[Ads-l] newly "offensive" term

Thu Feb 15 01:39:41 UTC 2018

This story – and many others during the last decade – are in the category
of the cooked up charges against anybody, who says anything that somebody
doesn’t like. It is just another example of the sophistry. Dave Hause in
this thread defined the situation precisely: '... there are people who make
a frequent search for something new to be offended by'.

This reminds me an old joke:

John and Mary are discussing something.

John very politely says: ‘Honey, I believe you are mistaking.’

Mary replies: ‘What?! So you say that I lie, that I bark, that I am a dog?!
… Mom!!! He just called me ‘b**ch’!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’

BTW, I found on the Internet the idea how to avoid the asterisks in another
popular word, its derivatives and related expressions: Instead of ‘sh*t’,
you may use a perfectly legal and not capitalized surname ‘schiff’ (to not
offend Rep. Adam Schiff from California (;’-))) This is especially
convenient for those who use smartphones… (;’-)))

L.
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On Tue, Feb 13, 2018 at 4:41 PM, Peter Reitan <pjreitan at hotmail.com> wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Peter Reitan <pjreitan at HOTMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: newly "offensive" term
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> -------------------
>
> My point was to express surprise at how obvious you found the sinister
> conn=
> otation and evil rhetorical intent was.  It seemed very non-obvious to me.
>
>
> I am also surprised at your suggestion that it "couldn't possibly" have
> the=
>  literal meaning I generally understand it to have, despite your apparent
> o=
> penness to the possibility that it might have that meaning "on some
> literal=
>  level."
>
>
> I generally have understood in in the more literal way, chain reaction
> sens=
> e, as it has been used and understood for at least fifty years.  But of
> cou=
> rse the word is relatively new to me, so I just understood it the way it
> so=
> unded and was described.  I didn't think to consult my 10th grade Nazi
> prop=
> oganda textbook - until, that is, I read other articles explaining the
> "rea=
> l", non-obvious meaning to me.  But before the new meaning was revealed to
> =
> me a few weeks ago, I generally understood it in line with its
> non-controve=
> rsial use over the past several decades, to describe chain reaction in
> immi=
> gration where one migration leads to another and then another like links
> in=
>  a chain.
>
>
> In the 1950s, "chain migration" was used to describe white families moving
> =
> into the Northern suburbs of Chicago in the face of black families moving
> i=
> nto the southeastern portion of North Chicago:
>
>
> Chicago Tribune, April 24, 1955, page E 6. "A chain migration - from the
> Lo=
> op northward - is taking place on the north side and into the north
> suburbs=
> , accelerating the suburban growth, the survey indicates.  As minority
> grou=
> ps push northward into the southeastern part of the north area - . . . the
> =
> middle income families in this area are moving north and northwestward,
> rep=
> lacing larger income families who resided on the northern outskirts of the
> =
> city."
>
> [END]
>
>
> In 1963, Charles Price used the term in a book about the patterns of
> Southe=
> rn European immigration into Australia, as described in an article about
> th=
> e book and its findings in an Australian newspaper:
>
>
> Sydney Morning Herald, September 2, 1963, page 2. "Why should almost half
> t=
> he southern European population of Sydney and Melbourne during the 1930s
> an=
> d 1940s have been engaged in small catering businesses - cafes, milk bars,
> =
> fruit shops and fish shops? . . . National character and tradition may . .
> =
> . have played a part, but the pheonomenon owed as much, if not more, to
> cha=
> in migrtion.  'The strong tendency for those coming out with the aid of
> fri=
> ends and relatives to adopt the same occupations as their sponsors,'
> writes=
>  Dr. Price, 'can mean that a few large migration chains dominate the
> settle=
> ment pattern of a whole nationality.'"
>
> [END]
>
>
> In 1985, the expression was used to describe Greek immigration to Hawaii:
>
>
> Honolulu Star-Bulletin, February 19, 1985, page 12. "The Greeks began
> migra=
> ting to Hawaii through "chain migration."  Chain migration is a phenomena
> w=
> hich occurs when one family member settles in an area and begins sending
> fo=
> r relatives."
>
> [END]
>
>
> Again in 1985, the expression was used during the debate surrounding what
> w=
> ould become the Reagan "amnesty".  This one, I guess, most closely
> describe=
> s how I understand it, and how I understand it when I hear it used in the
> n=
> ews:
>
>
> Camden [NJ] Courier-Post, June 4, 1985, page 10.  "Past amnesty proposals
> h=
> ave drawn considerable opposition from a broad spectrum of Americans
> becaus=
> e they would reward lawbreakers, be unfair to those who wait to come in
> leg=
> ally, raise the prospect of future amnesty programs, and set off a patern
> o=
> f chain migration.  Millions of legalized aliens, once citizenship is
> gaine=
> d, could petition to bring in relatives, who once they become citizens,
> cou=
> ld seek admission of their relatives."
>
> [END]
>
>
> During the 1990s, the expression was used in conjunction with
> recommendatio=
> ns by the U. S. Commission on Immigration Reform, chaired by former
> Democra=
> tic congresswoman from Texas, Barbara Jordan:
>
>
> Anniston [Alabama] Star, June 8, 1995, page 8.  "Jordan said the
> commission=
> 's plan was the only way to reunite the nuclear families of legal
> residents=
> , and Smith added that it will end "chain migration" by the extended
> famili=
> es of immigrants."
>
> [END]
>
>
> So, yeah, I was surprised that the new, meaning based on a supposed
> connota=
> tion with rhetorical value was considered so obvious.  Ironically,
> however,=
>  those who probably get the most rhetorical value from the sinister
> interpr=
> etation are those who oppose reform.
>
>
> I think the Nazis have a word that describes the intentional twisting of
> th=
> e obvious, well-established, natural, neutral meaning of a term into
> someth=
> ing sinister in order to influence their minions into disliking the object
> =
> of their derision while avoiding a substantive policy debate.
> Uebermeinung=
> aenderungvergnuegen, perhaps?
>
>
> But I could be wrong.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU> on behalf of
> Chris =
> Waigl <chris at LASCRIBE.NET>
> Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2018 2:29 PM
> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> Subject: Re: newly "offensive" term
>
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -------------------=
> ----
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Chris Waigl <chris at LASCRIBE.NET>
> Subject:      Re: newly "offensive" term
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> ---------------=
> ----
>
> Hi Peter,
>
> On Tue, Feb 13, 2018 at 1:25 PM, Peter Reitan <pjreitan at hotmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > "Instantly stood out"?
> >
>
> =3DE2=3D80=3D8BYes, that's what I wrote. Is it unclear?=3DE2=3D80=3D8B
>
>
>
> > Because it couldn't possibly mean that one person lets in one close
> > relative, who then lets in another close relative, who then lets in an
> > in-law, who then lets in someone three degreesremoved from the first
> > person - like a series of links in a chain.
> >
> >
> =3DE2=3D80=3D8BNo, it couldn't mean that, for two reasons. The first is
> tha=
> t the =3D
> figure
> that accompanied the term was that of a tree structure. The Nazi term
> =3DC3=3D9Cberfremdung sprang to mind; second, because that's not how
> immigr=
> atio=3D
> n
> works.
>
> And even if it "meant" that on some literal level, there's connotation and
> rhetorical value.
>
> Chris
> unclear what your point is TBH=3DE2=3D80=3D8B
>
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