The English language is full of words and terms that, whether they started that way or not, are seen as pejorative.

When we hear them, we get a little uncomfortable and even wonder why they’re still part of the vernacular. For a number of members of Congress, the word "alien" as applied to immigrants falls into that category. Congressman Ruben Gallego of Arizona’s seventh district is supporting the Correcting Hurtful and Alienating Names in Government Expression—or CHANGE—Act. Edwin Ackerman, a sociologist with the University of California-Berkeley put the term in context.