The Power of a Word: What to do when the AP Stylebook is wrong

“illegal immigrant: Used to describe those who have entered the country illegally, it is the preferred term, rather than illegal alien or undocumented worker. Do not use the shortened term illegals.”
~~The Associated Press Stylebook 2008~~

At about 3 p.m. last Wednesday, I finally had a chance to sit down and look over the paper we published the day before. I typically edit all the city articles, write heads and decks, and do as much of the layout as I can before the assistant city editor takes over for the evening.
I literally jumped out of my seat when I realized (while going over corrections with a contributing writer) that Copy had changed the words “undocumented student” to “illegal immigrant” throughout a story about “Undocumented Undergrads” an event to highlight struggles faced by AB540 students. 
These same copy editors have saved my future and my career thousands upon thousands of times by correcting style errors, factual errors and potentially libelous language in my articles.
I would be a graduating senior with little prospect for a job or future in journalism if not for these talented and amazing editors.
The copy editors did their job by looking up a term in the AP Stylebook and using words approved by the guidelines that all journalists follow explicitly.

The people who have failed to do their job competently, however, are those who serve on the AP Stylebook ethics board. The term is offensive, abhorrent and wrong especially in the context in which it was used. Unfortunately, it is a term pounded so incessantly into the mainstream media’s vocabulary that most journalists either accept it unquestionably or chose to completely avoid writing about immigration, an issue that needs to be addressed.
 
I did something really important before I came to school here at San Diego State.

Interned in Washington D.C.? Wrote for The New York Times? Founded a non-profit for children?

Nope.

I worked as a fry cook in a busy San Diego restaurant. I started out at the bottom of the totem pole, on the same night as Isreal Gonzalez. It began as a social experiment because I was unhappy with management’s decision to put me in the shortest black skirt imaginable slinging cocktails to drunken 60-year-old men. I felt this was unfair and discriminatory treatment, so I asked to work on the other side. Thinking I wouldn’t last a week back where grease steam pours into your skin, burns are unavoidable and not una palabra of English is spoken, the manager smiled (guessing that I’d be begging for a $200 cocktail shift by the end of happy hour.) 

I didn’t last through the first night. Though Israel tried to cover for me, dropping food into the fryer I’d forgotten to drop and taking the blame for stuff I’d done wrong, it wasn’t enough.“Sacate pinche guera!” the lead cook shouted at me because I was more in his way than helping with any work. I’ll translate: Get off the cook’s line.

I spent the rest of the night crying, and emptying and cleaning out trash cans. I went back the next night because I’m somewhat bullheaded. Three years later, I could speak Spanish so well that people wonder where I’m from (Texas). I could also make about 15 Appetizer Combos without batting a pretty eyelash.

I quickly got promoted to management, scrambling together just enough savings to scrape by that first semester at SDSU out-of-pocket.

Isreal Gonzalez still works the fryer on Friday and Saturday nights.

Why is it necessary to criminalize an entire population of 11.9 million people? To mitigate our own conscious for ignoring the very values and standards we impose on the rest of the world. If they’re criminals, we shouldn’t have to feel bad about denying people basic human rights or equal access to higher education. This was the same reasoning used by slave owners and Nazi war criminals.

Let me make a suggestion to anyone who wants to post a comment on any of the stories or blogs The Daily Aztec has recently published about immigration, AB540 students, the Dream Act or undocumented students.

Go work a Friday night on the fryer first. Go mow lawns all day long in the unforgiving sun. 

My guess is you won’t make it through a shift without crying. And I bet someone like Isreal will be there to pick up the slack in your work ethic.

Then come back here and tell me what you think about the “illegals,”who provide you with the very freedom you so arrogantly hoard.