Definition of the word "expat"

I have always believed that an EXPAT is someone who leaves their country, for greener pastures. I am not trying to start any arguments, but I am confused. Many people here refer to themselves as EXPATS, but they say they plan on going back home eventually. I was reading another thread, about "Which is better, England or Germany" and this is where I thought of this.

Just like to know where you're all coming from. Just to make myself clear. I don't mean where physically, but headwise. I am curious. I promise I will not argue with, or criticize anyone!

an expat is per definition someone who lives temporarily or peramently in a country/cultural group other than the one he originally comes from.

It has nothing to do with his personal feelings about this or his motivation for doing so.

There have been several threads about these things, such as one about whether people would/will return to their country of origin. You could do a search.

In general, those who come mainly for work are more likey to feel they want to stay permanently than those who came here fo personal reasons.

There are all different types on TT: those who love it here and won't go back (luckily I count myself among these), those who love it here but will still one day go back, those who hate it here and will go back, those who hate it here but will stay (poor buggers), and the saddest group - those who hate it here, will one day go back only to find they don't like it back home anymore either. You will find all types here.

Of course lots of grey shades in between!

There are also those who like it in Germany, love their home as well and move on to a place that is neither.

yeah, I thought of mentioning that one too. But then they would still be expats somewhere else and the categories in the new place would apply again!

Why don't you ever see the term Pakistani expat, Afghan expat, Bolivian expat, etc? Is it because expat refers to people from first-world countries who choose to leave, the others having left war-torn and / or economic basket cases and are therefore called refugees?

QUOTE
expatriate
DERIVATIVES
expatriation |eksËŒpÄ?trēˈÄ? sh É™n| |É›kˈspeɪtriˈeɪʃən| |-ˈeɪʃ(É™)n| noun
ORIGIN mid 18th cent. (as a verb): from medieval Latin expatriat- ‘gone out from one's country,’ from the verb expatriare, from ex- ‘out’ + patria ‘native country.’

Its too early in the morning for Latin!

I find "expat" has a white, western ring to it. But maybe thats just coz Im white & western. Do the Turks, Moroccans etc here also refer to themselves as "expats" i wonder. Maybe they do, I dont know.

I'm learning here.

I always thought as ex-pat as somebody who lives in another country but really intends to go back to their native land.

I don't describe myself as ex-pat as I've been here 7 years.

Time for a change of my definitions perhaps?

It does happen to be a English word, so I would doubt it.

Edit: the comment was aimed at post #7.

1. to banish (a person) from his or her native country.
2. to withdraw (oneself) from residence in one's native country.
3. to withdraw (oneself) from allegiance to one's country

http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=2&q=expatriate

(Load of balls huh? )

It's a snob thing really. However as far as the locals are concerned, i.e. the Germans in this case, all foreigners here are immigrants - regardless of whether they're coming, going, staying or leaving. Call yourself an expat if you like and if it makes you feel good - but at the end of the day you're foreign and you're an immigrant. Or maybe even an economic migrant... For example, many Greeks, Turks, etc. have no intention of settling here and do intend to return to their 'home' countries eventually. Frankly I never use the term. I find it pretentious. Since I'm living here but not German, I consider myself a foreigner. Simple really...

I don't really get the snob thing, but then again I don't really use it except if I really have to describe my situation in life outside of germany and my native country. It starts to get a bit confusing when in Iowa trying to explain to somebody your Canadian but you don't live in Canada you live somewhere else then the word expat comes in handy. Also in describing a segment of population it is rather handy.

It seems to me that "expat" is used to describe professionals and highly skilled segments of the workforce, also diplomats, ONG staff, artists, etc.

The vast majority of people working outside their countries of origin are low-skilled/low-wage labour (e.g. Filipino domestic help or Asian construction workers in the Gulf) but I don't think they're ever referred to as expats - someone correct me if I'm wrong - I believe they are usually labelled as foreign or migrant workers (in UN terminology, not in the Steinbeck, fruit-picking labourer sense of the term). It would be interesting to know what terms they themselves use to describe their status.

Edit: As ES said above, in a way it is a snob thing.

I find it interesting that in the case where these two 'immigrants' beat up the 76 yr old pension in the UBahn, that the perps were not immigrants - well, at least one, the Turkish one, was born in Germany - so how can he be an immigrant if he was born here? In the States, we would call him '1st generation Turkish'.

I also found it strange that people from England, U. S. Canada (ie English speaking countries) are called Expats and everyone else is an immigrant.

Just wondering if English/French/Swedish immigrants to the States are called "1st generation English/French/Swedish"?

Then why is your user name ecks patz, sure sounds like expat to me

In the States, being born there would automatically entitle one to an American Passport/citizenship, that is not the case here, or for that matter in most countries. Why wouldn't you call them 1st generation American.

Are you an aüslander, Englander, Ami, usw?

Hell no, I am an expat*.

_{Sounds better than alien, furiner, 'insert whatever here'...}

Hell no, I'm English.

That makes you a furiner, furiner!

Nonsense, the world is full of furriners, except the English, who are just English, no matter where they are. This attitude has stood us in good stead for centuries, we're not about to change now.

I find expats far too jolly for their own good!

This ought to help --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expatriate

That is like a boring post. You suck at the internet.


This is a classic! Soon to be nominated as such. Take note.

