ELMHURST — President Barack Obama signed a bill into law on Friday that would remove the term "Oriental" from federal text.
The bill, which was introduced by Rep. Grace Meng, will replace the "insulting and outdated term" with Asian Americans, she said.
“No longer will any law of the United States refer to Asian Americans in such an offensive way, and I applaud and thank President Obama for signing my bill to get rid of this antiquated term," Meng said in a statement.
Currently the term is still used in Title 42 of the U.S. Code, which regulates public health, social welfare and civil rights, Meng said.
"We are all aware that there are chapters of American history that are not perfect," she said in February when her bill was introduced to the House floor.
"Times change, what is acceptable changes, and Congress, more often than not, yields to those changes."
