The word “alien” means “relating to or denoting beings supposedly from other worlds: extraterrestrial.” The word is mainly used to talk about beings that are from the unknown–like space. We also use the word “monster” in a variety of contexts: to describe the monster under the bed, the boogie man, Bigfoot, and so forth.
People fear the unknown, and they will call others a word that goes beyond what they truly are. Illegal immigrants are people from other foreign countries who come to chase the so-called American Dream. Many Americans, to this day, still call them illegal aliens, as if they were people who would bring about the destruction of this dream.
It can be inferred that immigrants play a part in helping out the economy in the U.S. Immigrants, on average, are more likely to follow the rules than the average citizen is. Many Americans underestimate the difference that a Social Security card makes for a person. To most, it’s just some numbers that will get you a job, but to an immigrant, it may be the American Dream. Immigrants come to find better lives for their families and in order to be able to support their families. Some American people fear what the unknown brings, but the unknown is what makes the American dream. Why go out of our way to call people who are trying to make a better living for themselves aliens?
An anonymous student said, “ The world portrays us as villains, and [there are] millions of words used to describe an object. Why use the one people would be hesitant about?” As a person who has been around many ethnic groups, there are a variety of ways that people may be distinct from one another. However, as a second anonymous student said, “As much as we prove ourselves to the world that we aren’t to fear, the name ‘Illegal Alien’ will forever brand us as the ones to fear.” We are the same, yet at the same time, we are not. We breathe the same air, yet we behave differently. Still, we all pursue a dream that gives us courage and hope. This could be a place where, as different as we may be, we have the same goals to achieve.
