# Is "Anchor Baby" an offensive term? Why or why not? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 22, 2015, 7:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511 "2015-08-22T07:16:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/62 "2015-08-23T04:17:35Z")
Truth can be negative. I didn’t say they were lies or biased. I said they weren’t neutral statements. Even truthfulness isn’t the issue. The question is of offensiveness. I can call someone fat and ugly, and it may be truthful, but it’s also offensive. So even if I stipulated to the truthful aspect ( which I disagree with), doesn’t negate the offensiveness of attaching such a term to a child. > [@Habeed](#): > > Those statements are truthful. > > 1. You can’t get through the border openly, armed guards will send you away. You can’t get through the border via force/violence, those armed guards will shoot back/call for backup from the military. You have to use stealth or deception. > > 2. When the framers of the constitution used terms like natural born, they were thinking that a person who was raised within the United States is inherently more trustworthy than an immigrant from Europe. That’s why the President has to be natural born, etc. If you sneak into the country illegal, and someone is born from the parents of a trespasser, they are only “natural born” in that the law literally means that being born within a certain region of the globe qualifies. It doesn’t make any practical sense whatsoever and should never have been used this way, since someone can be born in the USA, stay long enough for a piece of paper to be signed documenting this, then raised and groomed as an agent of a foreign power for the next 30 years of their life, til they show up again wanting all the rights as a citizen. > > 3. Trespassing is being present somewhere unlawfully, willfully and knowingly, bypassing a fence, etc. All true for an illegal immigrant. > I find the truth to be an absolute defense against charges of bias. But you can conclude what you want and live in your PC world of lies if you like. ---
**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/63 "2015-08-23T04:20:18Z")
(the reason we call a mis-statement/lie “politically correct” is that the equivalent to a Soviet political officer - various busybodies - demands that you say something that way. Truthful statements we don’t call PC, we just call them correct…) The inverse of the truth is a lie. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/64 "2015-08-23T04:23:44Z")
> [@Habeed](#): > > (the reason we call a mis-statement/lie “politically correct” is that the equivalent to a Soviet political officer - various busybodies - demands that you say something that way. Truthful statements we don’t call PC, we just call them correct…) The inverse of the truth is a lie. That is absoutely untrue. how is calling someone disabled any less true than a gimp? Developmentally delayed less true than an idiot? It’s the use of language in such a way that remains respectful and letting the person being described determine what respect looks like, not someone else who thinks they know better. Crazy thought, I know. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/65 "2015-08-23T04:28:38Z")
> [@Habeed](#): > > You can’t get through the border openly, armed guards will send you away. A large number of people who are illegally present in the United States did in fact get through the border openly, and were admitted by those armed guards. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/66 "2015-08-23T04:34:30Z")
And there are a large number of non-citizens here legally. Should they be deported for getting pregnant? ---
**Author:** ![Quimby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/22d042/32.png) [@Quimby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quimby)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/67 "2015-08-23T16:09:22Z")
As usual with these kind of discussions, people get either pedantic or willfully ignorant or both. Listen to how the term is used by the people who use it and tell me it isn’t used as a slur. ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/68 "2015-08-23T16:30:00Z")
If you are an illegal alien and they come to deport you and you say “but wait, I have a baby born here in the USA, can I still stay?”…well you got yourself an anchor baby despite any planing or not regarding you previous pregnancy. If you say “my bad, I guess we’ll all go back to where we came from” then you don’t have an anchor baby. Anchor baby is like thug or “you people”. It can be offensive depending on the use and the intent of the use. But it can also be used to describe exactly what it means and any offense taken is because some people don’t like the truth pointed out. And BTW…anchor babies don’t hold for shit in coral. Rip right apart they do. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/69 "2015-08-23T18:38:12Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > If you are an illegal alien and they come to deport you and you say “but wait, I have a baby born here in the USA, can I still stay?”…well you got yourself an anchor baby despite any planing or not regarding you previous pregnancy. Even if the answer is no? i don’t know why it isn’t sinking in that this doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Habeed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a587f6/32.png) [@Habeed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Habeed)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/70 "2015-08-23T18:42:47Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > If you are an illegal alien and they come to deport you and you say “but wait, I have a baby born here in the USA, can I still stay?”…well you got yourself an anchor baby despite any planing or not regarding you previous pregnancy. > > If you say “my bad, I guess we’ll all go back to where we came from” then you don’t have an anchor baby. Or you choose to release the anchor… ---
**Author:** ![billfish678](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7bcc69/32.png) [@billfish678](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/billfish678)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/71 "2015-08-23T19:17:09Z")
> [@DigitalC](#): > > Even if the answer is no? i don’t know why it isn’t sinking in that this doesn’t work. There are several aspects to this. Does the parent think/hope this will work? If yes then its a anchor baby of one sort. If its EVER even a consideration for immigration services for whether the parent/parents are allowed to stay then in those cases its an anchor baby of another sort. If some fellow humans consider sending the parents back even with their american citizen child something not so good then its an anchor baby of yet another sort. They may be rare, they may be not so rare, they may exist under different legal/moral/social constructs. But the concept and definition aren’t some random made up shit that makes no sense. ---
