Two American states have banned state agencies from using the word “alien” to describe undocumented immigrants. The change was enacted into law in California and Colorado and several other states are considering similar legislation. Immigrants and immigrant-rights groups say the use of “alien” especially when combined with “illegal” is dehumanizing and can have a harmful effect on immigration policy. In California, Democratic lawmaker Luz Rivas wrote the bill that replaces use of “alien” in state law descriptions with terms such as “noncitizen” or “immigrant.” Rivas told The Associated Press that she remembered as a child seeing the word alien on her mother’s residency identification. To the government, it meant her mother was not yet a citizen of the United States. But to her, it meant the family did not belong, even though they were going through the naturalization process. “I want other children of immigrants, like me, to not feel the same way I did, that my family did, when we saw the word ‘alien’,” Rivas said.
Title: US States Drop Term ‘Alien’ for Undocumented Immigrants
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/A.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='US States Drop Term Alien for Undocumented Immigrants' data-article-id='5963'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='12333'>Two American states have banned state agencies from using the word “alien” to describe undocumented immigrants.</span> <span data-start-time='12333' data-end-time='24958'>The change was enacted into law in California and Colorado and several other states are considering similar legislation.</span> <span data-start-time='24958' data-end-time='43146'>Immigrants and immigrant-rights groups say the use of “alien” especially when combined with “illegal” is dehumanizing and can have a harmful effect on immigration policy.</span> <span data-start-time='43146' data-end-time='61479'>In California, Democratic lawmaker Luz Rivas wrote the bill that replaces use of “alien” in state law descriptions with terms such as “noncitizen” or “immigrant.”</span> <span data-start-time='61479' data-end-time='75083'>Rivas told The Associated Press that she remembered as a child seeing the word alien on her mother’s residency identification. </span> <span data-start-time='75083' data-end-time='82063'>To the government, it meant her mother was not yet a citizen of the United States. </span> <span data-start-time='82063' data-end-time='92792'>But to her, it meant the family did not belong, even though they were going through the naturalization process.</span> <span data-start-time='92792' data-end-time='106729'>“I want other children of immigrants, like me, to not feel the same way I did, that my family did, when we saw the word ‘alien’,” Rivas said.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/A.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=18257 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/what_does_the_term_alien_mean.wav'>What does the term alien mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='belonging to a foreign country or nation'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/belonging_to_a_foreign_country_or_nation.wav'><span>belonging to a foreign country or nation</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/a_defensive_football_player.wav'><span>a defensive football player</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/an_electronic_form_of_communication.wav'><span>an electronic form of communication</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/the_machine_used_to_print_books.wav'><span>the machine used to print books</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18258 data-hint-location='12333' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/which_two_states_signed_the_new_law_that_bans_the_word_alien.wav'>Which two states signed the new law that bans the word alien?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Colorado and California'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/colorado_and_california.wav'><span>Colorado and California</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/utah_and_colorado.wav'><span>Utah and Colorado</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/new_york_and_massachusetts.wav'><span>New York and Massachusetts</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/new_mexico_and_michigan.wav'><span>New Mexico and Michigan</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18259 data-hint-location='75083' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/to_the_government_it_meant_her_mother_was_not_yet_a_citizen_of_the__blank_.wav'>To the government, it meant her mother was not yet a citizen of the <span class='blank'>United States</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='United States'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/united_states.wav'><span>United States</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/chessboard.wav'><span>chessboard</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/roller_rink.wav'><span>roller rink</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5371/club.wav'><span>club</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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