by Rita Baladad
Quick Summary
In response to constituent requests, the Policy and Standards Division of the Library of Congress has investigated the possibility of cancelling or revising the heading, "Illegal aliens." It concluded that the meaning of "Aliens" is often misunderstood and should be revised to "Noncitizens," and that the phrase illegal aliens has become pejorative.
from the Library of Congress:
In response to constituent requests, the Policy and Standards Division of the Library of Congress, which maintains Library of Congress Subject Headings, has investigated the possibility of cancelling or revising the heading Illegal aliens. PSD also explored the possibility of revising the broader term Aliens. It concluded that the meaning of Aliens is often misunderstood and should be revised to Noncitizens, and that the phrase illegal aliens has become pejorative. The heading Illegal aliens will therefore be cancelled and replaced by two headings, Noncitizens and Unauthorized immigration, which may be assigned together to describe resources about people who illegally reside in a country.