As President Obama and GOP candidate Mitt Romney court Latino voters, CNN takes an In Depth look at what matters most to this diverse group, and how that will influence elections.
Editor's note: This story contains language that some readers may consider offensive.
The first new edition of the American Heritage Dictionary in 10 years contained 10,000 new entries – and one of them in particular caused a flurry of protest among immigrant and Latino advocates.
The fifth edition of the dictionary defined the term “anchor baby" as “A child born to a noncitizen mother in a country that grants automatic citizenship to children born on its soil, especially such a child born to parents seeking to secure eventual citizenship for themselves and often other members of their family.”
The original definition did not include any indication that many people the term is offensive, as it does for words such as “nigger” and “spic.”
Immigration Impact, a group that that advocates for the rights of immigrants, first covered the word’s inclusion on its blog on December 2 and pressed for a change that would reflect the “poisonous and derogatory nature of the term.”
After reading the post, the executive editor of the dictionary, Steve Kleinedler, agreed that the definition needed to change.
The current wording was added to the online dictionary on Monday. It flags the word as “offensive” and defines “anchor baby” as being “used as a disparaging term for a child born to a noncitizen mother in a country that grants automatic citizenship to children born on its soil, especially when the child’s birthplace is thought to have been chosen in order to improve the mother’s or other relatives’ chances of securing eventual citizenship.”
Kleinedler told Colorlines, a blog that reports on issues of race, ethnicity and social justice, that changing the word was more about accuracy than outrage.
“Personally, this was not a reaction that we have to fix it because people are angry,” Kleinedler told Colorlines. “We fixed it because we were wrong. And I, as the executive editor, acknowledge the fact that this was an error and I take responsibility for that.”
This isn’t the first time that a dictionary definition has caused controversy. In 2003, the Merriam-Webster Dictionary added a second meaning for the word “marriage” that included same-sex couples “in a relationship like that of traditional marriage,” which offended those who believed the word should only be defined as describing a relationship between a man and a woman. The dictionary did not change the definition.
But in 1998, Merriam-Webster altered its definition of the word “nigger” after it was the focus of a letter writing campaign. The definition shifted from “a black person … usually taken to be offensive” to one that emphasized the offensive nature of the term.
What defines you? Maybe it’s the shade of your skin, the place you grew up, the accent in your words, the make up of your family, the gender you were born with, the intimate relationships you chose to have or your generation? As the American identity changes we will be there to report it. In America is a venue for creative and timely sharing of news that explores who we are. Reach us at inamerica@cnn.com.
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Possibly the only thing more offensive to me seeing an illegal with stuff from WIC or using food stamps at the grocery store. the term USERS comes to mind.
Yo CNN, learn to edit.
Land of the free and home of the brave but only if you are legally here huh? Thanks for clearing that up for me... People who spout off about the crimes and so forth REALLY need to do their research a little better..... Some people are just hateful. If other people want to come and live in our great nation then instead of trying to kick them out lets help them become legal. Most of them would love to be legal but they are afraid or do not have enough money. Let's see how many of you would do the jobs that they do? Oh and do not let the last name fool you. I am AMERICAN BORN AND I AM A WHITE WOMAN. My ex husband is Puerto Rican and a police officer but i am sure that is ok with some of you right? Seeing as he is not mexican. SERIOUSLY? With some of the comments?
It should be noted in ALL these discussions that Latinos are not the only ones sneaking into the country. There are large numbers of Europeans that sneak in and have babies too.
Its not a negative term....it is what it states, its a child that is born that allows the birth giver a loop hole to stay in this country since it is an American citizen. The 14th amendment needs to be adjusted to on so many levels. We as American citizens are NOT afforded the rights and "freebies" as I call them, to live in this country, but those that come here, can start businesses, not pay any taxes, get their entire families over here and live the good life....WE DON'T GET IT THAT WAY! And I'm pretty mad about it.
I agree, "Anchor Babies" ARE Offensive. Babies born in the US should be the nationality of the birth mother and/or father. It's time to repeal the 14th Amendment.
Sure now its time to repeal the 14th amendment, but it wasn't time when your ancestors came here was it? I don't believe illegal immigration is right, but I don't believe repealing the 14th amendment is the answer either.
Excellent.
Let's remove the misinterpretation of the law that lets people from other countries automatically claim citizenship if they deliver here.
Term goes away.
Problem solved.
