[lg policy] Dehumanizing language infects the immigration debate 3 June 26, 2018 Michael Andor Brodeur’s @large column in the Sunday Arts section (“United States of Euphemism”) makes an important point. I have been noting for months, maybe years, the dehumanizing language being used to describe every topic in the immigration debate. I am disturbed when these terms are adopted by the media. “Family reunification policy” became “chain migration.” “Catch and release” is a phrase that I have always heard used about fishing. To hear it referring to people is appalling. Putting a “so-called” in front of it, or adding quotes, does not make it any more acceptable. These phrases completely remove the human being from the sentence. ADVERTISING As the mother of a person with disabilities, I am aware of the movement toward people-first language. Learning to construct sentences thoughtfully and guard against reductionist language changes more than the conversation. It affects our viewpo

[Harold Schiffman]

Dehumanizing language infects the immigration debate

   -
   <https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/letters/2018/06/25/dehumanizing-language-infects-immigration-debate/bleU3mBKoNggild3t7M9AP/story.html#comments>

June 26, 2018

Michael Andor Brodeur’s @large <http://twitter.com/large> column in the
Sunday Arts section (“United States of Euphemism”
<https://www.bostonglobe.com/arts/2018/06/21/the-official-language-euphemism/WV4MGgexoCeQOLj00A4RZI/story.html>)
makes an important point. I have been noting for months, maybe years, the
dehumanizing language being used to describe every topic in the immigration
debate. I am disturbed when these terms are adopted by the media.

“Family reunification policy” became “chain migration.” “Catch and release”
is a phrase that I have always heard used about fishing. To hear it
referring to people is appalling. Putting a “so-called” in front of it, or
adding quotes, does not make it any more acceptable. These phrases
completely remove the human being from the sentence.
ADVERTISING

As the mother of a person with disabilities, I am aware of the movement
toward people-first language. Learning to construct sentences thoughtfully
and guard against reductionist language changes more than the conversation.
It affects our viewpoint, improves our vision


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 Harold F. Schiffman

Professor Emeritus of
 Dravidian Linguistics and Culture
Dept. of South Asia Studies
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305

Phone:  (215) 898-7475
Fax:  (215) 573-2138

Email:  haroldfs at gmail.com
http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/

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