The Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) was founded in December 1976 as a legislative service organization of the United States House of Representatives. Today, the CHC is organized as a Congressional Member organization, governed under the Rules of the U.S. House of Representatives. The CHC aims to address national and international issues and the impact these policies have on the Hispanic community. The function of the Caucus is to serve as a forum for the Hispanic Members of Congress to coalesce around a collective legislative agenda. The Caucus is dedicated to voicing and advancing, through the legislative process, issues affecting Hispanics in the United States, Puerto Rico, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. Courtesy/CHCCHC News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. ― Tthe Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) has released the following statements denouncing House Republican efforts defending the use of the term “illegal alien.”
In March, The Library of Congress updated its policies to no longer use the term “illegal alien” and instead use “noncitizens” and “unauthorized immigration.” House Republicans are trying to block this change with language in the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill’s committee report. In essence, Republicans want the Library of Congress to continue using the dehumanizing term.
Congressman Joaquin Castro has been leading the fight to eliminate the offensive terminology. The Congressman recently led a Tri-Caucus letter to the House Appropriations Committee, urging the removal of the provision from the bill’s committee report. In October 2015, Rep. Castro also introduced a bill, the Correcting Hurtful and Alienating Names in Government Expression (CHANGE) Act, which would remove the offensive term “alien” from federal law. This week, Rep. Castro introduced two amendments in opposition to the “alien”-related language in the Legislative Branch Appropriations bill committee report.
CHC Chairwoman Linda T. Sánchez: “This effort to defend the use of the term ‘illegal alien’ falls in-line with the hateful, racist rhetoric spewed by the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee. The Library of Congress is correct to leave this phrase behind in the pages of history, especially because we are the model for so many other libraries around the world. This latest Republican attack on the Latino community is despicable and I applaud my colleague, Rep. Castro, for leading the fight against this attack.”
CHC Second Vice Chair Joaquin Castro: “Republicans are using the Legislative Appropriations bill to force the Library of Congress to abandon proposed subject heading changes and continue its use of the disparaging term ‘illegal alien.’ Each year, the Library of Congress makes thousands of changes to its subject headings; in 2015 alone, it added 4,934 new subject headings. Never before has Congress weighed in on the Library of Congress’ subject headings in any way, let alone legislated on the issue. Now, Paul Ryan and House Republicans are poised to make history by for the first time ever interfering in the Library of Congress’ subject headings processes to preserve a prejudicial term that’s particularly offensive to Hispanics. I am very disappointed that the Rules Committee rejected my amendments on this issue, preventing the House of Representatives from engaging in debate on the matter. It’s inappropriate that Republicans are using a funding bill to legislate, and it’s discouraging that they are so adamantly supporting the use of harmful language.”
CHC Whip Ruben Gallego: “It is sad but hardly surprising that House Republicans are once again following Donald Trump’s lead and attempting to block the Library of Congress from using respectful terminology to describe our immigrant communities. Both Democrats and Republicans have long understood that the language we use has powerful implications for the kind of society we live in. We should reject dehumanizing terms like ‘illegal alien,’ and work to promote an America where our differences are celebrated instead of politicized. I urge my Republican colleagues to drop this shameful ploy and finally get to work on the problems that matter to American families.”
Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard: “I am deeply disappointed that the Legislative Branch Appropriations Bill would require the Library of Congress to use the terms ‘alien’ and ‘illegal alien’ in its subject headings. These terms are offensive, outdated, and confusing. They deny a basic measure of human dignity to millions of men, women, and children. As members of Congress and leaders of our communities, it is our responsibility to promote respectful discourse on important issues, including immigration. Removing ‘alien’ and ‘illegal alien’ from Library of Congress usage would be a step towards making our immigration debate more respectful and humane.”
Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez: “Language and the words we choose have power in shaping our dialogue and reflecting our nation’s values. For the Library of Congress to continue using the outdated and dehumanizing term ‘illegal aliens’ would serve only to justify division and hatred against some of our immigrant neighbors. People cannot be ‘illegal’, which is what this hateful term suggests.”
Congresswoman Grace Napolitano: “Terms that are offensive should rightly be removed from law and replaced with language that reflects our true American values of inclusion and integrity. I join my Hispanic Caucus colleagues in strongly denouncing today’s attack by House Republicans, which is an affront to the Latino community and all Americans who deserve better from their elected officials.”
Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez: “The term ‘illegal alien’ is a form of dehumanizing rhetoric and has been used to justify continued discrimination against vulnerable migrant and minority communities. This politically motivated Congressional interference in the process to reform the Library of Congress Subject Headings is unprecedented and insulting.”
Congressman Raúl Grijalva: “The term ‘illegal alien’ is a slur, plain and simple. It has no business in the lexicon of the Library of Congress, or any other institution of the United States federal government. The fact that the Republican Party is trying to force such demeaning and hateful language into official use speaks volumes about their intentions, and about how far removed they are from the immigrant communities that makeup the tapestry of our society.”
Congressman Ben Ray Luján: “House Republicans’ effort to continue the use of a dehumanizing term shows just how clearly the Republican Party is the Party of Trump. In a week that saw House Republicans defend Trump’s racist comments about Federal Judge Gonzalo Curiel, it is disappointing, but not surprising that they are now taking unprecedented steps in order to preserve an offensive term that has no place in our discourse.”
Congressman Tony Cárdenas: “The Library of Congress’ decision to end the use of the term “illegal alien,” is one that exemplifies how far the United States has come as a society. That the Republicans think this is an appropriate use of time and resources is shameful. It is historically unprecedented for Congress to intervene on the decisions of the Library. This only bolsters the hateful and discriminatory rhetoric being used by the Republican presumptive nominee. It’s important that derogatory terms used to identify those who are undocumented are done away with.”