If it's an "offensive" term, it's appropriate - because it describes a thoroughly offensive practice. I'm a progressive democrat. I risked my life for equal rights during the 60s in some of the most violent confrontations. But I find the entire situation withour borders a threat to our future as a nation. My great grandparents were immigrants from Ireland - but they followed the RULES and they came into this country legally. When you enter a country by breaking its laws, you should not be welcomed. You should be forced back home.
Perfectly said. How can any reasonable American disagree with this? What other country allows people to sneak in and give birth to a baby that then has all the rights of a legal citizen? How weak we have become not to have the guts to shut down our own borders and tell criminals to go back home.
You are wrong because maybe people don't have a choice, because there is war, or many other dangerous situations. But, when they come in the country, they could take oath to become a citizen and that is LEGAL. So I don't know what you are talking about.
Helloooooooo, When someone enters a country.....ANY COUNTRY! illegally they are committing a crime period.
Any foreign born person can apply to enter this country legally. Sometimes refugees from foreign countries are accepted immediatly. Last time I looked Mexico was not at war with anyone! Do me a favor and research what would happen theoretically to you if YOU tried to sneak into and live in Mexico and take advantage of their resources......ie. healthcare etc.
@Spence – go and spend a few days on the Mexican / Guatemalan border before you start spewing nonsense about who is at war with whom.
So, it's a "disparaging" term? Actually, it's a disparaging practice. What does it say about citizenship in this country, that one can sneak across a border or fly in on a tourist visa, and give birth to an American citizen and that this birth can then be leveraged by the parents into residency and even eventual citizenship for themselves?
Oh my! now ,everything is ofensive ,if you call a black person a black is offensive ,now you call them African American..heloooo ...this people want to lives here have children to stay here ,(they think if you have a kid you get the VIsa) and breed like rabbits ,and in top being illegal had to be accepted ... what is wrong with this picture? you are illegal .
I call my friends black all of the time. They know they are black, they know I am white. We have th exact same though processes the only difference being the pigment of our skin. A black person being offended by being called black has self esteem issues. Calling someone an "African" American is ignorant.
just as offensive as the city of AtAnna, GA
The real issue is not letting more people in or letting less people in or changing the rules about a child born on US soil, the real issue is to make Mexico a better place so people wouldn't want to leave in the first place.
Andrew, that's up to MEXICANS to do, not us. All the more reason to return Mexican illegal aliens and their progeny to Mexico.
I AGREE. WE CAN SOLVE MANY PROBLEMS BY ENFORCING THE IMMIGRATION LAWS. ..IF WE DON'T ? WE WILL BE CREATING MORE PROBLEMS..JAIL ALL EMPLOYERS THAT HIRE ILLEGALS PROBLEM SOLVED.
Andrew ...is not only ,Mexicans who came here illegal it is Colombians,Cubans, Venezuela,Panama .....and the list still going ,all South and Latino America,illegals here is not only Mexicans but Phillipinos,Chinese,not only Mexicans , get the sources but you right the Mexican President were is he? why his people has to come here to be able to survive? he should take care of his people ,meanwhile this people is sending dollars to there making the economy better for him! in some way we are taking care of all this illegals .Remember not only Mexicans ,but others.....
That would Mexico's problem.
THE MEXICAN GOVERNMENT IS PURPOSELY ALLOWING AND HELPING THE POOR PEOPLE OD MEXICO TO CROSS THE U.S. BORDER.. WHY SHOULD THEY CONCERN THEMSELVES WITH POOR PEOPLE WHEN THE U.S. CAN GIVE THEM ANYTHING THEY WANT FOR FREE.
Please use the accepted non-offensive term "grappling-hook baby."
Thank you. This has been a public service announcement.
I'm quite OK with the term "Anchor Baby". Having a baby on foreign soil is no accident. Or how about those that wait until the day they are to pop to jump the boarder or hop a plane for "Birth Vacations".
If that were really true, America's population would be at least three times more than it currently is now. Seriously, what an idiotic reason for immigrants, illegal or not, to come here in the first place. Why would they want to just come here to have children? If you ask me, that completely defeats the whole purpose of immigration. "Birth vacations", please, what a pathetic term (not to mention offensive).
SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS ?? END ALL LEGAL IMMIGRATION-PUT U.S. MARINES ON THE MEXICAN BORDER-JAIL TIME FOR EMPLOYERS WHO HIRE ILLEGALS. NO JOBS ILLEGALS MUST GO BACK TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM...PROBLEM SOLVED
The shoe definitely fits, so wear it.
Welfare State + Unchecked Illegal Immigration = Economic Ruin
"Dictionary now calls 'anchor baby' an offensive term"
Funny most Americans now call Anchor Babies "offensive leeches on this country."
