by Jodi Read
I heard it again. The word that I despise – ”illegals” – to describe people that enter the US without proper documentation or those that overstay their visas and are not authorized to work. “Illegals” is underlined in red in this MS document and reminds me that the word is not proper English. I also find the concept preposterous.
I refuse to believe that my Creator births something “illegal.” Yes, we the people can devise laws that put people on different sides of a border, but how can life give birth to an illegal person? Obviously, the fullness of a person cannot be defined by one label. Yet, we label others on a pretty frequent basis. I’d argue that those labels make it difficult for us to fight fairly or, in another lingo, to transform conflict peacefully.
My context is the US/Mexico border, a corridor of constant traffic where people enter and leave the US at all hours of the day and week. In this place and around the country, on the news, in schools, churches and homes, individuals use the word “illegal” to categorize a set of people on the other side of the line. In my experience, immigrants such as these are people whose faces and labor are made invisible and illicit by the label. I can’t swallow the reality that immigrants should be denied higher education because of how they entered the country, yet it happens in the US. Many types of immigrants are also denied access to basic services like healthcare due to their status. Are the immigrants in our midst really devoid of any humanity, because they crossed a border without papers? How can we build a more welcoming nation based on ideals of peace and justice if we refuse to see the humanity of the folks in our neighborhoods, cities and towns?
I’m interested to hear your experiences about the labels in your context/community that strip layers of humanity away from people and make the fight unfair.
Jodi worked as Associate for Migration and Peacebuilding with West Coast Mennonite Central Committee from 2004-2008. Currently, she is organizing for the 6th annual Migrant Trail: We Walk for Life, a 75 mile walk from Sasabe, Sonora, Mexico to Tucson, Arizona.
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