To:
Student Body President Adrian Ferrari and members of the Dartmouth Student Assembly
President of the Board of Trustees, Steve Mandel and members of the Board of Trustees
President of the College, Philip J. Hanlon

Dean of the College, Charlotte H. Johnson

Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid, Maria Laskaris

Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Michael Mastanduno

Vice President for Institutional Diversity and Equity, Evelynn Ellis

Director of the Office of Pluralism and Leadership, Alysson M. Satterlund

Director of the Office of Visa and Immigration Services, Susan Ellison

Associate Director and Advisor to International Undergraduate Students, Marcia S. Calloway

Director of International Student Programs, Steve Silver

Interim Provost, Martin N. Wybourne

 

We, the undersigned, acknowledging and accepting the existence of undocumented students at Dartmouth College and emphasizing them as members of the Dartmouth community, seek to implement the necessary initiatives to build consciousness around the issues undocumented youth face.

While the first step in discussing the issues of undocumented students is recognizing that they live and study at Dartmouth, we are seeking to prohibit the use of the I-word on Dartmouth College. We are calling for a ban on the use of “illegal” in relation to immigration, specifically when referring to immigrants that are undocumented. We are calling for an end to the use of “illegals”,“illegal alien”, and “illegal immigrants” as well as any racially-charged term relating to undocumented immigration, such as “wetback.” The correct terminology must be used in order to have dialogue around these issues.

No human being is “illegal.” Actions are illegal, not people. The I-word dehumanizes members of our Dartmouth community and expresses that undocumented immigrants are sub-human. It is also divisive. Using the I-word also changes attitudes towards immigrants, especially those of Latin American, African, and Asian descent. It is racist. The I-word is legally inaccurate because the term, as an adjective, is being used as a noun and it is not a legal term. Not even the most dangerous criminals are labeled as “illegal.” Being out of status in the United States is not a criminal offense, rather a civil infraction (1).

This ban on the I-word shall be instituted in the student handbook, and shall also be made applicable to all Dartmouth faculty and staff. All websites and written materials, such as newspapers, utilizing the Dartmouth name or sanctioned by the college shall also abide this change. Except in direct quotations, the I-word shall not be used.

The appropriate terms to use in place of the I-word can include undocumented immigrant/student, immigrant without papers, unauthorized immigrant, and foreign national.

Out of respect and in order to accurately to describe undocumented students at Dartmouth College, the I-word shall be banned. There is no room for hateful language at Dartmouth. Words matter and hurt, and thus we must choose them carefully.

Other institutions such as the the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of California, Los Angeles have banned the use of the I-word. Major news outlets like the Associated Press, USA Today, LA Times, and the San Francisco Chronicle have dropped the I-word. It is time Dartmouth drops the I-word and move towards a civil tone in public discourse.

As one of the few institutions of higher learning in this country to accept undocumented students and offer financial aid, Dartmouth can become an agent of change that is truly committed to its mission of diversity and educating the most promising students. We must use language that is reflective of Dartmouth values. Undocumented students are part of the Dartmouth community. They exist. They are human.

We are Dartmouth.

 

March 31st, 2014

1] Adapted from: https://www.raceforward.org/practice/tools/drop-i-word-campaign and http://colorlines.com/droptheiword/