I think that Cambridge dictionary explains the difference very well, it all depends on the intention and the purpose of the person who decided to leave his/her country, as a temporary or a permanent stay. In addition to that, the links the person keeps with his/her country and how often he/she comes back there also make a difference between an expat and an immigrant.
I am a dual Italian and an American citizen so I am not sure where I fit in. I was born and raised in the states but I also have Italian heritage which I am very proud of. I see myself as an Italian and an American though I know that some Italians (and perhaps Americans too) would say that I don't have the right to say that.
Well, for me the question has never arisen. I'm an immigrant and always have been because I came here from the UK for work 54 years ago last May and have never had any intention of going back. Elsewhere, perhaps but not to where I was born.😀😀
It's a political difference. I live in Britain and consider myself an immigrant although I may go elsewhere. My solidarity goes to others who don't have the privilege to choose
Expat is the word chosen by the English-speaking world to reflect a sentiment of privilege and entitlement when describing themselves or others who move abroad. Immigrant is the term applied to (almost) everyone else. This distinction is passed along via the media, which means even people who do not feel any sense of superiority might reproduce these ideas. For context, I was born and grew up in Brazil. I have lived in the UK since 2016. Nobody has ever referred to me as an expat.
You're simply a citizen of the 21th century. A citizen of the world. Society might not have been accustomed to that yet but eventually it will have to, because in few years (and in most part of the world it is already like that) this is how people is gonna live their lives around the world.
British people are immigrants since Brexit. Aliens as the American call us. Expat can be explained in the Cambridge dictionary as it wants but from a legal point of view British people in the EU are immigrants. We can call ourselves in what ever way we wish of course. And that makes us feel better as well. So let it be and let’s call ourselves expats. Nothing wrong with that at all. If you are in the EU from any state you are an EU citizen no matter in which state you reside. Moving from Budapest to Rome is like moving from Doncaster to Clacton in the UK. No difference. Simone from Budapest in Italy is neither an immigrant nor an expat but a fellow citizen. No need to even question it. Uk is somewhat different and I am from London. But we must admit that we no longer are a part of this citizenship and have become immigrants. ( I’m EU now so this does not apply to me any longer ). As far as I am concerned Claire will always be a fellow citizen and can refer to herself as an expat with full freedom. And Claire please do not forget that more people emigrate from the UK the immigrate to the UK. So the UK is an historically emigrating country since way back when! Let us not forget this fact. Nothing wrong in being an immigrant. No negative connotations either. Not everyone escapes to run away for a better life! Some people want a change in their life….. I must admit I escaped England because I hated the Tube and “ Mind the gap “…..lol but that is me……. When I came to Italy in 1982 I started my book entitled “ L’espatriato “ “ The expat “. I chose to write it in Italian because I was in Italy. Unfortunately I have never been able to finish my expat story. Ps we need immigrants to pay our pensions when we retire! Never forget this! So I think you should do a third episode on this topic Claire. It is a delicate matter and you are talking as an expat that doesn’t want to be linked to an immigrant. There is nothing wrong with being an immigrant. Not all immigrants run away for a better life. Some choose to live in another area of the world. Nothing wrong. Not every immigrant is feeling poverty. So the millions of British emigrants all fled poverty???????? As did the Germans and the Italians? Nope !!!!! Permesso di soggiorno = immigrant. Permis de sejour in French speaking areas. Expat is an general term for people that move from one country to another country. The EU is many states and one country as a rule of citizenship. It’s like in the UK people complained about Polish immigrants but they were not immigrants at all!!!!! What an insult to them! After Brexit they moved on a lot of them. I am British and I felt insulted on their behalf. They did nothing wrong but live within their free movement zone like Glasgow to Portsmouth. We are expats because it sounds nicer. But we are also immigrants that has no negative connotations at all…..!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts - I agree that immigrant shouldn't carry such a negative tone but very often it does. I am very much in both camps as I said in the video. You should try to finish your book - I think it would be very interesting to read!
The dictionary definition doesn't tell the history of this word. Expatriate was used in the British empire for Brits living in the colonies on both a temporary and permanent basis. One couldn't call them immigrants because they were of a higher status than natives and such a word would upend the hierarchy. It always connoted extreme privilege and 'whiteness'. This term then was used extensively when global corporations would post executives overseas for shory durations. This is the only case where it may be appropriate to refer to oneself as an expat. Everyone not in this category is an immigrant and the media cannot be solely blamed if actual immigrants keep bandying the word expat around.
I agree that there is a lot of privilege within the word 'expat', as I said in this video. I also recognise that there is historical meaning behind both terms. That said though I do believe that people should be free to define themselves as they feel comfortable but as I said in the video, I am very much both!
Isn’t it quite simple? Someone planning on leaving is an Expat, someone planning on staying is an immigrant. No critique of you, but this expat/immigrant thing seems like woke gone overboard. Call yourself what you like, others deal with it 😎.
It could be argued this is the case but it's an important and interesting topic to address. I've received many a comment questioning why I refer to myself as an expat but in reality I am both.
I think that Cambridge dictionary explains the difference very well, it all depends on the intention and the purpose of the person who decided to leave his/her country, as a temporary or a permanent stay. In addition to that, the links the person keeps with his/her country and how often he/she comes back there also make a difference between an expat and an immigrant.
