Never mind the fact that plenty of Democrats have used the term themselves in debating immigration policy: party leaders are now trying to add “chain migration” to the Big Book of Forbidden Words. Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut was up to bat Saturday:
Reminder: "chain migration" is a made up term by the hardline anti-immigration crowd. Its purpose is to dehumanize immigrants. If you're using that word, you're declaring a side.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) January 27, 2018
Hmm … so what if you say that you’re all for chain migration? What side does that land you on?
The MSM uses it https://t.co/IRIMZP0tes
— JoyBells (@dannajoy) January 27, 2018
They certainly do.
Or….it's a term that's been used for over 60 years by people who study immigration.https://t.co/m93vhn39ln https://t.co/5MErMWhia3
— Drew McCoy (@_Drew_McCoy_) January 27, 2018
Chain migration is a term that has been in use for over 70 years, and has been studied by a wide spectrum of ideology, by serious academics and institutions that study immigration. https://t.co/gDS62gJBu1
— Eric Demamp (@ericdemamp) January 27, 2018
Those serious academics must all be racists then. As Sen. Dick Durbin explained, the words chain migration are painful to many people, particularly African-Americans who migrated to America in chains. It turns out a lot of people bought into that line:
And it's racist. https://t.co/EflaDfw4v2
— Dan Adamsky (@DanAdamsky) January 27, 2018
FYI .@PressSec .@FoxNews .@realDonaldTrump WE SEE YOUR RACISM! #BlueTsunami2018 #ExpectUs2018 https://t.co/D3QHtIvyPj
— Doris Evens (@screaminglibral) January 27, 2018
This a thousand times. I can't believe how quickly liberals started repeating such a loaded racist term just because conservatives keep saying it. https://t.co/9QyWqkgDDW
— Gay and Bad ?️?? (@SJGrunewald) January 27, 2018
@ChrisMurphyCT It is also a reference to a category of immigrants: slaves being brought in chains. Let's drop the term like was done with "illegal aliens" #dogwhistle https://t.co/ZBPywOR0iL
— sam mathens (@mobovint) January 27, 2018
https://twitter.com/IrinaMikhale/status/957379520348246016
Fot those who may not be aware…. "chain migration" has a specific connotation for immigrants and their families. As well as those who came here as slaves…. We must be sensitive to this! https://t.co/FGOcLbzOxy
— Mary Callan #DontLookAway ? (@marycallan1086) January 27, 2018
Chris, you didn't tell them the correct phrase, and that is:
REUNIFICATION
This Crapword Is Racist Period.Don't Fall For This #CrapWordForRepublicansUse
Stop That Word Is Racist https://t.co/qp3jjMoFPX
— Not2ShabbyAtAll (@Not2ShabbyAtAll) January 27, 2018
People really are up in arms over this.
https://twitter.com/TopherSpiro/status/956710979374665731
Please don’t use white nationalist terminology (“chain migration”) to refer to US citizens sponsoring visas for their family members, NBC News. https://t.co/kYnE9rroev
— southpaw (@nycsouthpaw) January 26, 2018
A NOTE FROM THE FUTURE: Journalists who use the term “chain migration” are going to be humiliated by their horrified grandchildren.
— Aditya Sood (@adityasood) January 27, 2018
Reporters shouldn't quote Republicans using the phrase "chain migration" without adding this context: it is a nativist term deployed to heighten white anxieties by painting longstanding family reunification policies as a demographic doomsday machine.
— Daniel Denvir (@DanielDenvir) January 26, 2018
For the record, the preferred term is “family reunification” — as in, “Surprisingly, the illegal immigrant self-deported in the name of family reunification.”
the terms we all should be using are "family reunification" and/or "family-sponsored preference immigration" ✨ https://t.co/nEuuHdFGBR
— thankful shrimp boi ✨??✨ (@geoffwithasword) January 27, 2018
https://twitter.com/AWomansVoice23/status/957375537521025024
The term is "family reunification." People who say chain migration are declaring themselves to be anti-family. https://t.co/MplfGpVMny
— Linda Morris Kelley (@lmmkelley) January 27, 2018
OK, reporters, you’re all on notice.
Related:
‘Impossibly DUMB’! Dick Durbin’s attempt to prove Trump is racist BACKFIRES spectacularly
UNHINGED: ACLU says only white supremacists will benefit from ‘hateful’ White House immigration plan
Immigration advocates reportedly call White House plan DOA, a ‘legislative burning cross’
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