Gosh, I really don’t want to skirt the issue, but this use of “derogatory” I just missed; I guess I should be talking to NH GOP Chair Jennifer Horn more often on it. So when that ABC reporter tried to be a jr. SJW (Social Justice Warrior) when he “confronted” Donald Trump over the latter’s use of anchor babies, well, he got what he deserved:
ABC reporter (in an SJW “lecturing” tone): You said that you have a big heart, and that you’re not mean-spirited. Are you aware that the term ‘anchor baby,’ that’s an offensive term? People find that hurtful,”
Trump: “You mean it’s not politically correct, and yet everybody uses it. You know what? Give me a different term.”
Reporter proposed “the American-born childs [sic] of undocumented immigrants.”
Trump: “You want me to use that? Okay. I’ll use the word ‘anchor baby.’”
This is the thing about Political Correctness, word meanings that can change on a whim by those that wish to repurpose them for a strict political purpose. That purpose is to frame the debate by cutting off debate and shut down those that want to talk about an issue from the opposing side. And once you adopt THEIR definition, you’ve lost. It is defined that you cannot win; arguing against it on their terms means you lose.
So, the Left’s SJW’s will FORCE a negative connotation when it helps their political goal (as in this case) and a positive one when desired (e.g., “gay”). It usually starts with SJWs (see here and here) and in this case, an “SJW with a tv byline” carried it FORWARD! But Trump, to his credit (and showing other Republicans how it is to have a backbone and shove it back into their faces), swiped back. There is a lot of angst by a lot of folks on the Right about him but you have to give him his due, he is shutting down the PC police and good. He realizes the power of being sucked in and being a negotiator, refuses to play that game. Instead, he’s turned the tables on him and popped their balloon on them.
But I was rather curious – WHEN did anchor babies become “offensive”? I really didn’t know (and yes, I really still don’t care that it is “offensive” because that connotation, as I said earlier, is just another instance of somebody’s bastardization of the common language for their own purpose). A quick Googling coughed up some links and I looked for the “oldest” mention
Oldest I could find was back in 2006 at the Chicago Tribune:
I only received two complaints about my use of the term “anchor baby” in Wednesday’s blog / Thursday’s column to refer to the American-born son of illegal immigrant Elvira Arellano, the Mexican woman currently trying to avoid deporation by holing up in a Humboldt Park church.
“Disgusted” wrote: That term is derogatory.
A WaPo article had a bit more history in it:
A 1987 article, “Profile of a Lost Generation” in the Los Angeles Times reads:
They are “anchor children,” saddled with the extra burden of having to attain a financial foothold in America to sponsor family members who remain in Vietnam. Crime is seen as a shortcut to success.
…Writing in The New York Times, lexicographer Grant Barrett listed “anchor baby” one of its buzzwords of that year. He gave it this definition:
anchor baby: a derogatory term for a child born in the United States to an immigrant. Since these children automatically qualify as American citizens, they can later act as a sponsor for other family members.
And goes on to show, in a small way, how those that favored loose immigration started the effort to demonize those that simply wanted the Law enforced. Including bullying dictionary editors to pose it as “derogatory” (see Wikipedia to see the editing of how SJWs added that to the definition). Of course, the media just has to include that Lefty definition in their current articles (small sample: Politico, WaPo (“its settled”), CNN, that Soros mouthpiece Media Matters, ILW.com (2007 – they’re BIGOTS for using it), IrishCentral.com (logs of illegal Irish in Boston, dontcha now). Define the words, redefine the thoughts, frame the argument.
Trust me, take this technique away from them, they will lose and lose a lot. You just have to grow a thick skin and when they try to browbeat you & just laugh at them. Or as Trump did, refuse to play their game. MAKE them use their taunts so often (“RACIST!”) that it becomes useless.
Anchor babies – yup, the act of dropping a kid on American soil so as to have a foothold by illegal immigrant (in a lot of cases) or participate in “anchor baby tourism“). Just like a ship throwing out an anchor to, well, anchor itself in one spot, so does the baby. And then along that anchor’s chain come the “family migration chain” – all the family members that otherwise would never make it to America other than illegally.
(H/T: NewsBusters, The Daily Caller)