**Author:** ![DigitalC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ebca7d/32.png) [@DigitalC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DigitalC)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/72 "2015-08-23T20:43:56Z")
> [@billfish678](#): > > There are several aspects to this. > > Does the parent think/hope this will work? If yes then its a anchor baby of one sort. > > If its EVER even a consideration for immigration services for whether the parent/parents are allowed to stay then in those cases its an anchor baby of another sort. > > If some fellow humans consider sending the parents back even with their american citizen child something not so good then its an anchor baby of yet another sort. > > They may be rare, they may be not so rare, they may exist under different legal/moral/social constructs. > > But the concept and definition aren’t some random made up shit that makes no sense. So basically the moment anyone at all thought of the concept of anchor babies they became a thing even if it is not a real thing, gotcha. ---
**Author:** ![Rushgeekgirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rushgeekgirl/32/3715_2.png) [@Rushgeekgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rushgeekgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/73 "2015-08-23T21:36:12Z")
I can assure you all that having an “anchor baby” doesn’t make it any less likely that you’ll be deported. Even if that child has a diagnosed disability. Two years of fighting while my Mig was detained and having him deported without any appeal process proves that more than any personal beliefs you all might have about “loopholes”. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 9:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/74 "2015-08-23T21:54:13Z")
Anchor Baby is right up there with Welfare Queen. It’s a concept that people predisposed to think the worst grab onto despite virtually no evidence that it’s actually a problem. ---
**Author:** ![eclectic\_wench](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ac91a4/32.png) [@eclectic\_wench](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eclectic_wench)\ **Post date:** [August 23, 2015, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/75 "2015-08-23T22:04:12Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > I disagree. I never said that this was an assault on the _First Amendment_. I said it was an assault on _free speech_. Whenever some person or group tries to tell you “you can’t say that!” they are attempting to put limits on your ability to speak freely, using shame, thuggery, and intimidation, in order to control the narrative. Fortunately, the government has limited ability to do this, or we’d all be fucked. No. Free speech has a very specific meaning. Again, it doesn’t mean ‘I get to say whatever I want and no one gets to call me on it’. When you claim it does, you’re belittling the very important concept of \*actual \*free speech, and the struggles of people who fight for it and who have been imprisoned, tortured and killed in the course of that fight. Free speech also doesn’t work in only one direction. It means that a) the government will not stop you using the term ‘anchor baby’ as much as you want, and b) the government will not stop anyone from saying that you’re being a dick for using the term ‘anchor baby’. ---
**Author:** ![slash2k](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@slash2k](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slash2k)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/76 "2015-08-24T02:40:28Z")
> [@elfkin477](#): > > Except for the 250,000 turned back at Ellis Island, that is. That 250,000 covers the entire span of Ellis Island’s existence (to 1954) and was but a small fraction (about two percent) of the 12 million who came through during that period. Moreover, those turned back were mostly those who _couldn’t_ walk off the ship (because of disability) or had other incurable health problems, mental retardation, and so forth. There was no application process, no immigrant visas, no procedures to follow for most of America’s history. Beginning in the 1890s, you needed a health certificate proving you were free of communicable disease before you got on the ship; inspectors at Ellis Island could turn you back if you had other physical or mental health problems, but it was still “show up and walk off the ship.” The notion that you had to apply for permission to immigrate is a creation of the 1920s. > [@elfkin477](#): > > And all this talk of babies not being used to anchor their parents here is pretty disingenuous considering that’s exactly who Obama wants to offer amnesty to. If he gets his way, 80% of the people who’ll get to stay in the US are in fact parents of such babies. Under current law, however, and under the law as it has existed since at least the 1960s, babies don’t anchor parents. The law might change in the future, or might not, but it doesn’t work that way now. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 24, 2015, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/77 "2015-08-24T19:09:09Z")
> [@Habeed](#): > > Who owns this country? The descendents of citizens who fought for it and the small number who are let in legally every year or whoever manages to sneak in? Fair question. Why not ask the Native Americans? ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 10:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/78 "2015-08-25T22:56:09Z")
Words and phrases that show ignorance: Anchor Baby Islamofascist Feminazi Voter fraud The Second protects the rest Welfare queen Reverse racism I’m sure there are many more. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/79 "2015-08-25T23:05:24Z")
Voter fraud actually occurs—rather routinely in many countries. This is why international elections observers exist. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tim_r.mortiss/32/142_2.png) [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_R.Mortiss)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2015, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/80 "2015-08-25T23:08:12Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#): > > Fair question. Why not ask the Native Americans? References to Native Americans always make me chuckle, because that can be interpreted two different ways: a) Hey, WE are the ones that snuck in here illegally, so we have no room to criticize the people sneaking in now. b) Look what happened to the Native Americans when THEY didn’t control immigration. We had better learn from history or we are doomed to repeat it. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 26, 2015, 1:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511/81 "2015-08-26T13:24:32Z")
> [@Tim\_R.Mortiss](#): > > References to Native Americans always make me chuckle, because that can be interpreted two different ways: > > a) Hey, WE are the ones that snuck in here illegally, so we have no room to criticize the people sneaking in now. > > b) Look what happened to the Native Americans when THEY didn’t control immigration. We had better learn from history or we are doomed to repeat it. Except the question to which I responded had nothing to do with immigration, per se. It was “Who owns this country?”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-anchor-baby-an-offensive-term-why-or-why-not/728511.md?page=5)