Jeb Bush says there's nothing wrong with the term 'anchor babies'

(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

last updated 21 August 2015

Breaking rank with an organization that he helped launch, Jeb Bush told reporters on Thursday that he doesn't think the term "anchor babies" is offensive.

"Do you have a better term?" he asked. "You give me a better term and I'll use it." One person willing to share some suggestions was Hillary Clinton, who tweeted, "How about 'babies,' 'children,' or 'American citizens.'"

"Anchor babies" has been used to refer to people who come to the U.S. without documents and give birth so their child can have citizenship. The Hispanic Leadership Network, a group working to increase support for the GOP among Latino voters, has told Republican lawmakers discussing immigration reform to avoid terms like "anchor babies," "illegals," and "aliens." Bush helped launch the organization, The Washington Post reports, and is still listed on its website as a member of the national advisory board.

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Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

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