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A comment on GitHub tries to quell employee anger over its ICE contract. Parent comment

Re:GitHub tries to quell employee anger over its ICE contract by plurple on Thursday October 31, 2019 @06:19PM (#21414377)
Luckily, whether you consider something racist or not has no actual impact on the usage of the term. And of course, you’re free to call a speeder an “illegal” if you want, just like apparently you’re free to call other HN users racist for using common terminology in a way you don’t like.
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Re:GitHub tries to quell employee anger over its ICE contract by dredmorbius on Thursday October 31, 2019 @07:51PM (#21415003)
I give you Teen Vogue:

Why You Shouldn’t Use the Term “Illegals” Not only is it offensive, it's dehumanizing.

https://www.teenvogue.com/story/why-you-shouldnt-use-the-ter...

Well-cited article with numerous references. Teen Vogue has become quite serious of late.

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Re:GitHub tries to quell employee anger over its ICE contract by house9-2 on Thursday October 31, 2019 @06:42PM (#21414531)
> whether you consider something racist or not has no actual impact on the usage of the term

Thats true

> for using common terminology in a way you don’t like.

When did it become common terminology? I am 47 years old and don't remember that term ever being used until the last presidential election as a means to vilify people of color.

Maybe I just wasn't paying attention the other 44 years?

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Re:GitHub tries to quell employee anger over its ICE contract by malvosenior on Thursday October 31, 2019 @06:44PM (#21414546)
I'm about your age and that term has been used as long as I've been alive.
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Re:GitHub tries to quell employee anger over its ICE contract by house9-2 on Thursday October 31, 2019 @06:56PM (#21414623)
I guess I should have been paying better attention then
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Re:GitHub tries to quell employee anger over its ICE contract by jcims on Thursday October 31, 2019 @06:54PM (#21414603)
I'm same and same.
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Re:GitHub tries to quell employee anger over its ICE contract by traverseda on Thursday October 31, 2019 @07:27PM (#21414846)
It used to be "illegal aliens" I think? That's the shortened form.

Unfortunately any word used to describe a population that people don't like will stop being a descriptor and become a slur if it's used long enough.

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