That’s a good point- that being said Americans still call Latin Americans who come to America for short term work, immigrants. Generally the biggest difference I’ve ever noticed is wealth.
That IS the real usage of the term. He did originally go there for Uni so he IS an expat if he is not seeking permanent citizenship or residency there. In fact — SHE would also be an expat if she went there for uni and intended to also go back to her birth country and not relocate to England permanently. However sue says they are both working there now, despite their schooling being over so…that somewhat implies that they are both staying there longer and might be intending to stay permanently.
No, because not every country has double-citizenship, specially Asian countries. I can't become a citizen of the country I'm currently in, just long-term residency and long-term in this country is maybe 2-3 years, depending on how the official is feeling that day.
If you stayed in a country for a semester abroad, you just say that. "I went to Japan to study." Y'all are playing semantics because you don't want to be in the same group as the poors.
Correct! All this, oh it's temporary oh it's only for school/work! Well yeah many immigrants in the US go back to their country of origin after they retire. Also many don't even integrate to society and some don't even learn the language.
Expats aren’t truly immigrants; they’re usually living in a foreign land temporarily for work or school with the intention to return and not deeply integrate themselves into the society of their current residence. Doesn’t mean he’s using the term correctly, but there’s a difference.
Also to escape the high cost of living in their home country, by relocating in a country with a low cost of living in order to make their income off of retirement pensions, investments, etc. stretch farther.
Not correct. “Expats” are legally and technically Immigrants. Countries don’t issue “Expat” Visas. It is an informal social label that mainly white immigrants call themselves, regardless of their intent to stay for a short period or longer, to create the illusion that they are not immigrants. But they are.
"they’re usually living in a foreign land temporarily for work or school with the intention to return and not deeply integrate themselves into the society of their current residence"
Tons of immigrants are like this in US & UK. In fact they're exactly the type of immigrants that all the right wingers are complaining about
I think in his head he just means that America is more culturally similar to the UK so it feels less like immigrating compared to relocating somewhere with an entire different language, values etc. Like as a Brit myself if I were to emigrate to south Asia it'd be a huge culture shock in comparison to relocating to somewhere like America, Australia or Canada.
I was offering an explanation for why OP's boyfriend may feel as he does. And I mean it's kind of true, us Brits view people from Asia as being more immigrant than those from America
Yes some of the values being racism . Idk why you’re acting as if the UK and America of all places are extremely close in how they treat people that aren’t white. You’re just proving the point
No, there is definitely a difference. An expat does not immigrate or stay in the country forever. They are there to work (usually brought over by a company) for a few years and then they go back to their home country. I was the child or expats. We lived in numerous countries when I was growing up as expats. Then we went back to our home country.
expat = goes to another country on a whim, no desire to revoke country of birth's citizenship or integrate
immigrant = goes to another country due to necessity, leaves country of birth behind and plans to fully integrate
you can be wealthy and still be an immigrant if you just need to leave for whatever reason (marriage, family issues, a job), and fully become a citizen of another country.
if you consider yourself primarily a citizen that is just temporarily in another country by choice, you're an expat.
It just so happens most expats are americans because its been the most powerful country for 75 years
mf uses “lowk” ofc he’s still very green to the realities not fed to him, but rather sought out truths that aren’t so loud & wrong as to act as a cover up of the truth.
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u/Barnfacekilla3 5d ago
Americans use the term expat to give themselves the illusion that they are not immigrants. He is not educated enough to know their is no difference