[AAACE-NLA] aliens and where's the teaching.

[Laurie Sheridan]

Thank you, Heide, for pointing out the importance of connotation.  To
me, the salient thing about the connotations of the term "alien" is that
they connote "not-human" or "less-than-human".  I avoid this word
consistently in the context of immigrants, documented or not, because it
places so much distance between the speaker or listener, and immigrants,
as if they are from a different species--or planet.   (To make an
obvious point--we are all descended from immigrants in this country! 
Even Native Americans, way back!)

And thank you to all the others who have pointed out that some laws are
not to be obeyed, if conscience so dictates.   If that were not the
case, and significant number of people had not defied the law, still
more Jews (and others) would have perished in the Holocaust; no slaves
would ever have escaped their bondage; and "civil disobedience" would
never have helped to win civil rights in the South in my own lifetime. 
I hope that we will continue to find creative ways in classrooms and
curricula to promote student discussions about laws and how to look at
them.   

I appreciated seeing the materials and information on immigration
presented on the NY web site, and have shared them with colleagues
working with ESOL/ABE teachers, who are currently bombarded with
requests for such materials and information, as well as info about
immigrants' rights and changes in the laws, for undocumented as well as
documented immigrants.   It's a "hot topic" that students have a burning
need to talk about, and many teachers would like to be able to be more
helpful, if only to promote lively discussion and/or be able to refer
students to local activities and services.

Especially in the charged context of U.S. immigration at present, it's
very relevant and important in ABE and ESOL classrooms to promote
discussion of how and why people came here, and for teachers to
understand what their learners who are immigrants are facing in their
lives and work.

Laurie Sheridan



>>> "Wrigley, Heide" <heide at literacywork.com> 5/4/2007 1:33 PM >>>
The current discussion on aliens, human beings, and illegals, made me
think of an important distinction in language studies: Perhaps it is
useful for us to think in terms of both denotation (the dictionary or
legal definition of a term) and connotation (the feelings and
suggestions associated with a term). 
 
Certainly, "alien" is an established legal definition but it is not a
neutral term. Using it or not using it, accepting it or using an
alternative reflects a certain view of the world and hints at
differing
cultural perspectives and (often deeply held) values. 
 
In these highly charged times, we might make our students aware of
these
distinctions as part of culture and vocabulary study. 
 
Heide Spruck Wrigley 
 
 
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