Federal library erases term ‘illegal aliens’

The Library of Congress, saying a once-common phrase had become offensive, announced that it will no longer use illegal aliens as a bibliographical term.

The library will now use noncitizens and unauthorized immigration when referring to individuals and the larger phenomenon of people residing in the country illegally. The library called the words more precise as well as less offensive.

The change was prompted by a group of students from Dartmouth College, who urged the Library of Congress to scrap the term. The group — known as CoFIRED, for the Dartmouth Coalition for Immigration Reform, Equality and DREAMers — was assisted by the American Library Association.

Melissa Padilla, a student in her last year at the New Hampshire university, recalls her freshman year, when she “decided to explore (her) identity as an undocumented immigrant.”

While researching the topic, Padilla realized she frequently read the words “illegal alien.” She contacted fellow members of CoFIRED, and they made their appeal to the Library of Congress in 2014. “I think a university should be free of the racist phrases I heard growing up,” she said.

The Library of Congress established the catalog subject heading “aliens, illegal” in 1980 and revised it to “illegal aliens” in 1993.

Although the latter has been heard frequently during the current presidential campaign — along with illegals — it has fallen out of favor in some circles, and the Library of Congress noted the trend in an executive summary released on March 22.

“The phase illegal aliens has taken on a pejorative tone in recent years, and in response, some institutions have determined that they will cease to use it,” the executive summary said. “For example, in April 2014 The Associated Press announced that illegal would not be used as a descriptor for any individual.”

Dennis Hernandez, co-director of CoFIRED, called the library’s action an example for others to follow.

“We are calling on politicians and the news media to continue the precedent set by the Library of Congress,” he said.

Ira Mehlman, media director for the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which advocates stricter enforcement of immigration laws, called the change unnecessary.

“It’s giving in to political correctness,” he said. “‘Illegal alien’ is a proper legal term.”