Jillian IlanaMarch 23, 2022Comment

Words Have Power

Jillian IlanaMarch 23, 2022Comment

I remember vividly the first time I was called a the “m” word”.

I was in elementary school, no more than 8 or 9 years old. It must have been during the start of the school day because I remember it happened in the school lobby. An older kid, walking down the hall amongst his friends, points at me and goes, “Oh look, a midget!” I wasn’t given the chance to respond as he kept walking. But, even if I was, I don’t think I would have known what to say as I did not know the word’s definition and history. All I knew is that I was being made fun of and it was probably because I was, and still am, a little person.

I don’t remember if I told my parents or teachers or any adult for that matter. What I do remember is that there were other students and adults around and no one said or did anything. Everyone continued about their day, including me, only I kept hearing the “m” word on repeat in my head as I tried to understand what it meant. Mind you, this was a time where I was aware that I was different, that I was shorter than my friends, but did not identify as disabled.

Midget, the “m” word, as defined by the Cambridge English Dictionary: a very small person; used to describe an object that is much smaller than usual

The “m” word dates back to the 1800s and was used to define entertainers viewed by society as repulsive and disgusting. P.T. Barnum popularized the word when he added General Tom Thumb, Lavinia Warren, and Commodore Nutt to his circus. Over the years, the word became linked to short people on display for entertainment or sport. LPA, when it was founded, was originally called “Midgets of America”. It was then renamed “Midgets and Dwarves of America” before finally becoming “Little People of America”.

The “m” word, unfortunately, is a part of society’s vocabulary. Think about it. Miniature animals are called the “m” word, there is a category in youth sports called “midget”, there are even “midget” candies such as “Tootsie Midget Rolls” and “Midget Gems” (which, as of January 2022, are being re-branded). No other derogatory slur that I can think of, and please, correct me if I’m wrong, is so ingrained into society that people think it is acceptable to say.

It is because of this that the effort of the little person community to abolish the “m” word meets so much resistance. Schools have “midget” mascots - in July of 2021 it was reported that there are 5 schools in the U.S. that still use “midget” as a part of their mascot names.

I remember reading articles about communities who, after being educated by the little people in that area, fought back against changing their school’s mascot to anything other than an “m” word, arguing that their intent is not to be offensive and that they are proud of their history.

As a little person in an average-height world, I am aware of the fact there will always be ignorance. For as long as I can remember I have often been the first, and sometimes, only little person to enter a space and, through what I say and how I act, have to educate those around me. In fact, in that same elementary school where I was first called the “m” word, I performed my first acts of disability advocacy. In first grade, I was invited to speak to a third grade class and read to them the book Thinking Big, which tells the story of a young girl living with dwarfism. In fifth grade, it was suggested by my guidance counselor that I visit my future middle school classmates at a different elementary school and introduce myself to them as they, most likely, have never seen a little person before. I went with my guidance counselor and two of my best friends at the time to each classroom and taught them about myself as if I were giving a school presentation where I, myself, was the exhibit.

Looking back at the incident in the elementary school lobby through the eyes of a 27 year old it is easy to say what should have been done. I should have said something. More importantly, an adult should have said something. There were adults around, adults who, I would think, would recognize a derogatory slur being used, who would certainly recognize when a student was being made fun of. But no one said anything. No one tried to stop the kid and ask him to apologize. No one checked to make sure I was okay. Why? Because I think, like my younger self at the time, no one really understood what the word meant and the impact it has. People now, in 2022, still don’t understand.