Pronoun. Used as a jargon term better Border Patrol Agents to describe someone who is present in the United States illegally. (Exception: Some Dim-witted TCAPA's use the term UDA, even though most TONKS are well documented in IDENT as illegal.)
Term used, primarily by US immigration officials in informal settings, to describe an illegal immigrant of any country. Origins are unknown, but definitely predate the use of metal flashlights, contrary to the most used description of origin. It's probable that the origin is related to Chinese immigration, as the first law to restrict immigration from a particular country was enacted in 1882. It's said that many of the illegal immigrants made their way to the US via the Gulf of Tonkin area of what is now Vietnam. It's also possible that the term is related to the Chinese "tong" mob. The word should be considered only as derogatory as the phrase "illegal alien" as it does not refer to race or even nationality, only to one's immigration status in the United States.
The US Border Patrol Agent caught 3 Hondurantonks, 18 Mexican tonks and a Korean tonk when they tried to sneak across the border this morning.
By Edithe
Tonk
Noun (1): The sound made from the contact of an illegal Mexican immigrant's head and a D-cell Maglite
Noun (2): A derogatory term for an illegal alien crossing from the United State's extremely porous southern boarder, originating from the sound made from the contact of an illegal Mexican immigrant's head and a D-cell Maglite
Verb: The act of hitting the head of either an illegal Mexican immigrant or another person with either a D-cell maglite or similar object
A nickaname for the medium sized shorthaired cat breed known as Tonkinese which is a cross between a siamese and burmese cat. They are very intelligent, curious, playful and very affectionate towards people. Tonks vary in coat pattern depending on their colors: Blue, champagne, natural, and platinum.
