On November 12, 2021 it was announced at the Library of Congress' Policy and Standards Division annual meeting that the Library of Congress will replace aliens and illegal aliens subject headings with new subject headings "Noncitizens" and "Illegal immigration". The approved changes by the Library of Congress on November 12, 2021 are available in the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS SUBJECT HEADINGS APPROVED MONTHLY LIST 11b.
As of Dec 9, 2021, OCLC has updated approximately 41,000 WorldCat records to change these headings. On a periodic basis, OCLC will continue to change older headings to the newer forms when they appear in WorldCat records, as well as updating the FAST headings to the updated terminology.
For historical background, see 'Change the Subject': A Hard-Fought Battle Over Words and watch the documentary film "Change the Subject" at Dartmouth's website.
Additional information:
| Former LOC Subject Heading | New LOC Subject Heading |
|---|---|
| Alien detention centers | Noncitizen detention centers |
| Alien labor | Foreign workers |
| Aliens | Noncitizens |
| Alien Criminals | Noncitizen criminals |
| Aliens--China | Noncitizens--China |
| Aliens--Confederate States of America | Noncitizens--Confederate States of America |
| Aliens--Great Britain | Noncitizens--Great Britain |
| Aliens--Housing | Noncitizens--Housing |
| Aliens--Housing--Great Britain | Noncitizens--Housing--Great Britain |
| Aliens--Medical care | Noncitizens--Medical care |
| Aliens--Medical care--Law and legislation | Noncitizens--Medical care--Law and legislation |
| Aliens--Medical examinations | Noncitizens--Medical examinations |
| Aliens--Mental health | Noncitizens--Mental health |
| Aliens--Political activity | Noncitizens--Political activity |
| Aliens--Suffrage | Noncitizens--Suffrage |
| Aliens--Taxation | Noncitizens--Taxation |
| Aliens--Taxation--Law and legislation | Noncitizens--Taxation--Law and legislation |
| Aliens--United States | Noncitizens--United States |
| Aliens--United States--Identification | Noncitizens--United States--Identification |
| Aliens--United States--Juvenile literature | Noncitizens--United States--Juvenile literature |
| Aliens (Greek law) | Noncitizens (Greek law) |
| Aliens in art | Noncitizens in art |
| Aliens in literature | Noncitizens in literature |
| Aliens in mass media | Noncitizens in mass media |
| Aliens in motion pictures | Noncitizens in motion pictures |
| Aliens (Islamic law) | Noncitizens (Islamic law) |
| Aliens (Jewish law) | Noncitizens (Jewish law) |
| Aliens (Roman law) | Noncitizens (Roman law) |
| Children of illegal aliens | Children of noncitizens |
| Children of illegal aliens--Education | Children of noncitizens--Education |
| Children of illegal aliens--Education--Law and legislation | Children of noncitizens--Education--Law and legislation |
| China--Officials and employees, Alien | China--Officials and employees, Noncitizen |
| Church work with aliens | Church work with noncitizens |
| Church work with aliens--Baptists | Church work with noncitizens--Baptists |
| Church work with aliens--Catholic Church | Church work with noncitizens--Catholic Church |
| Church work with aliens--Church of the Nazarene | Church work with noncitizens--Church of the Nazarene |
| Church work with aliens--Lutheran Church | Church work with noncitizens--Lutheran Church |
| Church work with aliens--Methodist Church | Church work with noncitizens--Methodist Church |
| Church work with aliens--Protestant churches | Church work with noncitizens--Protestant churches |
| Church work with aliens--Seventh-Day Adventists | Church work with noncitizens--Seventh-Day Adventists |
| Church work with aliens--Taehan Yesugyo Changnohoe | Church work with noncitizens--Taehan Yesugyo Changnohoe |
| Illegal alien children | Noncitizen children or Illegal immigration |
| Illegal aliens | Noncitizens or Illegal immigration |
| Illegal aliens in literature | Noncitizens in literature or Illegal immigration in literature |
| Unaccompanied children (Immigrants) | Unaccompanied immigrant children |
| Taxation of aliens | Noncitizens -- Taxation |
| Women illegal aliens | Women noncitizens or Illegal immigration |
NOTE: Aliens is no longer an authorized LOC subject heading to represent extraterrestrial beings