School Board Member Chastised Over “Anchor Babies”

An elected official in southern California has been asked to resign for referring to the American-born children of illegal immigrants as “anchor babies,” a derogatory and dehumanizing term, according to the Latino rights advocates calling for the ouster.

The Fontana Unified School District member, Kathy Binks, used the term during a recent board meeting, igniting fury among the area’s immigration advocates who quickly accused the veteran trustee of denigrating the offspring of illegal aliens. Binks has served in the public school district, located about 50 miles east of Los Angeles, for more than two decades and is known as a dedicated child advocate.

During a recent meeting a fellow school board member (Barbara Chavez), who is a renowned Latino rights advocate, complained that the district somehow treats the children of illegal aliens like immigrants even though they’re American citizens by birth. Chavez said it irritates her because the children are American and “this is their world, this is their country.”

Here is where the “highly offensive” comment from Binks comes in. Acknowledging Chavez’s remarks, Binks said: “Oh, I know that, they’re anchor babies.” Accusing Binks of being racially insensitive, the area’s influential immigration advocates have posted the exchange on YouTube and called for her resignation.  

The president of the local chapter of a national group dedicated to combating discrimination against Mexicans (League of United Latin American Citizens or LULAC) said he was “appalled” and “aghast” that such comments are still being used, pointing out that “we’re all sort of anchor babies no matter what country we came from.”

Binks has apologized but refuses to end her lengthy career in education over a phrase that is widely accepted to identify kids born in this country to those who live in it illegally. She has, however, agreed to work with a community program that promotes tolerance and compassion.