W*tback? N-word? Illeg*l? Join the "Drop the I-Word" Campaign

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People are not "illegal." But in media and politics, the word is becoming more ubiquitous. And not by accident. A web of people and organizations - not surprisingly the same folks fighting against comprehensive immigration reform and the DREAM Act - are deliberately encouraging use of this dehumanizing term and stoking fear and division.

"While this may seem trivial to some, the language of illegality plays an enormous part in moving people along the continuum from language to violent behavior," OneAmerica Executive Director Pramila Jayapal writes in ColorLines today.

Thankfully, some are pushing back. And you can join them.

The Drop the I-Word Campaign , as ColorLines writes, "represents a diverse spectrum of individuals and communities from across the country that are demanding respect and rejecting the I-Word, 'illegals,' as a designation of their neighbors, children, families and themselves. Through the I-Word Campaign, our community of everyday people, business leaders, human rights advocates, religious and labor groups, attorneys and journalists nationwide call on media outlets to uphold reason, dignity and ethics by dropping the I-Word."

Sign the pledge to Drop the I-Word, plus find out more about the campaign, spread the word, and find resources for activism.

TEDx Transcripts:  English  En Español

Who is affected by use of the I-Word? Everyone. It affects attitudes toward immigrants, non-immigrants, people of color, and the 33 million migrants who come to the United States from all over the world. Pramila speaks about this largest share of international migrants in the world in a compelling talk at the recent TEDx Rainier at Benaroya Hall in Seattle. 

"Every individual deserves the right to dignity and respect," she argues, but "instead of thinking from a place of possibility and abundance - which is where all great creative thoughts come from - we think from a place of scarcity and fear." For the immigrants who, every day, pick the food we eat, take care of our children, and clean the rooms we live and sleep in, Pramila says, the pain of being branded "illegal" is unbearable. Watch the full video above. 

Update: Rinku Sen shares how some progressive media have responded to the "Drop the I-Word" campiagn.