Why do English speakers call themselves Expats instead of immigrants?
The use of the term expat goes back in two directions. In American English, it was often used to refer to those who came to America from other countries as a kind of political refugee. We see immigrants were those who wanted to go expressly to America for a better life. So, when Americans spoke of Japanese expats in the early 20th century, their motivation was not to work on the railroad, but to escape from military inscription.
Certain American individuals were referred to as Expatriates. William Waldorf Astor, a rich American, was in Britain for 25 years, and found a way to get peerage. But, the ghost of Anne Boleyn objected, and left his castle.
That’s right, instead of haunting him, the former wife of Henry VIII left the castle, because she didn’t like the idea of an upstart American living there. Or, maybe it was that she didn’t like what he did to her father’s old house. Her ghost used to cross the castle bridge, then Mr Astor replaced it with a new one.
Over 100 years ago, an American moving to Britain would be considered an Expat, even if he wanted to integrate into the culture (or at least, into the higher echelons of the culture.) Why not an immigrant? Well, expatriation means leaving a country, and immigration means entering.
Why expat instead of emmigrant? I supposed emmigrant sounds too much like immigrant. But there is another reason we will get to later.
Any nationality can be an expat.
If you are talking to an American audience, people leaving America are expats, people arriving are immigrants. If you are speaking to a British audience, those settling into Britain are immigrants, those leaving are expats. If you are speaking to an Indian audience, those leaving India are expats, those entering are immigrants.
In fact, in much of what is written in English about Europe these days, “expats” actually refers to those from the Indian subcontinent.
In French, the word expat is also being used. Germans, French, and some other European and Asian nationalities have started calling themselves expats.
Many nationalities will simply refer to their citizens abroad by the nationality. Romanians will say something about “A Romanian in Spain” and a Portuguese might say “a Portuguese in France” or a “Portuguese in Romania.” Americans used to say “Americans abroad.”
But if you are speaking of multiple nationalities, things get more complicated. But still, why say “expats” instead of “foreigners?”
Who calls themselves expats?
In Britain, the word “foreigner” is considered by some to be disrespectful. I found this funny, because when I lived in Britain, I considered myself a foreigner. But, I also used to word for people who did not speak any of the country’s indigenous languages as a mother tongue. So, anyone who was learning English as an adult in Britain was probably a foreigner (unless they grew up in a farm in Wales or Scotland and were homeschooled.) However, I was told not to use that word.
Brits (and perhaps Indians) use the word expat to refer to how long people are intending to stay in a country.
Under three months is a tourist.
Until the war is over is a refugee.
About a season to ten years is an expat.
Even if you have children in a foreign country, you could still be an expat if your long term ties are to the country ou live in. Many British expats have children abroad, but their children return to the UK to study and perhaps work.
Planning to settle and (hopefully) integrate or assimilate is an immigrant. The children of an immigrant, however, may be completely British (and even immigrants may be considered British after a time.)
Brits have a history of moving abroad, or of acknowledging foreign ancestory. In many ways in Britain, class is more important to some people than national origin.
American ideas have more to do with loyalty and generational assimilation.
If your children will most likely get citizenship of your home country, then you are an expat. If, however, you plan to have your children and grandchildren stay in your destination country, you are an immigrant. Your children are no longer immigrants, but second generation immigrants.
You could be an expat if you belong to the following groups: Students who plan to move out after graduation, those on temporary contracts, those who plan to retire in their home country, those whose children go to international schools rather than local schools.
Expats stick together
If you are one of the few of your nationality abroad, it might make sense to join an “expat” group rather than a “Saudis in Cluj” or “Canadians in Romania” group. Expat groups will normally speak to each other in an international language like English, even if the majority of the members of the group do not speak English natively. You can even have an expat group made up of groups that are normally thought of as “immigrants.”
If you share common challenges, then it makes sense to share common solutions.
Not all foreigners share the same challenges. Dutch and Portuguese tend to have spaces in their last names, Indians and Romanians normally don’t. So, if you run an expat group aimed at many nationalities, please be aware that other expats might face different challenges than you do.
Europeans might face fewer immigration hurdles than those outside of Europe, but Romania doesn’t seem as easy for some Europeans as Belgium, France, Portugal or Britain is.
Changing definition
People get so used to hearing the word “expat” mean English speaker, that the word “expat” has lost its original meaning.
Many Americans abroad are proud of the immigrant ancestors, and will call their ancestors immigrants but themselves expats. Even a few Indians will use the word expat to refer to Indians who were born abroad.
Unfortunately, the word immigrant has also changed its meaning. For some people, there is little distinction between those who arrive to a country illegally on a boat, or those who bother getting a visa and going through the normal channels.
Today’s immigrants
With political parties complaining about “migrants” who are portrayed as abusing the system or committing crimes, a lot of people do not want to be thought of as anything that sounds like migrant.
But, some of us who like to think of ourselves as immigrants, are offended that those who commit crimes or fraud are put in the same basket as law abiding foreigners.
Then there are others, who may be seen sympathetically, but who we may not wish to be confused with. For instance, legitimate refugees or economic immigrants who have very poor English skills.
We sometimes accidentally use the word “expat” to avoid confusion or to avoid possible offense. However, I called myself an immigrant and a foreigner, and am fine with being called either. I mean, let’s use logic here, I go to the immigration office in Cluj, not to the expatriation office.
If I get citizenship, then I might no longer be a foreigner, however “immigrant” would be much more appropriate than “expat.” An expat with citizenship in their destination country is just weird, unless you are an Astor.
That said, using the old definition, a former Brit or American who renounces his citizenship is, technically, an expatriate of that country.
If someone in Cluj refers to himself as an expat, he probably prefers to speak in English, if he refers to himself as an immigrant, then he probably refers to speak in Romanian (or the language of the area he immigrated to.)