What is your definition of an expat?

[El Duderino]

I have a real job here and my own apartment, I consider myself an "expat" even though I'm probably only going to be here for a year. Haters gonna hate.

 

[lejohnson]

I feel like the difference between expat and immigrant is connotational and comes down to what motivated a specific person to move to a new country. While expat and immigrant both explicity describe someone who moved from one country to live in another, expat seems to connote someone who chose to do so because they wanted to move and immigrate suggests someone who was motivated to leave their country of origin in search of something better.

For me, it's simply a matter of how the terms have been used. When I think of an expat, I think of "the Lost Generation of the 1920s" (Ernest Hemingway, James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, etc.) living in Paris between WWI and WWII. When I think of an immigrant, I think of immigration in the political sense and I inevitable imagine lower class Europeans moving to the United States for a "better life" and Mexicans and Central Americans crossing the border into the U.S. for a "better life".

 

[DontMindMe]

I don't consider study abroad kids or gap year folks expats. I think anyone with a job, bills, basically anyone with responsibilities and commitments here is an expat. For example, this web site was of no use to me as an English teacher my first year here, and I didn't know it existed. I certainly didn't need it. It was only when I started researching things like health insurance and various labor laws going into my second year that I came across it. Basically, when I stopped being a tourist and really started living here, which to me meant having a steady job and not relying on my savings to pay my way, or trips home to take care of things like doctors appointments, etc.

I find the semantics stuff annoying, like when you ask someone how often they go home and they jump to correct you and say, "This is my home!!" Home, home country, you knew what I meant, smart ass...I have a lot of respect for the people who have been here many years and all of the challenges they have faced, but some of them do get a superiority complex and obsess over the semantics a bit too much. If you want to call yourself an immigrant, knock yourself out. Everyone's doing their own thing. It's all good.

 

[Matt84]

it's the ultimate expression of anti nationalism, or in positive terms, of Globalism. In contrast to refugees and immigration, "expat" denotes (in English at least*) someone CHOOSING where to live and which government to enter tourist/resident/citizen contract with. In spite of the personal political beliefs of many expats, the mere fact of being one is an expression of "Libertarianism", or Internationalism in a very individualistic sense.

It's, in some cases, the moral triumph of choosing one's allegiances according to one's values.


*In Mediterranean as well as here in Buenos Aires, expat has a terribly negative connotation as it derives from a very harsh form of punishment from Roman times, the revoking of citizenship (kinda like being ran out of town)

 

[John.St]

Given I have only lived 6 years out of 50 in my country of birth, what does that make me...?

A bloody foreigner

 

[va2ba]

For me, to be an expat, you have to be living here for at least a year without a trip back to your home of more than a few weeks. All these people who split time between Argentina and elsewhere are not expats.

 

[fifs2]

What is your definition of an expat?

I read a lot of posts on here from people calling themselves expats or talking about their "move" to Argentina. But the large majority seem to be here for 1 year or less.

That (IMO) isn't being an expat. It's being on holiday or doing a year abroad.

So for me, I think there has to be a minimum time frame - maybe 2 years? And on top of that time period, I think a person has to have some type of roots here, be it a job or starting a business or marrying. Those things to me make someone an expat

Do you differentiate between expats and everyone else? If so, what makes an expat in your book?

Random musings on Xmas eve...

Hilarious, couldn't agree more. Every time I see a post with "moving to Bsas for X months I laugh" as that means I have been an expat in more than 10 different countries which simply isn't how I consider my stays of 0-6 months in various countries.
How about we take it back to the old Graham Green school of thinking and you're an expat when you frequent the British embassy, Council or Club parties and drink Pimms or G&Ts on at least a daily basis??

 

[Gringoboy]

I'm a Lovepat.
I came here for love and simply got caught up in all the rest

 

[citygirl]

How about we take it back to the old Graham Green school of thinking and you're an expat when you frequent the British embassy, Council or Club parties and drink Pimms or G&Ts on at least a daily basis??

If you can find me some Pimms, I'm in Has anyone ever found a place where they sell it here?

 

[CarverFan]

I've lived here 5 years and although I am planning to return home, still consider myself an expat, albeit a reluctant one. In fact, dreaming about home has been key to my survival here...