Only redneck bigots like you!!!!
Then about 75% of Americans are "redneck bigots."
What is offensive about "anchor baby" is that we allow illegal immigrants to engage in that activity and allow them to get what they want. If they don't like the term then maybe it is up to them to not have "anchor babies." That way the term simply goes away. It's all up to them. Either keep having "anchor babies" and giving cause for the term or stop and that's the end of it. If it's offensive to them then they'll stop. Simple.
How about "grappling child"?
I have a cousin, 26 now, raised Pentecost, very American and innocent and probably the most naive person I've ever known. She's sweet but sheltered. When she turned 18, her parents forced her out of the nest, never having taught her anything about taking care of herself. A little Mexican guy who said he was 19 took her in, told her she could live with him and his five male family members in their one-bedroom apartment. This was the first guy ever to give her attention. He professed his love, she got knocked up, and they married. Today their anchor baby is four, adorable, she's a great kid. He's an illegal immigrant. He lives with my cousin and her parents where he doesn't have a job, he doesn't try getting his citizenship, he takes her income and mails it to his family, he doesn't come to family functions, he controls her left and right. I realize that's part of the Mexican culture of machismo, the man being able to control the woman like that, but it's frustrating. She was one of my bridesmaids, he didn't come to the wedding, but she wasn't allowed to be within a foot of the groomsman. He never smiles, he's always miserable, she is too. They aren't happy.
Around the same time my cousin got knocked up I was working at a Mexican restaurant. Every employee except me (average American woman) was an illegal Mexican, all males. And any time a single woman entered the restaurant the male employees would ask me to ask her out. One morning before the restaurant opened they explained to me, quite frankly, that if they can find an American woman and get her pregnant then they'd get her to marry them and they could get immediate citizenship. I don't believe it works that way anymore, but it made me realize that my poor naive cousin was being duped by a similar tactic, and it made me absolutely angry about the anchor baby practice. I've got nothing against the women who like my cousin fall for it blindly, nor do I hold it against the babies themselves. But when a Mexican (as in my examples) or anyone that isn't a legal immigrant or citizen of America uses beautiful things like love, babies, and marriage, and perverts them for such an end, it simply makes my blood boil. There's nothing to be done about it. There are plenty of naive single women in this country for the immigrants to take advantage of, and I don't see an end to it anytime soon. I'm glad to vent though.
you should be upset with the parents of your cousin who threw her out of the house. What exactly were they thinking? I have two grown sons who are on their own since they graduated from medical school and law school. They know that the dcor to my house is always open to them as it is to all my nephew and nieces. What kind of culture throws out children and lets them be preyed upon by vultures out there....you're not an average American...Americans do not throw their children out of the house unless they're depraved, incompetent parents. Try your story somewhere else...
Marge, I dont know whats worse, you and your family or the illegal immigrants. Sure, its easy to blame them, but I'm placing the blame back to you and your family. You have a personal responsbility to not just obey the law but help enforce it. If you love this country, if you take pride then you and/or your family would report him and have him deported. We talk about change, yeah, the change needed to start from within....
Oh, Marge...when did your brain cease functioning? "Anchor babies" by definition, do not include idiot Americans' screw-ups (pun intended). Your idiot cousin was not looking for citizenship, and she was not forced to marry the father. She only succeeded in anchoring herself to a user and a loser.
The real issue is how the USA defines citizenship. The original "birthright" citizenship was to help those forced into slavery and forced into American residency to see their children become better and equally integrated into society. We saw how well that worked out.
I'm an 'anchor baby' & I served in the military, deployed to Iraq & now both my Parents have earned Citizenship status. How useless is an anchor baby?! Well?! I'm sick of these comments bashing the children of illegals. If you want to deport the illegals that's fine, I get it. But like it or not if you are BORN here, you are a United States CITIZEN, end of story!
@Mid: Once you finally master English grammar maybe you can get to work on your other obvious areas of ignorance.
For now, but the change is coming...
Only until we can change the outdated 14th Amendment then we can finally get rid of the leech-like anchor babies and their illegal, felonious parents.
Ha! Leech-like? yes, because I was able to make those sort of decisions as a child. Seems like you are due for a lobotomy.
do people bash the baby in 'anchor baby'? it's certainly not their fault...i haven't heard of disapproval targeting the baby, but the decision of the parents. if people were mean to you, that doesn't seem to make any sense...
Thanks for serving, you made your country proud. Your parents were criminals (definition: one who commits a crime = illegally entering or staying in a country).