I am a dual Italian and an American citizen so I am not sure where I fit in. I was born and raised in the states but I also have Italian heritage which I am very proud of. I see myself as an Italian and an American though I know that some Italians (and perhaps Americans too) would say that I don't have the right to say that.
I say, feel free to define yourself as you see fit! In the end, people will always have opinions.
Well, for me the question has never arisen. I'm an immigrant and always have been because I came here from the UK for work 54 years ago last May and have never had any intention of going back. Elsewhere, perhaps but not to where I was born.😀😀
Good for you! 🙂
It's a political difference. I live in Britain and consider myself an immigrant although I may go elsewhere. My solidarity goes to others who don't have the privilege to choose
According to word reference expat (espatriato) also exists in Italian.
Yes, indeed.
Expat is the word chosen by the English-speaking world to reflect a sentiment of privilege and entitlement when describing themselves or others who move abroad. Immigrant is the term applied to (almost) everyone else. This distinction is passed along via the media, which means even people who do not feel any sense of superiority might reproduce these ideas. For context, I was born and grew up in Brazil. I have lived in the UK since 2016. Nobody has ever referred to me as an expat.
You're simply a citizen of the 21th century. A citizen of the world. Society might not have been accustomed to that yet but eventually it will have to, because in few years (and in most part of the world it is already like that) this is how people is gonna live their lives around the world.
Absolutely!
Apropos of nothing, is your mic connected to a spatula?
Ahahha yes! I explain why in the video I'm posting later today!
British people are immigrants since Brexit. Aliens as the American call us. Expat can be explained in the Cambridge dictionary as it wants but from a legal point of view British people in the EU are immigrants. We can call ourselves in what ever way we wish of course. And that makes us feel better as well. So let it be and let’s call ourselves expats. Nothing wrong with that at all. If you are in the EU from any state you are an EU citizen no matter in which state you reside. Moving from Budapest to Rome is like moving from Doncaster to Clacton in the UK. No difference. Simone from Budapest in Italy is neither an immigrant nor an expat but a fellow citizen. No need to even question it.
Uk is somewhat different and I am from London. But we must admit that we no longer are a part of this citizenship and have become immigrants. ( I’m EU now so this does not apply to me any longer ). As far as I am concerned Claire will always be a fellow citizen and can refer to herself as an expat with full freedom. And Claire please do not forget that more people emigrate from the UK the immigrate to the UK. So the UK is an historically emigrating country since way back when! Let us not forget this fact.
Nothing wrong in being an immigrant. No negative connotations either. Not everyone escapes to run away for a better life! Some people want a change in their life….. I must admit I escaped England because I hated the Tube and “ Mind the gap “…..lol but that is me…….
When I came to Italy in 1982 I started my book entitled “ L’espatriato “ “ The expat “. I chose to write it in Italian because I was in Italy. Unfortunately I have never been able to finish my expat story.
Ps we need immigrants to pay our pensions when we retire! Never forget this!
So I think you should do a third episode on this topic Claire. It is a delicate matter and you are talking as an expat that doesn’t want to be linked to an immigrant. There is nothing wrong with being an immigrant. Not all immigrants run away for a better life. Some choose to live in another area of the world. Nothing wrong. Not every immigrant is feeling poverty. So the millions of British emigrants all fled poverty???????? As did the Germans and the Italians? Nope !!!!!
Permesso di soggiorno = immigrant. Permis de sejour in French speaking areas. Expat is an general term for people that move from one country to another country. The EU is many states and one country as a rule of citizenship. It’s like in the UK people complained about Polish immigrants but they were not immigrants at all!!!!! What an insult to them! After Brexit they moved on a lot of them. I am British and I felt insulted on their behalf. They did nothing wrong but live within their free movement zone like Glasgow to Portsmouth.
We are expats because it sounds nicer. But we are also immigrants that has no negative connotations at all…..!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts - I agree that immigrant shouldn't carry such a negative tone but very often it does. I am very much in both camps as I said in the video. You should try to finish your book - I think it would be very interesting to read!
The dictionary definition doesn't tell the history of this word. Expatriate was used in the British empire for Brits living in the colonies on both a temporary and permanent basis. One couldn't call them immigrants because they were of a higher status than natives and such a word would upend the hierarchy. It always connoted extreme privilege and 'whiteness'.
This term then was used extensively when global corporations would post executives overseas for shory durations. This is the only case where it may be appropriate to refer to oneself as an expat. Everyone not in this category is an immigrant and the media cannot be solely blamed if actual immigrants keep bandying the word expat around.
I agree that there is a lot of privilege within the word 'expat', as I said in this video. I also recognise that there is historical meaning behind both terms. That said though I do believe that people should be free to define themselves as they feel comfortable but as I said in the video, I am very much both!
Isn’t it quite simple? Someone planning on leaving is an Expat, someone planning on staying is an immigrant. No critique of you, but this expat/immigrant thing seems like woke gone overboard. Call yourself what you like, others deal with it 😎.
It could be argued this is the case but it's an important and interesting topic to address. I've received many a comment questioning why I refer to myself as an expat but in reality I am both.
Can't we just be human beings or are we just has beens
I wish it were so too but sadly this is the new reality
Considering all the Italians in the UK Italy shouldn't treat the Brits in Italy with any disdain!
I have to be honest and say that I've never felt this because of where I'm from. The bureaucracy is what makes it hard though.