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Immigrant
Also written: Immigrant, Immigrants
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At a glance
Source-by-source
“Use the word “immigrant” with great care, not only because it is often incorrectly used to describe people who were born in the reported country, but also because it has been used negatively for so many years.”
SumOfUs treats 'immigrant' as a usable but easily-misapplied term: it cautions writers to use it carefully because it is frequently applied incorrectly to people born in the country being reported on, and because the word has carried negative connotations. The guide's broader frame favors presuming innocence and centering individual stories over group labels.
“Never use the term “illegal” to describe a person. If a person lacks legal permission to live or work in the U.S., you can refer to them as an “undocumented” immigrant or someone with a complex immigration status.”
Sierra Club uses 'immigrant' freely as the base term, with its appropriate-terms list carrying compounds like 'children of immigrants' and 'undocumented immigrant.' Its caution is narrower: never attach 'illegal' to a person, and watch how 'migrant,' 'ex-pat,' and 'American' are selectively applied. The guide notes the organization's own history of internal anti-immigrant organizing as the reason it holds itself to a high standard here.
“Similar to reporting about a person's race, mentioning that a person is a first-generation immigrant could be used to provide readers or viewers with background information, but the relevancy of using the term should be made apparent in the story.”
The Diversity Style Guide treats 'immigrant' as acceptable but applies a relevancy test analogous to its rule on race: only flag someone's immigrant status when it materially advances the story, and make that relevance explicit. It adds that a source's undocumented status should be discussed among source, reporter, and editors because of deportation risk.
“Immigrant: A person who migrates to another country, usually for permanent residence. The United States is home to more than 45 million immigrants, roughly 14 percent of its population. (U.S. Census)”
Define American defines 'immigrant' neutrally as a person who migrates to another country for permanent residence, and frames its whole guide around humanizing immigrants as individuals rather than a monolith. It distinguishes immigrant from related statuses (non-immigrant, migrant, migrant worker, refugee, asylum seeker) so writers pick the precise term rather than flattening everyone into one category.
Synthesis
“Immigrant” is an accepted base term across the corpus. The disagreement is not about whether to use it, but about precision and relevance. Define American, the chapter’s dedicated source, gives it a neutral definition (“a person who migrates to another country, usually for permanent residence”), and Sierra Club uses it freely throughout its guide. The two sources that file it under “use with care,” SumOfUs and the Diversity Style Guide, are guarding against two specific misuses. SumOfUs warns that “immigrant” is frequently misapplied to people born in the country being reported on, and that it has carried negative connotations for years. The Diversity Style Guide applies a relevancy test borrowed from its rule on race: flag someone’s immigrant status only when it materially advances the story, and make that relevance explicit.
The sources put most of their attention on the modifiers, not the noun. The recurring instruction is about what you attach to “immigrant” (never “illegal”; “undocumented” when status is relevant and confirmed) and whether status belongs in the story at all. The Diversity Style Guide adds a caution that recurs in this chapter: discuss a source’s undocumented status among the source, reporter, and editors before publishing, because disclosure carries deportation risk.
The chronology is one of refinement, not reversal. SumOfUs (2016) already named the word’s baggage and its frequent misapplication; the 2021–2024 guides settle on “use it, but be precise and relevant.” Define American’s framework distinguishes “immigrant” from migrant, migrant worker, refugee, asylum seeker, and non-immigrant, so writers reach for the accurate term instead of a single flattening label.
Audience notes
- Journalists and editors. Apply a relevancy test: name someone’s immigrant or undocumented status only when it advances the story, and raise a source’s undocumented status with editors before publishing, given the deportation risk (Diversity Style Guide).
- Advocates and internal comms. Center the individual’s circumstance over the group label. “Immigrant” can flatten or politicize, so name the specific status or story where you can (SumOfUs, Define American).
- Precision over catch-all. Immigrant, migrant, migrant worker, refugee, and asylum seeker are not interchangeable. The accurate term is almost always the better one.
Related terms