#where I worked with a trio of spanish-only speakers whom I was sure were paperless
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As someone who is American and still watches actual broadcast television (news, Guy Fieri...) and am suffering through another election year... I am sick to death of hearing the term "illegals." Absolutely SICK. TO. DEATH. Like, okay, I know that the southern border has issues. It's pretty much our modern day Ellis Island, with many people there escaping...some of the same kinds of issues - and others. There are people there waiting to be vetted, seeking aslyum or work. And, indeed, there are a lot of people who hop the border illegally. I used to live in Arizona, in farm country. People without legal paperwork who could be exploited were a staple of the farming industry there...unfortunately. I lost an opportunity for a job at a restaurant once because I "didn't speak enough Spanish" - code for "Our restaurant is employing people under the table for beneath minimum wage and without benefits that we can threaten to report and have deported if they speak up wanting basic workers' rights." (I came away from that particular encounter not mad at immigrants for "stealin' mah jerb!" but mad at the company / restaurant for abusive corporate practices...go fig. Guess I think differently). Even here in Pennsylvania, I've had chance encounters with people who had no papers. (People who just want to work and take care of their children). Anyway, yeah, there are processing issues and people who don't go through the legal channels because our government makes it next to impossible. But every GOD. DAMNED. TIME. I hear the term "illegals" I want to tear my hair out! Or hit people with fish! It's not only used for people who are going through the LEGAL channels (It's code for "Hispanic" basically, or just "non-white"), even people who haven't? It's a dehumanising term. That's what I take it as. "Illegals" is a term purposefully used to make people sound like something...other than people. And so I find the MAGA commercials insulting both to my intelligence and dignity. It's like, why don't you go all the way, MAGA? Why not use the really horrible slang-term I heard waaaaay, waaaay too much in my white-person childhood around Arizona redneck white people? Why not tweak your commercials and start whining about "wetbacks?" I mean, you might as well, since you term everyone "illegals." You expect us to think of people as not human. It's too late for me. I've worked with too many "illegals" in my life to think like that.
#american politics#u.s. southern border#political commercials#maga cult#here in pennsylvania I once had a farm job#where I worked with a trio of spanish-only speakers whom I was sure were paperless#we all were treated the same in the end#when the owner of the farm refused to pay us our last wages when the farm closed up#it was an under the table cash job#and I still haven't seen the 300 dollars I'm owed from back in 2007-08#I seriously was going to sue even though it would have cost me money#based on the principle#but the farm closed up and the owner vanished before I could#I wouldn't be surprised if my boss called authorities on my coworkers#I mean I'm white but poor enough to sort of been in a similar position as “illegals”#and to work alongside them#I know the abuses of businesses well#there are many people in America who just want slaves#that they can keep under threat#trust me#dehumanization#scaremongering#yeah make us afraid of our fellow humans for votes#shadsie rants
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