Interestingly, I used to think the term "expatriate" was very negative. Sounds like someone banned from their country, or someone who has decided not to be "patriotic" anymore. I was interested to learn that it is not a degrading term, and simply describes what has been well defined in this thread.

Allershausen is correct in saying we would call an American born of Turkish parents a "first generation American of Turkish heritage..."

Well thank you all!
I don't know what I would call myself. Like so many of you posted, Expat sounds snobbish. Likewise I had wondered, if it meant you gave up your citizenship in your home nation. I also never understood why some people were Expats and others were refugees. I guess I am just a visitor!

Now as to my own citizenship, I really don't understand it. I am an American because I was born here. I was raised to believe I am German, although I was never taught to speak German. Likewise, because my parents were also born here. We can no longer claim any ties to Germany. My grandparents never became citizens. So, my parents are "naturalized citizens". In other countries that would not make either my parents nor myself citizens.

Now you EU people have it made, you are all automatically citizens of every country in the EU!

Not really. We are just allowed to reside and work in all countries of the EU. Not the same thing. But it's pretty good.

"expat" doesn't seem even remotely snobbish to me, it's an objective description of my situation. I do not reside in my country of origin. Simple as that.


Nope, I don't get those overtones either.

Do you have examples or know of any instances where unskilled or low-skilled workers are referred to as expats?

Have you ever seen Auf Wiedershen pet? I think that was known as a programme about expats.

There is some nuance here. Big companies who bring over skilled employees and give them housing allowances, pay them in dollars, equalize their taxes relative to the home country, pay for the kids to go to international schools, etc. usually refer to "expat packages". Usually, if one's stay last longer than the company is comfortable providing this, one is said to "go local/resident/native" and one is expected to be paid/taxed as any other local employee.

The use of "Expat" instead of "Immigrant, "Migrant Worker" or "Guest Worker" does indeed imply some element of optionality to the decision vs. doing so out of economic necessity. In Germany, as one usually has to take a salary hit/tax hike to do remain here, it does in some sense imply some element of voluntary hardship (i.e. you'd rather be back home ... otherwise you'd be an immigrant).

While "Expatriot" is cited as an ironic usage in the wikipedia article, it's really yet another erroneous usage that has gained currency.

Hopefully medical research will one day find a cure for that.

Anyway, expats. As has been alluded to, an "expat" is a bit like an immigrant, but is white, and normally has a job.

In Germany, yes. Now why didn't I become an expat in, say, the Algarve. More sunshine, and being an expat involves living in a villa with a swimming pool and drawing a pension... *sigh*

A person previously called Patrick or Patricia

To get around helping me with things like taxes and other (what I assume are) typical services for "Expats", my company terms me an "Inpat" since I have a German contract. It is a load of bullshit. Has anyone else encountered this?

Trust me, you don't want any german Patrizia.

Yes, but interestingly in America, we never seem to take into account that this family might have no intention of staying in the US permanently. We say "first generation," as if we assume that of course they'll stay and have a second generation, and so forth. This may no more accurately describe their situation than "exile" would.

Well, as long as they haven´t left, they are still there.

Actually, in German, this youth would be referred to as "a 2nd generation Turk living in Germany" or rather, since often the person's nationality isn't known or shouldn't be mentioned, "with migration background" (mit Migrationshintergrund). Immigrant (Einwanderer) seems to be less used than migrant (Migrant) in German. Perhaps migrant reflects more accurately that many people don't necessarily emigrate from their country of origin for good and/or don't stay in one country permanently – they are a kind of modern nomads. Expatriate is an equally general term, but also conveys a certain distinction, as I understand it.

An expat has nothing to do with being a citizen of the EU (thats brits, irish etc but NOT Americans) An expat is a person who decides to live abroad (NOT EU) in order to avoid home country taxes - but not being a resident tax payer of the host country - and therefore CANNOT return to his country of residence/domicility for more than 90 days i(in the case of UK brits) in any given year. Its a tax dodge nomenlature. If you are a brit living in Gemany you are NOT and ex-pat! If you pay taxes in your "host" country - you are not an expat.
Boring stuff but that's the truth of it.
End of discussion!

No kidding!


As opposed to American Brits?


Says who?


Editor Bob, is that you?

And the word 'immigrant' is invariably used in the pejorative by the Germans.

Expat: adjective.

The state of a foot after withdrawal from a cowdung deposit. The foot is said to be expat.
Preventing the foot going expat especially in a bare shoeless state may inprove skin tone and ensure insulation.
Expatted feet or shoes and light coloured carpet do not mix

What is the proper term to describe a pre-"expat" situation - "inpat" or "onpat"? Discuss.

Prepat.

And one who returns is a postpat... they get free black and white cats on landing.

No, it doesn't work, "prepat" defines the stage before encountering said deposit first-handfoot.

Personally, I hate the term "Expat" - it stinks of a toffee-nosed, middle class attitude to living overseas, with no hint of wishing to be associated with "the locals".
I am far happier being an "auslander" than an "Expat".

"Expats"are citizens of one's own country who "happen to live in another country" as the UK press like to put it, as if we just randomly woke up one day in Germany or wherever.

Citizens of other countries who do the same are "migrants" or "immigrants" of course.

Migrant is what I call myself.

I´m an integrated auslander!

I'm an alien, I'm a legal alien, I'm an Englishman.