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California Removes The Word 'Alien' From All Its State Laws

2021-09-27T13:13:42.779Z


Governor Gavin Newsom affirmed that this word in English that in Spanish means foreigner "is an offensive term for a human being" that has "fostered a divisive and hurtful narrative."


California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law Friday to remove the English word

alien

(which means foreigner in Spanish) from state law, calling the term "offensive to a human being."

The measure will remove that word from all state laws and replace it with terms like immigrant and non-citizen.

In 2015 and 2016 it had been removed from the labor and education codes.

"By changing this term we are ensuring that California law reflects our values,

" Newsom said.


California Gov. Gavin Newsom at a press conference in Oakland, Sept. 15, 2021.Nick Otto / AP

The word

alien

has been used in the United States since at least 1798 as a term to designate people who reside in the country, but are not citizens, as reported by

The Associated Press

news agency

.

Defenders of migrant rights and liberal politicians point out that the word has been used to dehumanize migrants.

[The Government acknowledges that the mistreatment of migrants by agents on horseback evokes systemic racism]

"

The words we use and the language we adopt in our laws are important -

this racist term 'alien' must be removed from California law immediately,"

Assemblywoman Luz Rivas, D-Arleta

, told

The Associated Press

.

Newsom's move comes at a time when various governments and agencies around the country are changing their language to talk about immigration, seeking to be more inclusive.


What will happen to the people who have their asylum cases pending?

Sept.

24, 202100: 31

In April, President Joe Biden ordered federal agencies to stop using the English term

illegal alien.

(illegal alien).

Newsom's move comes amid other efforts to modernize the state's legal language.

Earlier this year,

the governor passed several laws to insert gender-neutral and inclusive language.

California is one of the few states that offers government-funded health insurance to low-income children and some adults living in the country with irregular immigration status.

Newsom also signed laws on Friday clarifying that crimes against people because of their immigration status are hate crimes and that private detention centers in California used to detain immigrants must follow state and local public health orders. 

Source: telemundo

All news articles on 2021-09-27

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