Talk:Operation Wetback

This is the talk page for discussing improvements to the Operation Wetback article.
This is not a forum for general discussion of the article's subject.

Put new text under old text. Click here to start a new topic.
New to Wikipedia? Welcome! Learn to edit; get help.

Article policies

Find sources: Google (books · news · scholar · free images · WP refs) · FENS · JSTOR · TWL

Archives: 1: 12 months

United States: Arizona / Hispanic and Latino / Mexican-Americans / Texas High‑importance

	United States portal This article is within the scope of WikiProject United States, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of topics relating to the United States of America on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the ongoing discussions. Template Usage Articles Requested! Become a Member Project Talk Alerts United StatesWikipedia:WikiProject United StatesTemplate:WikiProject United StatesUnited States articles
High	This article has been rated as High-importance on the project's importance scale.
	Arizona portal This article is supported by WikiProject Arizona (assessed as High-importance).
	Hispanic and Latino Americans portal This article is supported by the Hispanic and Latino Americans task force (assessed as High-importance).
	This article is supported by the Mexican-American task force (assessed as High-importance).
	Texas portal This article is supported by WikiProject Texas (assessed as High-importance).

California High‑importance

	California portal This article is within the scope of WikiProject California, a collaborative effort to improve the coverage of the U.S. state of California on Wikipedia. If you would like to participate, please visit the project page, where you can join the discussion and see a list of open tasks.CaliforniaWikipedia:WikiProject CaliforniaTemplate:WikiProject CaliforniaCalifornia articles
High	This article has been rated as High-importance on the project's importance scale.

Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 24 August 2021 and 10 December 2021. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Seththrowgen. Peer reviewers: SamPopham00.

Above undated message substituted from Template:Dashboard.wikiedu.org assignment by PrimeBOT (talk) 05:45, 17 January 2022 (UTC)[reply]

"Successfully"

The use of the word "Successfully" implies a positive outcome was reached through this racist practice, and should likely be removed in order to avoid the appearance of support for such programs. Thank you.—Preceding unsigned comment added by 130.86.148.14 (talk • contribs)

The word “success” implies no value judgements, only the achievement of a stated objective. —Wiki Wikardo 18:22, 7 August 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I would argue to look at the number of actual undocumented workers deported and the number of U.S. citizens deported. These workers weren't allowed to collect final wages or even tell their families they were being deported. Cathoos (talk) 03:44, 9 March 2008 (UTC)Cathoos[reply]

While that might be true, what does that have to do with the word "successfully?" 71.204.49.76 (talk) 01:45, 7 May 2008 (UTC)[reply]

I would want to have more about U.S. Citizens deported by accident. How? The article could use expansion here. Sob stories about illegals not being allowed to tell anyone they were being deported etc. should be toned down, though. That's the price of crime. 76.184.52.41 (talk) 07:37, 22 January 2016 (UTC)[reply]

“Wetback”

This is a very offensive term and shows the racism that existed in the government. I think it was term used more so in the past because almost no one I know uses that term. Cathoos (talk) 03:27, 9 March 2008 (UTC)Cathoos[reply]

OK, I’m altering the article accordingly—it is kind of a difficult term to pin down in one sentence, because it is used, come to think of it, to refer to recently arrived-seeming Latino immigrants—it’s even been used by Norteños to refer to their southern bretheren. Given its history, I’d be surprised to hear it in New York to refer to a Puerto Rican here illegally. But since it’s rarely used by people who’ve actually recently run a check into a person’s legal status, and only then fastidiously applied after a careful review of the facts, I will concede it’s not used to refer exclusively to illegal aliens. —Hey, Wiki!

"Puerto Rican here illegally" As far as I know any Puerto Rican can live in the US legally, and travel under a US passport. I do not believe the slur 'Wetback' is normally applied to Puerto Ricans. Note that Puerto Ricans did not cross the Rio Grand and are not stereotyped as doing agricultural work, so the origins of the slur 'wetback' would not apply to them. Puerto Ricans are subjected to a unique set of slurs (see West Side Story) originating in New York City.

Doesn't the "wet" refer exclusively to to sweat? If it referred to crossing the river wouldn't it be 'wetpants'?

Actually, here in Texas, its heard. Not often, and as a racial slur, but it is heard, mainly in the southwest US. Leobold1 (talk) 17:17, 21 March 2008 (UTC)[reply]

how could it show proof the gov was racist, when the term wasn't derogatory back then? It was named literaly after the source of the term and just stuck in a way that it became racist over time due to usage. It would be like saying in ten years the term illegal immigrant is racist. Oh wait, there are already people doing just that. Get it? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 160.109.98.44 (talk) 16:51, 10 May 2010 (UTC)[reply]

A term that reduces a nation of people to a portion of their anatomy wasn't derogatory in 1954? You may wish to rethink that. Bustter (talk) 07:16, 25 September 2012 (UTC)[reply]

It's the same way that mongoloid, cretin, and retard were not derogatory names when first introduced. Stop with the retroactive PC. C6541 (Talk ↔ Contribs) 22:30, 30 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

see Wikipedia:Offensive material. See also [1]. Wtmitchell (talk) (earlier Boracay Bill) 01:48, 31 March 2013 (UTC)[reply]

"Wetback" was not an ethnic slur as originally used. It was a slang term use to describe a certain type of lawbreaker, the illegal entrant from Mexico; similar to other slang terms such as "dip" for pickpocket, etc.. The slur came to applying it to all persons of Mexican origin. It is only racist as such to people who think all laws restricting immigration are racist in principle.

A future effort to deport Mexican illegals could easily be called "Wetback II", without any ethnic slur. 76.184.52.41 (talk) 07:46, 22 January 2016 (UTC)[reply]

Worthless Graph

The graph is totally worthless without any title or labels. Is it showing the number of immigrants returned, accepted, their caloric intake, kilometers traveled, peanuts per liter at whatever temperature Kelvin? 161.97.25.32 (talk) 19:43, 18 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]

The file content says it's "returns and removals", so I added that to the caption. —ADavidB 16:39, 19 October 2019 (UTC)[reply]

Wiki Education assignment: Adding Immigrants Quantitative Sources for Latinx Immigration History

This article was the subject of a Wiki Education Foundation-supported course assignment, between 17 January 2022 and 6 May 2022. Further details are available on the course page. Student editor(s): Imsotired2025 (article contribs).

Wikipedia Ambassador Program course assignment

This article is the subject of an educational assignment at Boston College supported by the Wikipedia Ambassador Program during the 2013 Q1 term. Further details are available on the course page.

The above message was substituted from {{WAP assignment}} by PrimeBOT (talk) on 15:54, 2 January 2023 (UTC)[reply]

"Operation Dryfront" listed at Redirects for discussion

The redirect Operation Dryfront has been listed at redirects for discussion to determine whether its use and function meets the redirect guidelines. Readers of this page are welcome to comment on this redirect at Wikipedia:Redirects for discussion/Log/2024 September 28 § Operation Dryfront until a consensus is reached. Jay 💬 18:19, 28 September 2024 (UTC)[reply]

Consequences section to be expanded to include economic consequences

Surely there were either positive or negative economic consequences from this?

Can someone add details please 46.126.111.250 (talk) 08:28, 30 October 2024 (UTC)[reply]