Anchor baby
Anchor baby or jackpot baby are terms used to refer to a child born in the United States to illegal immigrants or other non-citizens. The terms refer to the role of an illegal alien's child, as a U.S. citizen, in facilitating chain migration under the provisions of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965. However, the actual ability of the infant citizen to assist his illegal immigrant parents in obtaining citizenship is limited. Having a U.S. citizen child does not exempt immigrants from deportation if they entered or remained in the U.S. illegally. Once given deportation orders, the illegal immigrant parent either can abandon the infant to be adopted in the U.S. -- the immigrant thereby losing parental status -- or can take the infant home and petition for legal immigration from there. The infant citizen must turn 21 before he can file a petition on behalf of his parents. [1]
These terms have been characterized in the San Diego Union-Tribune as "pejorative"[1], in the New York Times as "derogatory"[2], and in the Chicago Tribune as dehumanizing.[3]
Controversies
On August 17, 2006, Chicago Tribune columnist Eric Zorn used the term "anchor baby" in reference to Saul Arellano, in a column critical of his mother, who had been given sanctuary at a Chicago church, and advocating her arrest and deportation on immigration related charges.[4] After receiving two complaints, the next day Eric Zorn stated in his defense in his Chicago Tribune blog that the term had appeared in newspaper stories since 1997, "usually softened by quotations as in my column", and stated that he regretted having used the term in his column and promised not to use it again in the future.
On August 23, 2007, the San Diego, California-area North County Times came under criticism from one of its own former columnists, Raoul Lowery Contreras, in a column titled "'Anchor babies' is hate speech", for allowing the term "anchor baby" to be printed in letters and opinion pieces.
See also
- Birthright citizenship in the United States of America
- Chain immigration
- Illegal immigration
- Illegal immigration in the United States
- United States nationality law
- United States Constitution
References
- ^ Union-Tribune > News > Politics - Immigration bill turned quiet voices into a roarSan Diego Union-Tribune , "Immigration bill turned quiet voices into a roar"
- ^ "BUZZWORDS; GLOSSARY" December 24, 2006 - By GRANT BARRETT - Week in Review] anchor baby: a derogatory term for a child born in the United States to an immigrant. Since these children qualify as American citizens, they can later act as a sponsor for other family members.
- ^ Sinking 'Anchor Babies' August 18, 2006, Eric Zorn, Chicago Tribune, "'They use it to spark resentment against immigrants,' Rivlin said of his ideological foes. 'They use it to make these children sound non-human.' To me, that's good enough reason to regret having used it and to decide not to use it in the future."
- ^ Deportation Standoff Not helping Cause August 17, 2006, Eric Zorn, Chicago Tribune,