDT

VIDEO:

(Story Updated: May 1, 2011 at 11:28 PM EDT )

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - They were up to 859 signatures when our camera arrived at McAlpine Creek Park in east Charlotte. The Latin American Coalition's youth group has taken a national campaign, "Drop the I Word," and localized it.

They set up a tent at the Fanta Festival and asked people to sign pledge sheets that they wouldn't use words like "alien" or "illegal" and instead use "undocumented immigrants." 16-year-old Loan Tran says, "So that the actual issues surrounding immigration and immigrant communities can actually be resolved without biased language being thrown around."

Tran says she and other group members are "trying to create a more respectful community." She says, "The word illegal dehumanizes people. No human is illegal, people are not illegal."

South Charlotte resident Tarasa Wright signed the pledge, saying "I think it's a great idea!" And while east Charlotte's Bradley Sage supports their effort, he knows the teens will face critics who feel strongly that undocumented immigrants pose a threat. "Threat to jobs, threat to our culture," says Sage.

Our friends on Facebook overwhelmingly do not support the "Drop the I Word" campaign. Jim says, "Idealistic teens don't have to pay the taxes that support these illegals." Kris says, "Illegal is just that - illegal." And Tom says, "Calling someone an undocumented alien, is like calling a drug dealer an unlicensed pharmacist!"

Selene Medina, an East Meck High School student, says her classmates use certain words to segregate. She says, "I see a lot of kids using those words and especially 'wetback' when they wanna be mean to people. They will throw that term out at you."

When our camera arrived, the teens had 859 signatures from people pledging to "Drop the I Word." They surpassed 1,000 by the time we left.

The teens will take the signatures to elected leaders and ask them to "Drop the I Word," too. We asked city council and county commissioners for their reaction. Commissioner Bill James is the only one to reply so far. He says, "I will continue to use the term illegal because they are illegal."

http://www.foxcharlotte.com/news/local/ ... 62554.html

Hahaha really like they don't use dehumanizing terms to describe us!

Illegal alien illegal alien illegal alien illegal alien illegal alien .....to infinity.

Originally Posted by moptop

Hahaha really like they don't use dehumanizing terms to describe us!

One just called me a "Pinche' Gringo on the phone!"

You have to be respectful of other people in order to receive respect in return. You have DISRESPECTED Americans every chance youve gotten so far. Why the H311 should they respect you?

I say the shoes fits, and they must wear it. It's not a slur word we're calling them, so this doesn't exactly qualify as hate speech. They're just trying to "subliminally" change the mental picture we have of the danger we're in, so Americans will go back to sleep....

And I wish no far-eastern Asian would be supporting them, most whom I've met are very nice and my Chinese friend told me most Chinese want to get as far away from Communism as possible. If only they realize that after the whites and blacks, the Asians will be the next targets to be oppressed....their prosperity destroyed....should the radicals succeed in their plan.

So that the actual issues surrounding immigration and immigrant communities can actually be resolved without biased language being thrown around."

Immigrants get an invitation, and go through a legal process to reside here. Tribes of illegal invaders living among them are not any kind of immigrant. If only we could resolve this invasion without your biased language attempting to confuse the issue.

Please! If you can be called a resident alien when you have a greencard then why not call them an illegal alien. Do any of you recall the Genesis song Illegal Alien from 1984? I am surprised they haven't had this banned yet. The video is still viewable online.


http://new.music.yahoo.com/videos/genes ... --50874798