Definition Essay: Other

While 'other' is defined by Merriam-Webster's Dictionary as being “not the same”, the word may

be interpreted as having additional meanings in relation to how immigrants are treated within the

United States. 'Other' may be defined as not included, not part of the whole, not accepted, not

good; or in other words, the way the United States has historically treated immigrants. Being an

'other' is more than just not being the same, it is a feeling of isolation and seclusion, a feeling of

being out of place, a feeling of not being like everyone else. To be one of the 'others' is to be an

outsider.

Why does the word 'other' bring up such negative connotations? Socially speaking, humans work

best in groups, as we are social animals. The term ‘other’ implies that one is not part of the

group, that one is outside the group and thus not accepted. To be an ‘other’ is to be different, and

to be different is unacceptable. This holds true even in the United States, in spite of the words

inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty, "Give me your tired, your poor,/Your huddled

masses yearning to breathe free" (Lazarus). These lines suggest that the United States has a much

more receptive attitude toward immigrants than what it actually does, in fact, the country has a

past of ostracizing those of different cultures and beliefs. For instance, according to David

Newman Irish immigrants have been described as “more like tribes of squalid apes than human

beings.” In this case the Irish are viewed as subhuman, animal, an 'other' in the most extreme

sense of the word.

The online Etymology Dictionary lists a couple phrases that the word 'other' is classically used

in, such as “the other woman” being the woman with whom a man is having an affair.

Additionally, “the other half” is used to describe either the rich or the poor, depending on which
category you fall into. In the first example, the word has a far more negative connotation, since

the obvious implication is ‘the other woman’ shouldn’t exist at all. The synonym 'unnecessary'

comes to mind. The second example is not quite so negative, however the word suggests

opposites, two groups of people who traditionally would not associate with one another,

implying a separation.

'Outsider' is another word which may be strongly associated with ‘other’. From this we pick up

on a sense of not belonging, not being part of the whole, being a secondary member of society.

For example, in the novel Lucy by Jamaica Kincaid, when Dinah first meets Lucy she asks her

“So you are from the islands?” Lucy is upset by this because she recognizes that Dinah sees her

only as a foreigner, an outsider, someone different to be categorized with everyone else who is

unusual in her eyes. In many ways this makes her feel dehumanized, dropped into a

conglomerate of 'other' races.

Why do we feel the need to categorize people? Why must someone always be, the 'other'?

Newman quotes Rothenberg by saying “Our brains have a tendency to divide the world into

distinct categories: good and bad, strong and weak, them and us.” So in a sense, the reason we

behave in this manner is psychological. The definition of the word other may be extended to

include the psychological need of people to categorize others. Of course, this does not excuse

stereotyping. Rather, it helps society to be better aware of our social tendencies so that we might

avoid such actions.

The word 'other' can be redefined to include the manner in which it impacts immigrants in the

United States and our cultural stereotypes we have of them. It has developed negative

connotations which reflect the attitude of this country. The history of the word is reflected
through old clichés, and conclusions about the psychological reasons for why we stereotype can

be incorporated as well. Overall, the word 'other' can be extrapolated out to effectively define the

troubles faced by immigrants in the United States.

Works Cited

1. Kinkaid, Jamaica. Lucy. New York:

Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1990.

2. Newman, David M. “Racial/Ethnic Identities.” Identities and Inequalities: Exploring the

Intersections of Race, Class, Gender and Sexuality. New York: McGraw-Hill,

2007. 40-45.

3. “The New Colossus” September 2009

<http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/LIBERTY/lazaruspoem.html>