[Ads-l] newly "offensive" term

Thu Feb 15 14:21:03 UTC 2018

> African-Americans believe they migrated to America in chains

Offensive.

Am I being ironic or serious?

If you can't tell...

JL

On Thu, Feb 15, 2018 at 1:48 AM, imwitty <imwitty at gmail.com> wrote:

> About 15 years ago, while reading comments to an article on line, I
> stumbled upon one of them. The commenter wrote, that if Dr. Thomas Sowell
> (who is former Milton Friedman's student)  would have been nominated as a
> candidate for President of the USA, he would crawl over the broken glass or
> hot coals to vote for him. After reading a dozen of Dr. Sowell's books (he
> published over 40 in total) and a few hundred of his articles, I would
> follow that commenter. Unfortunately, Dr. Sowell never had intention to
> apply for that position, and even decided to stop publishing weekly
> articles at the age 86. His friend (economist as well) and professor at the
> George Mason University, Dr. Walter E. Williams, is 81, but he's still
> writing and teaching. I am absolutely sure that neither would complain
> about anything chain-related. But both of them are wise, brilliant, honest,
> and decent men who never tried to buy votes.
>
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> L.
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> On Wed, Feb 14, 2018 at 5:51 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> > -----------------------
> > Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> > Poster:       Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> > Subject:      Re: newly "offensive" term
> > ------------------------------------------------------------
> > -------------------
> >
> > > people who make a frequent search for something new to be offended by.
> >
> > Like me, for example. I'm offended by white politicians who patronizingly
> > assume that millions of black people think alike and, what's more, are
> (or
> > ought to be) offended to the point of distraction ("It's obscene!") by
> the
> > mere juxtaposition of the words "chain" and "migration."
> >
> > We've had earlier discussion about harmless terms and turns of phrase
> > deemed "obviously" racist by self-appointed etymologists and others.
> >
> > JL
> >
> >
> > On Wed, Feb 14, 2018 at 4:02 PM, David Wilton <dave at wilton.net> wrote:
> >
> > > "The term 'chain migration' has itself assumed vague racial undertones
> > th=
> > at
> > > imply Third World hordes clamoring at the gates."
> > >
> > > Lochhead, Carolyn. "Senate Swayed by Analyst's Immigrant Count." San
> > > Francisco Chronicle, 20 June 2006, A1.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
> Behalf
> > > Of
> > > Bill Mullins
> > > Sent: Wednesday, February 14, 2018 1:53 PM
> > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > > Subject: Re: [ADS-L] newly "offensive" term
> > >
> > > Can anyone provide any citations that antedate Sen Durbin's comments of
> > J=
> > an
> > > 12 for someone asserting that "chain migration" is a racist term (or
> > even=
> >  a
> > > problematic one) because it calls to mind the slaves brought over in
> > > chains?
> > > Lots (hundreds and hundreds) of tweets containing "chain migration" +
> > > "racist term" since Jan 12; only a handful before then (and they don't
> > ma=
> > ke
> > > the connection between the term and slave chains).
> > >
> > > For that matter, can anyone provide any citations for asserting "chain
> > > migration" is a problematic term for any reason at all before the Trump
> > > campaign?
> > >
> > > I've looked reasonably hard (in detailed searches in ProQuest and other
> > > databases and archives), and am having trouble finding such.  And this
> > > makes
> > > me think that, given its long uncontroversial usage (the term being
> > > uncontroversial, not the actual immigration or the policies about it)
> > whe=
> > n
> > > discussing immigration, that the term itself isn't particularly
> > > "totalitarian" or racist or otherwise bad, but that asserting that it
> is,
> > > is
> > > a way of showing that you don't like Trump's proposed immigration
> > policie=
> > s.
> > > As Peter has more eloquently suggested.
> > >
> > > (and the idea that 10th grade German classes on the rhetoric of
> > > totalitarianism are a proper and appropriate touchstone for
> consideration
> > > of
> > > American usage of American terms being discussed on the listserv of the
> > > American Dialect Society seems a little, well, odd)
> > >
> > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On
> > > > Behalf Of Peter Reitan
> > > > Sent: Tuesday, February 13, 2018 6:42 PM
> > > > To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
> > > > Subject: [Non-DoD Source] Re: newly "offensive" term
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > My point was to express surprise at how obvious you found the
> sinister
> > > > connotation and evil rhetorical intent was.  It seemed very non-
> > obviou=
> > s
> > > 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
> > you=
> > r
> > > apparent openness 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
> > > > sense, as it has been used and understood for at least fifty years.
> > > > But of course the word is relatively new to me, so I just understood
> > > > it the way it sounded and was described.  I didn't think to consult
> my
