Comments on: Further Othering of Undocumented Immigrants

By: angela

angela — Sat, 20 Feb 2010 16:11:51 +0000

This is totaly stupid, why are people so racist what do they even care about illigal immigrants in the country anyway there not doing anything to you there not asking for free food or free clothes they just came for a better opportunity for life that is not provided in there own country.

By: lsmsrbls

lsmsrbls — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 06:24:43 +0000

Is “illegal alien” really a legal tern? IANAL, but that strikes me as unlikely.

By: USA: Race and Gender Politics of Halloween :: Elites TV

USA: Race and Gender Politics of Halloween :: Elites TV — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 00:31:32 +0000

[…] for its removal. Popular blog Sociological Images broke down what was wrong with the costume, saying: Several stores, including Target, Walgreens, and Amazon.com, offered an “Illegal Alien” […]

By: Global Voices Online » USA: The Race and Gender Politics of Halloween

Global Voices Online » USA: The Race and Gender Politics of Halloween — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:34:13 +0000

By: Jysella

Jysella — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:59:45 +0000

I was vaguely hoping to run into someone wearing this and ask them exactly which planet they were from that thought dressing up like that was acceptable.

A shop near my house was selling just the jumpsuit, no card, no mask, which IMO is even worse.

By: Jillian C. York

Jillian C. York — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:36:52 +0000

“Undocumented migrant” is, I think, more correct. I personally still think “migrant” is rather wrong, as migration typically refers to birds, but “undocumented” seems unoffensive to me.

By: Jillian C. York

Jillian C. York — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:36:01 +0000

I think it has more to do with the title and less to do with the actual costume. Visually, I’m not really offended. It’s more the term “illegal” (as if a person can be illegal) that offends me.

By: Jillian C. York

Jillian C. York — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 15:35:17 +0000

Ha, thank you for making that point – the idiots who created the costume seem confused about what “illegal” even means!

By: Verlinkenswertes (KW 44/09) | Criminologia

Verlinkenswertes (KW 44/09) | Criminologia — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:11:14 +0000

[…] Further Othering of Undocumented Immigrants (Sociological Images, 31.10.2009) […]

By: depresso

depresso — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 19:01:12 +0000

Apparently the woman’s version of this costume involved a minidress… Ug.

And yeah, if you have a green card you’re legal.

By: Jonathan

Jonathan — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 02:31:48 +0000

If it’s illegal, then why does it have a green card?

By: Tiago

Tiago — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 01:06:09 +0000

as someone formerly dubbed a non-resident alien working within the united states, I find that this costume portrays the absurdity of using the same word for merely a foreigner, while still a member of the same species, as for non-human beings from outer space, at least in popular culture, something that has always bewildered me. And because I see that statement made in it, I could wear it to a party, and at least my friends would know what I mean by it.

By: Carla

Carla — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 22:57:29 +0000

exactly! It isn’t making fun of people, it’s making fun of a ridiculously stupid legel term.

By: sarah

sarah — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:07:25 +0000

I think it depends on who’s wearing it and their intentions.

It could be seen as pretty subversive; the phrase ‘illegal aliens’ while the correct legal term (i think?) can be used a pretty dehumanising way, when combined with the hysteria, (and often racism) around immigration, and I can see the costume as sort of mocking that.

By: JFLS

JFLS — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 20:07:10 +0000

Well, aliens (outer-space aliens) are supposed to be inhuman, dangerous, and frightening, so relating them to actual people seems offensive. Maybe the reason why it doesn’t seem overtly racist is because the word “alien” itself conflates people with monsters, so the costume just looks like a pun on a word with an already problematic double meaning. Also, if it has a green card, it isn’t illegal, right?