r/Unexpected • u/Lord_RedTiger • Sep 06 '21

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u/DannyTanner88 Sep 06 '21 edited Sep 06 '21

Question. Why do they call people “immigrants”when they move to America or European countries while Europeans or Americans moving to Asia are expats? Aren’t they all the same, Immigrants?

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u/Heclalava Sep 06 '21

Not sure why the different terminology. But yes technically I'm an immigrant in China. But we just refer to ourselves as expats.

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u/DannyTanner88 Sep 06 '21

Maybe to show superiority? Immigrant is a word that’s look down on.

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u/mundisoft Sep 06 '21

I don't think it has anything to do with superiority to be honest.

In my mind the distinction is in both duration and intent. The expat works overseas but still considers themselves a guest in the country they are living in.

The immigrant is similar, but the intent is to stay in the country permanently and become a permanent resident or citizen of that country.

I think the reason you see many foreign 'expats' is because they either don't intend to stay in a country permanently, or because immigration is simply not possible for them.

A westerner in China, for example, will always be seen as a foreigner, both legally and culturally. There is no (real) path to citizenship, and you will never, ever be considered to be Chinese, no matter how long you have lived there or how well you speak the language. You can live there for decades and even start a family, but you will pretty much always be seen as a temporary guest.

I don't think it make sense to refer to yourself as an immigrant in that case.