Harveyspecter

..for referring to myself as an Expat instead of an Immigrant. TO me they basically mean the same thing but this gentleman was quite adamant. Even saying I fitted the stereotype of an arrogant sh*t and sent me a BBC news article confirming his bias....!

First for everything I guess.

tht

I know what the dictionary definitions are, under which you could be either.

I would think of someone on a temporary assignment / work visa who will return home would be an expat, while someone who has the intent/desire to stay here as an immigrant. Assume your interaction was with someone who thinks less of immigrants and he then thinks your arrogant because you think you are better than the “immigrants”. I always referred to myself as an alien before I became a USC.

lansbury

Exactly how I understand the meaning of each.

markonline1

I don’t see myself going home, but still refer to myself as an expat.

Jerseygirl

As my old mum said to me ‘How can you possibly be an immigrant…you are British?’

jjmb

I consider myself an expat because although I took citizenship, I intend one day to return. The UK will always be home.

spouse of scouse

He berates you over something that is absolutely none of his business, and he calls you an arrogant shit? What a meathead

Harveyspecter

Indeed, clearly he had issues beyond that.

civilservant

I have a US passport along with my British one, an I'm still an immigrant. Living in the US doesn't make me American anymore than living in the Arctic would make me a penguin.

That said, I get called names all the time. It's the accent as much as anything else. Americans stereotype Brits as aloof and sarcastic. I just happened to fit the latter one, but that's my personality, I'm an architect.

https://www.16personalities.com/intj-personality

kimilseung

It was quite the social media talking point a few years ago, with conversations regarding several articles discussing the nuances of meaning of the words. Expats being linked with movement of managerial levels from colonial powers, immigrants being workers from colonized countries. The colonial aspect was disected, the class aspect was ignored, if I remember right.

Anian

I noticed on the internet recently that it has become a thing that people have started repeating: Calling yourself an immigrant is fine, calling yourself an expat means you are a racist who hates the people in the foreign country you live.
I blame it on the British expat communities who only really socialise with each other, eat mostly British food, watch mostly British TV. It's very rare in the US, but the attitude is known from those in places like Spain, and now it is one of those silly pieces of "internet knowledge" that people repeat as truth as if it fits all cases.

scrubbedexpat096

Never seen that site before, although i have used similar ones for political spectrum etc


Had a quick go, spookily accurate! But maybe its written a little bit like a horoscope.

scrubbedexpat091

That is pretty common in BC and elsewhere in Canada but not just Brits, but 1st generation immigrants who tend to move to certain areas, and tend not to socialize much outside of their community, I do think that is human to desire to tend to gravitate to familiar language, food culture when your first generation.

Harveyspecter

Likewise.

Us poor brits have a harrible reputation in Spain. I remember staying in Barcelona about 10 yrs ago and when asking where to eat they suggested a local McDonalds! When I told them I want local cuisine, and made an effort to speak in Spanish, their attitude towards me transformed completely.

Indeed. The irony is the same people who are bothered my this, are the same people who when traveling abroad want a Starbucks and McDonalds on every corner.

caretaker

I never see or hear the word ex-pat outside of this forum, and I'm kind of surprised someone took any interest, good or bad.