Washington § 1.20.130 - Preferred terminology in government documents.

Full text of Washington Revised Code of Washington § 1.20.130 — Preferred terminology in government documents., with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 1.20.130. Preferred terminology in government documents.

(1)(a) All state and local government statutes, codes, rules, regulations, and other official documents enacted after July 1, 2002, are required to use the term "Asian" when referring to persons of Asian descent. The use of the term "Oriental" is prohibited.
(b) The legislature urges all state and local entities to review their statutes, codes, rules, regulations, and other official documents and revise them to omit the use of the term "Oriental" when referring to persons of Asian descent.
(2) Except where required by federal law or necessary to comply with federal requirements that are a prescribed condition to the allocation of federal funds to the state, all state and local government statutes, codes, rules, regulations, and other official documents enacted after July 1, 2026, shall use the term "noncitizen" or other context-appropriate term, instead of the term "alien," when referring to an individual who is not a citizen or national of the United States. The legislature urges all state and local entities to review their statutes, codes, rules, regulations, and other official documents and revise them to omit the use of the term "alien" when referring to an individual who is not a citizen or national of the Unites States.
[ 2026 c 36 s 2; 2002 c 307 s 2.]

Notes

Finding—2002 c 307: "The legislature finds that the use of the term "Oriental" when used to refer to persons of Asian descent is outdated and pejorative. There is a need to make clear that the term "Asian" is preferred terminology, and that this more modern and nonpejorative term must be used to replace outdated terminology." [ 2002 c 307 s 1.]
Effective date—2002 c 307: "This act takes effect July 1, 2002." [ 2002 c 307 s 4.]

Source: official Washington text · Last verified 2026-08-27

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What does Revised Code of Washington § 1.20.130 cover?

Section 1.20.130 ("Preferred terminology in government documents.") is part of the Revised Code of Washington, the codified statutory law of Washington. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

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