Borders and Populations

Colonization is an invasion, displacement, and subjugation of a group of people, often the original or longstanding historical inhabitants of an area. The term colonialism refers to the ongoing processes of power and control by one group over another group or territory, and is inextricably linked to the exploitation of colonized people. There are many contemporary efforts to recognize the effects of colonization around the world, such as celebrating Indigenous Peoples’ Day rather than Columbus Day.

A DACA recipient is an individual who has been granted protections under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. A person applies for DACA and, upon approval, “has DACA,” “has DACA status,” or is a “DACA recipient.” “DACAmented” is also a popular usage among some DACA recipients, though not all recipients use the term. Due to the potential legal ramifications of disclosing someone’s immigration status, it’s especially important to confirm with an individual that they are comfortable with the information being included in media coverage, and that its inclusion is necessary and relevant. Journalists can refer to the American Immigration Council and American Immigration Lawyers Association for reliable information on changes to immigration law.

DAPA was a planned policy granting parents of American citizens or lawful permanent residents deferred action status. It was blocked from going into effect and eventually rescinded. If mentioning the program, some explanation of its parameters and non-active status provides helpful context.

A detention center, or immigrant detention center, is a facility used to hold immigrants in custody. In the US, these are largely overseen by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). They are often identical to prisons in their form and processes; some migrant rights groups prefer to call such centers “immigrant prisons and jails.”

“Developing” or “developed countries” are vague terms used to classify countries via various measures, including income levels and mortality rates. “First World” and “Third World” are now seen by many groups as offensive. “Global North” and “Global South” refer primarily to economic conditions rather than geography. More precise phrasing, where possible, would be to specify countries and metrics, and include income levels. Whichever term is used, it’s helpful to explain to the audience how it’s defined.

A “diaspora” refers to the movement of migrants or descendants of migrants who identify with a homeland but currently live outside of it. A diaspora is not a monolith, so clarifying who you are including in a description (for example: “members of,” “some of,” etc.) will help to avoid overly broad generalizations.

A “displaced person” or “internally displaced person” is someone who is forced to leave their home or place of residence. The latter term is somewhat formal; it may be clearer to the reader to mention that the individual is displaced within their home country.

The diversity immigrant visa program, a.k.a. “green card lottery,” is a US government program for receiving lawful permanent residence in the United States. If the origins of a migrant’s lawful permanent residence are important to a story, the formal term “diversity immigrant visa” is more accurate than “green card lottery,” though it’s helpful to consider the relevance of including someone’s method of entry in an unrelated story.

The Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act is a bill that aims to create a pathway to citizenship for undocumented immigrants who came to the US as children. Someone who qualifies for the DREAM Act is called a “DREAMer” or “Dreamer.” DREAMer and DACA recipient are not interchangeable terms — DREAMer refers to the wider population of undocumented immigrants brought to the US as children, not all of whom are eligible for DACA, so only DREAMers who have received DACA status are DACA recipients.