Part 1 of Charting New Paths: Understanding and Support for Migrant and Undocumented Youth, May 2024

On Language

Throughout this toolkit, we center young people who are undocumented with an unapologetic affirmation of their dignity and personhood. Mindful of longstanding historical narratives, we use different terms aware that the best way to describe someone is how they describe themselves. 

Commonly Used Terms 

• Illegal, alien, or illegal alien: a term often used by government agencies and political organizations to talk about foreign born people who migrate into the United States illegally. A person-centered alternative is undocumented immigrant.
• Undocumented: the status of a migrant or immigrant without legal documentation.
• Migrant: There are many different definitions for migrant. For this document, we understand migrants as an individual who is living outside of their country of origin. 
• Immigrant: a person who moves to a country and plans to stay permanently
• Unaccompanied minors: Youth under age 18 who come to the U.S. without an accompanying parent or guardian. The term “unaccompanied” in this context refers to their immigration status.
• DREAMer/DREAM Act: The Development Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act or DREAM Act is not an act since it has never been passed into law. Still, this bill allowed for a conversation centering Dreamers, undocumented children, and youth who have no pathway to legal residence or citizenship. 
• DACA: The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA program is a limited (and controversial) executive order deferring action of deportation of undocumented immigrants who arrived as minors. While it does not grant a pathway to legal residence or citizenship, DACA recipients are protected from deportation and are granted work authorization in 2-year permits. 
• TPS: Temporary Protected Status provides temporary immigration status to individuals living in certain countries facing armed conflict, natural disasters, or other extraordinary conditions. 
• ELL/ELD: English Language Learner/English Language Development, terms often assigned to newcomer students within education and school-based settings
• SIJ: Special Immigrant Juvenile Status helps certain undocumented youth obtain legal immigration status. Look at pages 4-9 of this introduction and overview. 
• LPR: Legal Permanent Resident
• Refugees: People who have fled their home country due to fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion and are not in the U.S. while they are going through the initial immigration process.
• Asylees: Refugees who are in the U.S. when going through the initial immigration process.
• Parolees: People who receive temporary legal status to enter the U.S. due to urgent humanitarian or significant public benefit reasons. Typically, they are not eligible for the same kinds of services as a refugee.