The Caravan Vernacular: Tempered or terror?
A new language barrier of its own has surfaced with the approach of migrants
The way we speak teaches, and what we have learned about the caravan through many media outlets is that it is an epidemic that needs taming. Though arguably reasonable to say, much of what has been said lately is far from reasonable and leans more towards argumentative.
The language people use around the caravan can make it seem like a more tempered “issue” than it is, while conversely, the language used can make it out to be more of a terror.
No matter what side of the argument or what side of the border you are on, it is fair to say that no good comes from partaking in a screaming match over a topic that may or may not affect you personally.
On the opposite end, silence does not always mean you condone others’ behavior or opinions; silence is also good for listening, which, we could all admittedly do a bit more of.
So, that’s what I have done.
How non-profit organizations talk about the caravan
Non-profit organizations provide a well-informed dialect to the conversation that is worth taking note of.
First of all, these organizations never refer to the caravan as an “attack,” “invasion,” or an “assault.” Furthermore, the people coming into the U.S. are not inherently evil or entering out of ill-intent.
“It’s not like you come to the border of the United States, you present yourself, and you get into the country,” supervising attorney, Elise Griesmyer said. “Anyone who tells you that our border is porous and we let everyone into the country is not only ill-informed, they’re just wrong.”
One thing non-profit organizations have correct is knowing the difference between a criminal, migrant, immigrant, and a refugee.
A criminal is a person who committed a crime, and after hearing from Griesmyer, we can scratch seeking asylum off of the incriminating assault list.
Migrants are people who are moving into the country temporarily for work, immigrants are people seeking permanent residence, and refugees are people fleeing their home country out of fear for their lives.
The terminology gap between non-profits and locals poses striking concerns.
How locals talk about the caravan
Being that the U.S. is a melting pot with over 300 million people, it is not hard to find some with non-identical backgrounds. Even listening to just a few, you can get an idea of the different opinions and words that are used to describe the caravan.
Graduate student, Helena Maria Garcia Marino, who teaches at the University of Houston, see’s the language that media outlets and president Trump uses to describe the caravan as “media manipulation.”
Houston local, Pat Dionne, actively keeps up with news on the caravan and disagrees with allowing thousands of “immigrants” into the country.
Local, Alex Middleton, avoids the news altogether and says that the caravan doesn’t affect him, he doesn’t affect it, so he doesn’t really care.
The dialogue shifts further when considering children of parents that have immigrated into the U.S.
“I don’t care if you’re an illegal immigrant. I don’t care whether you came here in a work visa,” son of Salvadorian immigrant, Joey Rubio said. “I couldn’t care less, and if more people thought that way, then this wouldn’t be a problem.”
It can be challenging to find a common ground in a country that carries people from all stretches of life, but there are ways to avoid creating a language-wall that separate us.
Changing the caravan vernacular
It is easy to passively listen to news outlets and pick the stations that feed your own rhetoric, but a well-informed, non-biased ear is an educated one, and that is a reoccurring theme that both non-profit organizations and those with immigrated family members can agree on.
“Language itself is dictated by information,” JFON managing attorney, Joy Green said. “The more [people]understand the reasons why people are fleeing, the more they understand the history of those countries, and the United States connection to those countries, I think the more people will open their minds.”
Before speaking with inaccurate, accusatory, incriminating, or dehumanizing language, it’s important to consider all the facts.
“ Without that understanding, without that education, and without that knowledge” Green said, “unfortunately people live in a bubble where they think it’s okay to use certain words, and they’re not cognizant of what’s happening.”
