Language, US-centric
It seems like it's an acceptable term but it's always struck me wrong.
Foreigner.
Not the I-Wanna-Know-What-Love-Is Foreigner. The immigrant or non-US citizen foreigner. It has such a negative connotation to it. In That 70's Show, Jackie can't stop pointing out Fez's immigration status is a bad thing, and uses the word foreigner to illustrate that. It's used all over the media.
It's used to describe people who were not born in the US who also have parents who weren't born in the US. That's painting with a big brush. That includes legal and illegal immigrants, people from all other countries, and people of all classes and races. The basic point is that, on some level, a foreigner is not the same as an american, even when the supposed foreigner is an american.
That just doesn't sit well with me. As an American-born white person, I don't know if I'm off-base and there's nothing inflammatory or inappropriate about the word. It is used frequently so I feel like I should be accepting it like everyone else seems to, but I can't. I don't like what it says. Am I fictionalizing a problem or is it actually inappropriate?
Foreigner.
Not the I-Wanna-Know-What-Love-Is Foreigner. The immigrant or non-US citizen foreigner. It has such a negative connotation to it. In That 70's Show, Jackie can't stop pointing out Fez's immigration status is a bad thing, and uses the word foreigner to illustrate that. It's used all over the media.
It's used to describe people who were not born in the US who also have parents who weren't born in the US. That's painting with a big brush. That includes legal and illegal immigrants, people from all other countries, and people of all classes and races. The basic point is that, on some level, a foreigner is not the same as an american, even when the supposed foreigner is an american.
That just doesn't sit well with me. As an American-born white person, I don't know if I'm off-base and there's nothing inflammatory or inappropriate about the word. It is used frequently so I feel like I should be accepting it like everyone else seems to, but I can't. I don't like what it says. Am I fictionalizing a problem or is it actually inappropriate?