> > > > 10th grade Nazi propoganda textbook - until, that is, I read other
> > > articles explaining the "real", non-obvious meaning to me.  But before
> > th=
> > e
> > > new meaning was revealed to me a few weeks ago, I generally understood
> it
> > > in
> > > line with its non-controversial use over the past several decades, to
> > > describe chain reaction in immigration where one migration leads to
> > anoth=
> > er
> > > 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
> > famili=
> > es
> > > moving into the southeastern portion of North Chicago:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Chicago Tribune, April 24, 1955, page E 6. "A chain migration - from
> > > > the Loop northward - is taking place on the north side and into the
> > > > north suburbs, accelerating the suburban growth, the survey
> indicates.
> > > > As minority groups push northward into the southeastern part of the
> > nor=
> > th
> > > area - . . . the middle income families in this area are moving north
> and
> > > northwestward, replacing larger income families who resided on the
> > northe=
> > rn
> > > outskirts of the city."
> > > >
> > > > [END]
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > In 1963, Charles Price used the term in a book about the patterns of
> > > > Southern European immigration into Australia, as described in an
> > articl=
> > e
> > > about the book and its findings in an Australian newspaper:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Sydney Morning Herald, September 2, 1963, page 2. "Why should almost
> > > > half the southern European population of Sydney and Melbourne during
> > > > the 1930s and 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 chain migrtion.  'The strong tendency for those
> > > coming
> > > out with the aid of friends and relatives to adopt the same occupations
> > a=
> > s
> > > their sponsors,' writes Dr. Price, 'can mean that a few large migration
> > > chains dominate the settlement pattern of a whole nationality.'"
> > > >
> > > > [END]
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > In 1985, the expression was used to describe Greek immigration to
> > Hawai=
> > i:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Honolulu Star-Bulletin, February 19, 1985, page 12. "The Greeks began
> > > > migrating to Hawaii through "chain migration."  Chain migration is a
> > > phenomena which occurs when one family member settles in an area and
> > begi=
> > ns
> > > sending for relatives."
> > > >
> > > > [END]
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Again in 1985, the expression was used during the debate surrounding
> > > > what would become the Reagan "amnesty".  This one, I guess, most
> > closel=
> > y
> > > describes how I understand it, and how I understand it when I hear it
> > use=
> > d
> > > in the Caution-news:
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Camden [NJ] Courier-Post, June 4, 1985, page 10.  "Past amnesty
> > > > proposals have drawn considerable opposition from a broad spectrum of
> > > > Americans because they would reward lawbreakers, be unfair to those
> > > > who wait to come in legally, raise the prospect of future amnesty
> > > programs, and set off a patern of chain migration.  Millions of
> legalized
> > > aliens, once citizenship is gained, could petition to bring in
> relatives,
> > > who once they become citizens, could seek admission of their
> relatives."
> > > >
> > > > [END]
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > During the 1990s, the expression was used in conjunction with
> > > > recommendations by the U. S. Commission on Immigration Reform,
> chaired
> > =
> > by
> > > former Democratic 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
> > th=
> > e
> > > extended families of immigrants."
> > > >
> > > > [END]
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > So, yeah, I was surprised that the new, meaning based on a supposed
> > > connotation with rhetorical value was considered so obvious.
> > > > Ironically, however, those who probably get the most rhetorical value
> > > from
> > > the sinister interpretation are those who oppose reform.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I think the Nazis have a word that describes the intentional twisting
> > > > of the obvious, well-established, natural, neutral meaning of a term
> > in=
> > to
> > > something sinister in order to influence their minions into disliking
> the
> > > object of their derision while avoiding a substantive policy debate.
> > > > Uebermeinungaenderungvergnuegen, 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"?
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > >  Yes, that's what I wrote. Is it unclear?
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > 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.
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > No, it couldn't mean that, for two reasons. The first is that the
> > figur=
> > e
> > > that accompanied the term was that of a tree structure.
> > > > The Nazi term =C3=9Cberfremdung sprang to mind; second, because
> that's
> > =
> > not how
> > > immigration works.
> > > >
> > > > And even if it "meant" that on some literal level, there's
> connotation
> > > and
> > > rhetorical value.
> > > >
> > > > Chris
> > > > unclear what your point is TBH
> > > >
> > >
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