A few days ago, my nephew had an argument with a classmate about the meaning of the word alien. The argument started when someone asked what alien means. My nephew said it means people who come from other countries and want to become residents of America. His friend laughed at him and said that he didn’t know what he was talking about and that aliens meant people from other planets. Why on earth would people from Earth be called aliens?

My nephew didn’t argue further but came back home and asked me why I said that I was called an alien.

I explained to him that the USCIS (US Citizen and immigration Services) and the IRS (Internal Revenue Service) refers to legal immigrants and non-immigrants as “Aliens.” We are either ‘aliens in transit’ or ‘aliens with extraordinary abilities.’ We are given ‘alien registration numbers’ for biometric exams and we apply for ‘alien visas’ for family members. We file taxes as ‘resident aliens’ or ‘nonresident aliens.’

So I explained to my nephew, that even though I am not from Mars or Venus, I are not green or squishy, or being hunted down by Sigourney Weaver, I am still a nonresident alien. Means I am one of those people who are trying to legally work in the United States, obey its laws and pay their taxes, contribute to the economy with their ‘exceptional alien abilities,’ and hoping to become permanent residents.

So even though it amuses me to be referred as an alien, for the sake of my nephew, I would humbly request to be called a nonimmigrant, or a resident status hopeful, or simply a foreigner.

Alien makes me feel like I am going to start short-circuiting and spewing goop all over the place.