National Council of Asian Pacific Americans Applauds Passage of Legislation to Remove Term “Oriental” from Federal Law

The National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) applauds the House of Representatives for passing legislation that would remove the term “oriental” from federal law. This legislation was sponsored by Representatives Grace Meng (D-NY) and Ed Royce (R-CA) and was unanimously adopted by voice vote as an amendment to the North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act.

“We are pleased that the House of Representatives has approved the removal of the derogatory and antiquated term ‘oriental’ from federal legislation once and for all,” said NCAPA National Director Christopher Kang. “It is hard to believe that this legislation is even still necessary, and we thank Representative Meng for her longstanding leadership on this issue and Representative Royce for his support. Words matter, and the language our government uses should be respectful and accurate. This legislation is part of a larger bill that may not become law, and therefore, we call on Congress to pass this measure as a standalone bill and without delay because removal of this term is long overdue.”

NCAPA member National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum (NAPAWF) also supported passage of this legislation in a statement.

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Based in Washington, D.C., the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans is a coalition of 35 national Asian Pacific American organizations that serves to represent the interests of Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) communities and to provide a national voice for our communities’ concerns. Our communities are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, currently making up approximately six percent of the population.