Yes I know, I am not refuting the facts here, I am just making a point to those commenters bashing the 'anchor babies' for being here when it's not their fault. My parents were wrong crossing illegally and now thankfully I believe they redeemed themselves as they are both citizens living productive lives. My father works in the hotel business & my mother is a DJ at a talk show. My Brother is a sheriff and my sister is on her last year in the political science PHD program. I am taking my GI bill & going to school for biology. I don't think we turned out bad at all.
This country was founded upon "illegal immigration". Maybe the native Americans should have built a wall to keep us from taking advantage of their home.
I don't know where you got that idea...this country was founded and built by immigrants who came here legally. Have you ever heard of Ellis Island? Those immigrants are the real Americans...who built this country...fought and died for this country...
Pilgrims were not invited and they had no papers the natives gave them, so that makes them illegal.
Oh and we were welcomed when we landed...I dont recall us welcoming you to stay and living off of us like ticks
First, back in the 1300-1500, there was no such thing as immigration, so your point is moot. 2nd, at least we aided the natives where nowadays, you strip everything, you dont support the country. We made it better than what you are doing...and the natives didnt pay taxes to support me, as I'm paying taxes to support YOU! Get it?
You aided the natives??? LOL...You inprisoned them in reservations...All your ancestors were a bunch of thieves, thinking that because the color of your skin is white, you are better than everyone else.. You hipocrites make me sick. My parents brought me across the border illegaly when I was five, I studied here and served the military here, with pride. I bet most of you chicken s_ _ _ "patriots" posting here never even stepped foot in a recruiting office.. No. not you, because you want everybody else to do the hard work. Most of you are probably on food stamps and welfare too...
You know, I find it darkly ironic that you humans worry about "illegal immigrants taking over our country" in order to have babies, and yet the world population exceeds...let's see...seven billion. If this were true about the illegal immigrants, then America's population would exetremely exceed what it currently is now and there would be a national crisis on hunger and poverty that would be far worse than it is now. What you humans really should worry about is conserving the Earth's resourses, conserving the enviroment, and educationg yourselves on the pros and cons of having babies. If you ask me, a child born to an illegal immigrant is automatically a citizen. You do not have to agree with me on this, just don't be so disrespectful about it.
Your just another liberal that doesn't what to see this county get better and obey OUR laws...you think they should be broken by these parasites...they bring with the filth that is south of the border...if you like it so much then leave and go there where you belong.
I see you skipped the "don't be so disrespecful about my opinion" part. I don't mind deporting illegal immigrants, but only if they were criminials or were here for the wrong reason. As for the rest, it depends on why they came here illegally in the first place. Oh, and by the way, I am a moderate Independent, that is not only socially libaral but also fiscally conservative in terms of lowering coporation and real-estate tax to promote the growth of American businesses.
I also would like to add that sometimes I feel like I should have been born into a universe where you humans aren't as malicious and selfish as some of you are now (no offense or anything). If you ask me, that is where I belong, but you know what, I can live with it.
citizenship by birth location is not done in all countries. it should be possible to worry about the planet's population AND national issues like a porous border. the thing is...the usa would be in a lot of hot water if it started telling other countries to please stop reproducing. we have a lot of other things to nag other countries about.
I wonder what the Federal Government spends anually on Tax credits to illegal immigrants for the anchor Babies? Does anyone know?
Ask instead how much the government pays out in earned income credit to illegals that file tax returns and get money back on kids that aren't even in the US.
If you don't know, don't worry about it...!!
Let me tell you what I find offensive; millions of illegals coming to the USA and dropping babies and expecting my tax dollars to pay for medical, food stamps and housing. I find it offensive in this economy illegals have jobs americans need. I find it offensive that i cannot go to their country and do the same! Last but not least; I find it offensive that if I complain, I am labeled a racist and a hater..... I will not shut up and let illegals continue to drain BILLIONS of dollars of our tax money!! If you find me so offensive; then go to another country!
Shelley, you are so full of BS...You come here and try to post crap that all "Americans" want to hear and try and make yourself sound soooo patriotic...but guess what, that s&%# don't fly. You don't even know where your money is being spent, that's if you even work....As for the jobs, what do you have to say about all the trailer trash that sit around and watch the Kardashians all day because they don't work either. Instead they are poisoning kids with meth and all kind of crap like that. Oh but you won't mention nothing about that. Miss goodie two shoes wont touch that subject...It's always someone else's fault huh?
