Hate Decoded- Series

Hate is one of those social crimes that every society is guilty of, but few people want to be openly associated with. Sometimes it lives in shadows and secrets. Sometimes it is coded and boasted about like a badge of honor. Each flavor of hate, from which there are many, has it’s own special language.

 

There has always been a distrust, or dislike for things that are different than ourselves. Each immigrant population that has come to this country has had to live with the darker side of their new communities, until such a time as a newer, more vile immigrant population takes it’s place as public enemy #1. Our current winner of this auspicious award goes to the latino population.

 

Since there is little room for logic or enlightenment inside someone who’s spirit is full to the brim with hatred, it is the misinformed I hope to speak to, as well as the latino population themselves. We all need to be aware when someone wears a mask of civility, but in reality they harbor no good will.

 

This series offers a list of words or phrases, some of which are used by people who hate our Latino population but wish to be viewed as being compassionate or fair. Some are blatant hate speech that the speaker feels just in delivering. Directly following this term or phrase is an interpretation of what it really means, often revealing their true intentions.

 

This list is by no means exhaustive, but rather ongoing, so if anyone has seen other words or phrases that are being used to disguise their true feelings towards Latino’s, please feel free to add them in the comments below this article. If I can, I’ll add it to this list.

Illegal Aliens- While this term has been the lingua franca for generations it is now a staple in most hate speech you see and hear today, often intended to be an insult towards Mexicans, and all other Latino’s by proxy. As such it is now being frowned upon by the more favored, “Undocumented Immigrant.” Technically when someone comes into this country without inspection (the actual technical term is EWI, or Entered Without Inspection)  they did enter the country illegally. Not being a citizen they are also technically an Alien by definition. It is easily understandable how this term became so standard in our lexicon for years, but with all the negative connotations implied today, people who use Undocumented Immigrant are making a conscious effort to use a more respectful term towards a part of our society that is already dealing with difficult issues on many different fronts. People who refuse to change their language and continue to flaunt the “Illegal” and the “Alien” aspects of a group are in effect continuing to insult a group of people they consider to be inferior to themselves.

 

How to combat this- Whenever you read or hear the term Illegal Alien, stop them right there and let them know that there is a more polite and respectful way of addressing this group of individuals: Undocumented Immigrant. Let them know that using illegal alien is comparable to other disparaging terms that have been used against other minorities in this country and are no longer tolerated. A word of caution: Some people may not be aware that the dialogue has changed and are using the term out of ignorance and habit.  If you Google illegal alien today you will come up with millions of results. Try to educate, not humiliate and infuriate.

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