invasion
Last updatedWhat to know
In the context of immigration, “invasion” is a coded term often used to describe immigrants from Central and South American countries, which can serve to dehumanize and other them. Terms like “swarm” or “flood” are also used in this context, which can evoke natural disasters and economic threat. This language and imagery is then used to justify a defense against the supposed invaders through policies that enforce nationalism and may lead to violence against nonwhite immigrant groups.
The term “invader” was often used to describe Chinese immigrants in the mid- to late 1800s. There was a marked increase in the use of the term for immigrants from Latin America in the 1970s. The rise in such rhetoric has been linked with violence, such as the 2019 Walmart mass shooting that targeted Mexican Americans; the shooter echoed then-President Trump’s “invasion” language in a self-published manifesto. If use of the term is necessary and relevant to coverage, explaining its coded meanings provides the audience with essential context.
Additional resources
- Where Does Trump’s ‘Invasion’ Rhetoric Come From? (The Atlantic)
- The caravan “invasion” and America’s epistemic crisis (Vox)
- Unintended Consequences of US Immigration Policy: Explaining the Post-1965 Surge from Latin America (National Institutes of Health)
Summary
In the context of immigration, “invasion” is a coded term often used to describe immigrants from Central and South American countries, which can serve to dehumanize and other them. If use of the term is necessary and relevant to coverage, explaining its coded meanings provides the audience with essential context.