Jesse Jackson and others have expressed that using the term "refugees" to
describe evacuees is "linguistic racism."
They have argued that "refugee" somehow implies that the displaced storm
victims, many of whom are black,
are second-class citizens - or not even Americans.
But the Webster's New World Dictionary defines it more broadly as "a person
who flees from home or country
to seek refuge elsewhere, as in a time of war or of political or religious
persection."
Main Entry:refugee one that flees,
especially : a person who flees to a foreign country or power to escape
danger or persecution.
.
=================================================================================================Others have countered that the terms "evacuees" or even "displaced" are tooclinical and not sufficiently dramatic to convey the dire situation thatconfronts many of Katrina's survivors. Main Entry:clinical : analytical orcoolly dispassionate *a clinical attitude* Main Entry:displace : to removefrom the usual or proper place; specifically : to expel or force to fleefrom home or homeland *displaced persons* b : to remove from an office,status, or job c obsolete : to drive out : BANISH Main Entry:Evacuee :anevacuated person Main Entry:flee: to run away often from danger or evil :FLY b : to hurry toward a placeof security================================================================================================= Columnist William Safire, who writes the weekly "OnLanguage" column forThe New York Times Magazine, said he did not see how theterm "refugee" had any racial implications. "A refugee can be a person ofany race at all," he said. "A refugee is a person who seeks refuge." MainEntry:refuge: shelter or protection from danger or distress 2 : a place thatprovides shelter or protection 3 something to which one has recourse indifficulty.================================================================================================= Use of the Word 'Refugee' Stirs Debate Published:9/6/05 NEW YORK (AP) - What do you call people who have been driven fromtheir homes with only the clothes on their backs, unsure if they will everbe able to return, and forced to build a new life in a strange place? Newsorganizations are struggling for the right word. Many, including TheAssociated Press, have used "refugee" to describe those displaced by thewrath of Hurricane Katrina. But the choice has stirred anger among somereaders and other critics, particularly in the black community. They haveargued that "refugee" somehow implies that the displaced storm victims, manyof whom are black, are second-class citizens - or not even Americans. "It isracist to call American citizens refugees," the Rev. Jesse Jackson said,visiting the Houston Astrodome on Monday. Members of the Congressional BlackCaucus have expressed similar sentiments. Others have countered that theterms "evacuees" or even "displaced" are too clinical and not sufficientlydramatic to convey the dire situation that confronts many of Katrina'ssurvivors. President Bush, who has spent days trying to deflect criticismthat he responded sluggishly to the disaster, weighed in on Tuesday. "Thepeople we're talking about arenot refugees," he said. "They are Americansand they need the help and love and compassion of our fellow citizens."The1951 U.N. Refugee Convention describes a refugee as someone who has fledacross an international border to escape violence or persecution. But theWebster's New World Dictionary defines it more broadly as "a person whoflees from home or country to seek refuge elsewhere, as in a time of war orof political or religious persecution." The criticism has led several newsorganizations to ban the word in their Katrina coverage. Among them are TheWashington Post, The Miami Herald and The Boston Globe. "A number ofpeople - from officials speaking publicly to colleagues here - said the term`refugees' appeared to imply that people displaced from New Orleans ...wereother than Americans," Leonard Downie Jr., the Post's executive editor,wrote in an e-mail to his staff.At the Herald, said executive editor TomFiedler, "it began to feel odd, describing people huddled in New Orleans'convention center as refugees. It felt inadequateto the situation. ... Itwasn't as precise as `evacuees.'" And CNN has advised producers that"evacuee" is a better word, said spokeswoman Christa Robinson. The AP andThe New York Times are among those continuing to use the word where it isdeemed appropriate. "The AP is using the term `refugee' where appropriate tocapture the sweep and scope of the effects of this historic natural disasteron a vast number of ourcitizens," said Executive Editor K
athleen Carroll."Several hundred thousand people have beenuprooted from their homes andcommunities and forced to seek refuge in more than 30 different statesacross America. Until such time as they are able to take up new lives intheir new communities or return to their former homes, they will berefugees." The Times was adhering to a similar policy. "We have not bannedthe word `refugee,'" said spokeswoman Catherine Mathis. "We have used italong with `evacuee,' `survivor,' `displaced' and various other terms thatfit what our reporters are seeing on the ground. Webster's defines a refugeeas a person fleeing `home or country' in search of refuge, and it certainlydoes justice to the suffering legions driven from their homes by Katrina."Columnist William Safire, who writes the weekly "On Language" column forTheNew York Times Magazine, said he did not see how the term "refugee" had anyracial implications. "A refugee can be a person of any race at all," hesaid. "A refugee is a person who seeks refuge." He first suggested using theterm "hurricane refugees." After thinking it over, though, he said he wouldprobably simply use "flood victims," to avoid any political connotationsthat the word "refugee" may have taken on in the current debate.
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