NAHJ Applauds Biden Administration’s Focus on Language

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 21, 2021

 

NAHJ Applauds Biden Administration’s Immediate Focus on the Impact of Language in Proposed Immigration Bill

(Washington, D.C.) – The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) applauds President Joe Biden’s decision to remove the word “alien” and replace it with “non-citizen” in U.S. immigration laws. NAHJ has long urged newsrooms to stop using terms such as “alien” and “illegal” to describe undocumented immigrants, in favor of more precise and humanistic terms.

While there may be no ill-intent when utilizing the word “alien,” the use of this word is dehumanizing and it impacts Hispanic and Latino communities in insidious ways. When used in news reports, it asserts bias against immigrants, shaping public discourse and opinion.

“As a historic leader in advocacy for the use of fair and accurate language in reporting, NAHJ urges others to pay close attention,” said NAHJ President Nora López. “Words matter and this change will reinforce terminology that will lend itself to more responsible coverage.”

With this rhetorical shift, NAHJ anticipates newsroom leaders becoming increasingly receptive to discussions about the evolution of language and the impact of words.

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About the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) 

The National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ) is the largest organization of Latino journalists in the United States and dedicated to the recognition and professional advancement of Hispanics in the news industry. The mission of NAHJ is to increase the number of Latinos in the newsrooms and to work toward fair and accurate representation of Latinos in the news media. Established in April 1984, NAHJ created a national voice and unified vision for all Hispanic journalists. NAHJ has over 3,200 members, including working journalists, journalism students, other media-related professionals, and journalism educators. For more information please visit NAHJ.org or follow on Twitter @NAHJ.

Media Contact: 

BA Snyder

Veritas Group for NAHJ

512.630.6337

BA@TheVeritasWay.com