What's offensive is that enough people come illegally that we have a word for what they do, besides "illegal". A rose is still a rose by any other name, & an illegal immigrant is still illegal. If we spent our resources deporting people instead of making our dictionary "politalically correct", we'd be in better shape.
It's sad that political correctness has replaced factual information, and it's even sadder that pointing this out, one gets called a racist.
Could be worse. At least they're not a prom night dumpster baby.
Anchor Baby? Only really offensive when someone actually uses their baby for their boat anchor. Beyond that, who cares. We really have much more serious things to worry about. All this press exposure because of the small number of people who suffer from sensiphobia.
No, it's because a large number of people like you are xenophobes and racists. That's why it's a big deal.
Thank you for giving all of us a classic example of sensiphobia. That was perfect.
If people didn't do it, it wouldn't be in the dictionary to begin with. That's not racist, it's a fact. Cooking is in the dictionary because people heat food to eat it. Walking is in the dictionary because people use their legs to move from one place to another. Anchor baby is in the dictionary because... well, hopefully you get the point.
Anchor Baby hits the nail on the head. Remember when President Kennedy said to "tell it like it is"? Political correctness will be the downfall of this nation.
Totally agreed
Who gives a flying $%# what JFK said????!!!
another phrase for anchor babies is child abuse. The word only offends those who are guilty of this selfishness. They view these children as tools to get more for themselves, it is a kind of exploitation.
I would change to "Benefits Baby" It permits the mother to get free groceries, doctors visits, medicines, home care,etc since the moment the mother is pregnat, thn WICK more groceries , food stamps, medicaid, housing,free schooling and 10 18 they can legalize parents,mother discloses there is a father for adult children, the parents can bring their parents, brothers and sisters, their family etc etc.
To stop this abuse call your senator and congressman to pass the Bill that sitting to be aproved, that no citizenship will be granted to a newborn when parents are illegal.
If enough call, emal , it will pass, I am an activist for breast cancer and this is the we make it work. Call.
I agree that we need a law that states that a child born to two illegal parents will NOT be granted automatic citizenship. If one parent is a citizen or legal immigrant, then fine. Otherwise, the whole family should be shipped home.
It's called ILLEGAL for a reason. Come here legally or don't come at all! There are reasons why we have a limit to how many people we let in legally each year!
Ever hear someone say 'It's called a WHITE HOUSE for a reason.' I have at a teegagger rally. You excuse your racism and hide behind these slogans which are nothing more than white supremacist recruiting tools.
Gee maybe it's called "The White House" because it's white in color. Some people will try to try to use anything advance their agenda regardless of how much things are being stretched.
Maybe would should take the stance of Ireland and the countries in the EU and not give people citizenship just because they were born on American soil. That would do away with the term.
The term seems appropriate, even if the dictionary does not see it. It's not a slur against all of the people of mexico, like some terms. So is "stupid", "retarded", "idiot", etc., considered inappropriate and offensive? Lazy, drug addict(I'm sure many people are inflamed by that term), and even the word "gay" came under fire. I don't know anyone who is offended by that and I'M GAY.
Masha Sobaka, do you really need the dictionary to tell you a term is inappropriate? What about the term "white devil", is that termed as inappropriate in the dictionary, if it's even in the dictionary? What about the word "sponges", is that less inflammatory to people, and more to the point?
Our country is going down and all people care about is terms we use for illegals. WHY IS THIS EVEN ON YOUR SITE, CNN?
Good grief, people. This isn’t a discussion about immigration, immigrant rights, illegal immigration, whatever…it’s about whether the term “anchor baby” is used disparagingly or if it’s a politically, culturally, socially, and morally neutral term. Guess what? It isn’t neutral at all. And it’s kind of the dictionary’s job to tell people that. Anyone whining about political correctness here doesn’t have the intellectual capacity to participate in this discussion and should just go away and keep quiet.
PS – the majority of Americans (particularly European-Americans) are the descendants of anchor babies themselves and might want to stop moaning before someone else figures that out.
Uh NO. The majority are not from people who illegally entered our coutry then diliberatly had children to try to gain citizenship. You are absolutely clueless.
So what? It's a free country, even for anchor babies.
They failed to mention the other change in the dictionary. Sensiphobia: The condition where by an individual becomes hyper sensitive to the most mundane in everyday life.
Prove that is even in the dictionary. Or is this just more self-centered lying that you republiNazi stooges are so good at creating.
Learn English and you will be able to look up your own words. Your clearly suffering from acute Sensiphobia. Your scatter gun approach of hurling the racist label at anyone and everyone is clearly indicative of a serious problem.
Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.