A few decades ago, it wasn’t unusual for American newspapers to refer to people living in the United States without legal permission as “illegal aliens,” or even “illegals.”
Dear Honorable Cathy Murillo, I read the article (LA Times) about “outcry over term’. I see you support freedom of speech, but view illegals as a negative term indeed hateful. You are quoted as saying, “but they don’t have to be hateful. It’s like the ‘N-word’ for blacks.” Were you referring to black crayons, black cars, black Canadians, … or Black Americans? Illegals, people that have overstayed their visas, entered the country over our Southern/ Northern borders, jumped ship, … or parachuted in. But blacks are you speaking of me - born and reared in Indiana, my children - born and reared in California, my grandchildren (Black American/ White American; Black American/ Samoan American; Black American/ Mexican American), Black Canadians, Black Britain, … Is illegal, the only blanket term that you connect to race? The N-word has a history and Black Americans do not own it. educatedbrainfart