Should Outdated & Offensive Racial Terms in USDA & Interior Dept. Regulations be Changed? (H.R. 995)
Do you support or oppose this bill?
What is H.R. 995?
(Updated March 5, 2019)
This bill would require the Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) and the Dept. of the Interior to change the terminology used to describe the racial background or place of origin of people in regulations concerning USDA programs for financing and insuring loans for properties in rural areas and the 1974 development plan for Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC.
The USDA would replace “Negro or Black” with “Black or African American”, “Spanish Surname” with “Hispanic”, and “Oriental” with “Asian American or Pacific Islander”.
Interior would replace “Negro” with “Black or African American”, “Oriental” with “Asian American or Pacific Islander”, and “Eskimo” and “Aleut” with “Alaska Native”. It would also replace the definition of “Negro” with the definition of “Black or African American” as “a person having origins in any of the Black racial groups of Africa”.
Argument in favor
Derogatory terms have no place anywhere in respectable public discourse, let alone in federal regulations. Modernizing terms used to describe minorities in federal law should be a continuous effort.
Argument opposed
The terms used to describe minority groups in federal laws might be offensive to some — but Congress has more important things to do than spend time trying to correct its past mistakes.
Impact
Members of racial groups that would be offended by the USDA and Dept. of the Interior regulations; and the USDA and DOI.
Cost of H.R. 995
A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.
Additional Info
In-Depth: During the last Congress, legislation removing the term “Oriental” and other outdated racial terms from federal laws was passed unanimously by Congress and signed into law.
This bill — introduced by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) — has the support of four cosponsors, all of whom are Republicans.
Media:
Summary by Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: BCFC / iStock)The Latest
-
IT: Battles between students and police intensify, and... 💻 Should we regulate AI access to our private data?Welcome to Thursday, May 2nd, listeners... The battle between protesters and police intensifies on college campuses across the read more...
-
Should U.S. Implement Laws Protecting Private Data from AI Access?Artificial intelligence is rapidly integrating into our everyday lives, transforming the way we work, live, and interact with read more... Artificial Intelligence
-
Protests Grow Nationwide as Students Demand Divestment From IsraelUpdated May 1, 2024, 11:00 a.m. EST The battle between protesters and police has intensified on college campuses across the read more... Advocacy
-
IT: Rumors spread about ICC charging Israel with war crimes, and... Should states disqualify Trump?Welcome to Tuesday, April 30th, friends... Rumors spread that the International Criminal Court could issue arrest warrants for read more...