As the anniversary of a devastating plane crash in which dozens of Mexican immigrants were killed drew to a close, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) commemorated the tragedy by releasing a social media post that many critics argued was tone-deaf. In 1948, a deportation flight carrying 31 Mexican workers – all of whom were eventually identified as victims – crashed on January 28th, killing everyone on board.
The incident occurred in Los Gatos Canyon, California and is often cited as an example of the dehumanizing language used to describe immigrants by law enforcement officials during that era. In response, folk legend Woody Guthrie penned a powerful song titled "Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)", which has been interpreted as a tribute to those who were killed.
Fast forward 78 years and, it seems the wounds still haven't fully healed for many of these victims' families. The latest example can be seen in an Instagram post from ICE, which used the terms "illegal Mexican aliens" to describe the unidentified passengers on that fateful flight. The use of language that was widely criticized by critics has sparked outrage and accusations that ICE is again resorting to the same dehumanizing rhetoric that sparked Guthrie's song.
While this particular incident may seem like a relatively minor lapse in judgment, it highlights the broader issue of systemic dehumanization faced by immigrants who are often treated as 'numbers' or statistics rather than human beings. The tragic story of those 31 Mexican workers is a painful reminder of how far we still have to go in treating all people with dignity and respect.
As writer Tim Z Hernandez noted, "words like alien and illegal are only meant to strip the humanity of the people they’re targeting." Those words may seem innocuous enough, but their impact can be devastating. As Hernandez pointed out, when we use such language, it's easier to justify treatment that would be unacceptable if applied to humans.
This latest social media blunder from ICE is just one example of how this administration continues to court controversy with posts that echo the rhetoric of white nationalists. The Intercept notes that in an era where authoritarianism and xenophobia are on the rise, such incidents can have far-reaching consequences for marginalized communities who are already fighting for their rights and dignity.
As a society, we need to recognize that words matter – even if they seem innocuous enough. By continuing to use language that erases people's humanity, we risk further entrenching systems of oppression that disproportionately affect already vulnerable populations. As Hernandez so eloquently put it: "Even if we disagree on how to protect the border... what we should be able to come to an agreement on is that each of us are human beings and worthy of dignity."
As we move forward, we must prioritize empathy and understanding in our words and actions. We need to create spaces where people feel valued and respected – regardless of their immigration status or background. Only then can we truly begin to address the systemic inequalities and injustices that have plagued immigrant communities for far too long.
The tragic story of those 31 Mexican workers is a painful reminder of how far we still have to go in treating all people with dignity and respect. By choosing our words carefully, we can work towards creating a more inclusive and compassionate society – one that values every human life as precious and deserving of respect.
The incident occurred in Los Gatos Canyon, California and is often cited as an example of the dehumanizing language used to describe immigrants by law enforcement officials during that era. In response, folk legend Woody Guthrie penned a powerful song titled "Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)", which has been interpreted as a tribute to those who were killed.
Fast forward 78 years and, it seems the wounds still haven't fully healed for many of these victims' families. The latest example can be seen in an Instagram post from ICE, which used the terms "illegal Mexican aliens" to describe the unidentified passengers on that fateful flight. The use of language that was widely criticized by critics has sparked outrage and accusations that ICE is again resorting to the same dehumanizing rhetoric that sparked Guthrie's song.
While this particular incident may seem like a relatively minor lapse in judgment, it highlights the broader issue of systemic dehumanization faced by immigrants who are often treated as 'numbers' or statistics rather than human beings. The tragic story of those 31 Mexican workers is a painful reminder of how far we still have to go in treating all people with dignity and respect.
As writer Tim Z Hernandez noted, "words like alien and illegal are only meant to strip the humanity of the people they’re targeting." Those words may seem innocuous enough, but their impact can be devastating. As Hernandez pointed out, when we use such language, it's easier to justify treatment that would be unacceptable if applied to humans.
This latest social media blunder from ICE is just one example of how this administration continues to court controversy with posts that echo the rhetoric of white nationalists. The Intercept notes that in an era where authoritarianism and xenophobia are on the rise, such incidents can have far-reaching consequences for marginalized communities who are already fighting for their rights and dignity.
As a society, we need to recognize that words matter – even if they seem innocuous enough. By continuing to use language that erases people's humanity, we risk further entrenching systems of oppression that disproportionately affect already vulnerable populations. As Hernandez so eloquently put it: "Even if we disagree on how to protect the border... what we should be able to come to an agreement on is that each of us are human beings and worthy of dignity."
As we move forward, we must prioritize empathy and understanding in our words and actions. We need to create spaces where people feel valued and respected – regardless of their immigration status or background. Only then can we truly begin to address the systemic inequalities and injustices that have plagued immigrant communities for far too long.
The tragic story of those 31 Mexican workers is a painful reminder of how far we still have to go in treating all people with dignity and respect. By choosing our words carefully, we can work towards creating a more inclusive and compassionate society – one that values every human life as precious and deserving of respect.
just saw ice's latest post about the 1948 plane crash & it's literally tone-deaf 
they used "illegal mexican aliens" to describe the victims... what's wrong with people? 
this is exactly the kind of language that sparks outrage & makes you wanna scream. i'm so tired of these administrations using words that strip humanity from ppl. 
like, come on guys, we can do better than this. let's focus on empathy & understanding instead of perpetuating hate speech 
i feel so bad for the victims' families and for all the immigrant communities who are already fighting for dignity and respect. we need to keep calling out this kind of dehumanizing rhetoric and promoting empathy and understanding instead 
we need to do better, like so much better 
like, can't they see how hurtful their words are? i feel bad for the families of those who were killed, it's still a super painful wound after all these yrs 
we need to be more careful and intentional with our words, it's not that hard...
ICE's latest Instagram post is just another example of how dehumanizing language can be super hurtful to people's feelings... and I'm not buying the 'tone-deaf' excuse 
. Instead, using terms like "illegal Mexican aliens" is just gonna perpetuate the same stereotypes and prejudices that got us here in the first place 
.
I mean, come on... 78 years after it happened and we're still getting slammed for using dehumanizing language? Like, what's the point of even commemorating the anniversary if we're just gonna trot out the same tired rhetoric? 
It's not that hard! And another thing, can't we all just agree on one basic fact: every single person who crossed our borders is a human being worthy of dignity? 
Is that really too much to ask? 
. It's not just a minor lapse in judgment; it's part of a larger pattern of dehumanizing rhetoric that's so concerning 
it's like they think using terms like "illegal mexican aliens" is gonna fly under the radar... not gonna happen, fam! 
we need to call out this kind of language ASAP. it's not just about being tone-deaf, it's about perpetuating a system of oppression that already disproportionately affects latinx people. 