A search for acceptance: An undocumented student lives in limbo
By TOVIN LAPAN
Posted: 01/23/2011 01:30:52 AM PST

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/ci_17172444

Xochitlquetzal hates the words "illegal" and "alien," especially when they're side by side.

"It's dehumanizing this idea that a person can be illegal,' and by calling someone an alien you label them as an other,' as not human," the UC Santa Cruz student said.

[...]

None of this is surprising when Xochitlquetzal stares with large, dark, emotive eyes and begins to tell the story of growing up in California an undocumented immigrant and transgender.

Guess I'm weird as I don't see illegal nor alien to be dehumanizing unless you watch too much sci-fi. One just says outside the law the other is non native.