Why do Brits and Americans have a special term instead of just using Immigrant?
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Because immigrants are brown and poor.
I’ve always interpreted it as someone who’s here only temporarily. They plan to go back eventually and as such stick to expat social groups with similar issues for e. g. temp permits as opposed to permanent permits for immigrants.
Personally, I define an expat as someone living in another country and not learning the language/customs.
They will never be accepted as a local because of this.
It’s not a British/American thing - any nationality can be referred to as an expat. It’s all a matter of what you’re trying to emphasize. The term “expat” implies being in a different country and feeling like a foreigner - using the term suggests that there is a degree of culture shock or not feeling like you fully fit in. Foreigners will often look for expat communities for support. That may be why you’re noticing it with British and American foreigners - you can be a French expat or a German expat or any other nationality, but if English isn’t your first language you’re less likely to know the term.
You’re also less likely to hear an American or British person refer to people who come to the U.S. or U.K. as “expats” - the term "expat"implies inclusivity with other people who came from the same place, while “immigrant” carries the implication of someone from a different culture that came here. As a native English speaker, I would think it sounds perfectly natural to hear someone say “I’m a Syrian expat”, but I would only use the term to describe “the Syrian expat community” (i.e. the Syrians that have come here and are relying on each other for support). If I were describing the same person, I would say “Syrian immigrant” because I’m not the one feeling the culture shock of being in a foreign land. (or I would use the term “refugee” which carries the implication that they’re here, but not by choice - they were forced out of their home)
“Immigrant” often also implies some sort of formal legal status, although in a looser sense it just means that you live in that country on a permanent basis. All immigrants are also expats, but not all expats are immigrants.
As others have pointed out here, while neither term is by itself positive or negative, “expat” will almost never be used in a negative sense, but “immigrant” can be used in a derogatory way, although it can also be neutral or positive depending on the speaker and context.
Immigrant would be someone coming to your country, emigrant is someone leaving your country. So an expat would be an emigrant if anything. I’ve always assumed that it’s short for ex-patriot, since they left their country to go live in another one.
Expat is short for expatriate, not ex-patriot. Both expatriate and patriot do come from the same Latin root (patria, fatherland) via French.
But yes, expatriate means someone who lives outside (ex) of their fatherland (patria) - can be used for both immigrant or emigrant, depending on context.
cause usually its not permanent, like with immigrants.
Are you going to tell this to the British expat pensioners in France and Spain? Because they probably never knew that meaning.
You mean Portugal?
There, too.
In theory, An expat is someone sent abroad on short/mid-term mission while working for an employer, while a migrant is someone moving abroad to find a job and sometimes to start a new life.
This means that, if let’s say if a Mining company in Ghana sends someone to New-York to be the “US sales director” that person would be an an expat While an American opening an hotel in Ghana would be an immigrant.
But indeed, in many cases : Expat = European/North-American, Immigrant = From somewhere else
This is all ive ever seen in my career which includes lots of overseas work.
Solid explanation. I’d only add that I see the word in fiction used to describe Europeans and Americans as expats if they’ve been overseas for years and not even working. Seems to be people who eventually mean to return home.
Because “immigrant bad” and they don’t see themselves as bad.
To be fair, they are pretty bad, unless you do like America and only allow people with certain skills and intelligence. Allowing refugees from war torn countries is very nice, but ultimately brings that war to the country itself and changes the culture into something very different.
Source: Sweden.
Bro skilled people wanting to become US residents or citizens have to wait an absurd amount of time to even have a chance
Yeah because they screen people, not just let anyone come in.
No, it’s because there’s a lottery system that has been backlogged for decades. US immigration is such a bad process that skilled people go to Canada instead because the government there actually values those people.
🤮
They see themselves on an extended holiday of multiple decades.
Or it’s a term tied to tax status that is easier to say than explaining taxation status for those living abroad 🤷
No, it’s all just a big racist conspiracy, don’t bother looking up any definitions or anything lmao
Hear me out:
Maybe everything isn’t some conspiracy to hate others.
ah, so you have an alternative explanation?
Do you seriously need someone to explain to you why there are multiple words with similar meanings in the world?
well when you challenge an opinion you usually offer an alternative opinion.
Usually. But if the premise is particularly stupid I might choose to prompt the speaker to actually think about what they’ve said for a moment.
Or you could just read any of the numerous other comments here which offer other explanations.
i did think about it and it matches my experience. i will read the rest of the thread.
Edit: i have now read the rest of the thread. nobody seems to agree and i see no sources.
You’re looking for a source for the answer to a question so idiotic that it has probably never been asked before in the history of man?
You can’t be a real person.
They aren’t used interchangeably so this implies a different definition or at least distinct connotations.
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