President Obama climbed aboard Air Force One Saturday for his first trip to Vietnam and his fourth to Japan, knowing that he’d left America a better place. Not only did he squeeze in more than four hours of golf — he also signed Rep. Grace Meng’s bill removing the “derogatory and outdated” word Oriental from U.S. law.
The bill to modernize legal language was a true bipartisan effort, passing both the House and Senate unanimously.
Breaking News: President #Obama signs my bill to remove the derogatory & outdated term “Oriental” from U.S. law. https://t.co/MequQGqPYT 1/3
— Grace Meng (@RepGraceMeng) May 20, 2016
My legislation replaces “Oriental” with “#Asian Americans.” Thanks to @POTUS for signing my bill & making it the law of the land! 2/3
— Grace Meng (@RepGraceMeng) May 20, 2016
President #Obama signed my bill during #AsianPacificAmericanHeritageMonth! 3/3 @POTUS
— Grace Meng (@RepGraceMeng) May 20, 2016
In a press release, Meng acknowledged that “many Americans may not be aware that the word ‘Oriental’ is derogatory” but assured the public that it is both insulting and offensive.
In addition, American Indian, Eskimo, and Aleut, as well as “Spanish speaking individual of Spanish descent” in U.S. law will be replaced by Native American, Alaska Native, and Hispanic. The terms Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander will be added, and Puerto Ricans will remain Puerto Ricans.
My top priority is defeating #ISIS -Obama Signs Bill Removing Words 'Negro' and 'Oriental' from Laws https://t.co/AF72EKIWd5
— Andrew Malcolm (@AHMalcolm) May 21, 2016
@Mediaite depends what your definition of ISIS is
— Tony (@tonytee33) May 21, 2016
Waiting on Obama to pressure the NAACP to rename themselves the "National Association for the Advancement of Cosmopolitan People"
— BP ? (@PeckPolitics) May 21, 2016
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As an added bonus, African American will officially replace the word Negro in U.S. law, although the n-word will still be fair game at private sector events like “Negro Night,” formerly known as the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, where it will remain simultaneously considered hilarious and deeply respectful, at least until next year’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
Social justice warriors remain free to refer to the entirely of the world’s oppressed as “black and brown people.” For example:
https://twitter.com/Niayla_S/status/730580920193953792
The federal modernization of the language is happening quickly. Earlier this month, the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs did away with terms like offender and felon in favor of “person who committed a crime” and “individual who was incarcerated” in order to “decouple” the person who committed a crime from his or her past actions.
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