MIRA staff created this language guide as a community educational resource, not as a legal reference. Language is constantly evolving and used differently by different communities and in different contexts. Please also refer to the language and media guides linked below for deeper understanding and reference.
Context:
There is terminology created by the government and there are terms used by the immigrant community. It is important to understand all terms and consider the context and audience you are speaking to when deciding which term is appropriate to use.
For example, USCIS has a glossary of terms that are important to understand when filling out legal immigration related documents.
With regard to the immigrant community, Define American is an immigrant-led national non-profit media and culture organization. On the Define American website, there is a media reference guide with a glossary, available for download, for all immigrant advocates.
Language is ever changing and there are times when terminology is not agreed upon. With that being said, MIRA has created the following list of the most commonly used terms in immigration and understands that the use of these terms may change over time.
