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Expat or Immigrant?

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    #32
    Uncle Pierre
    Registered Users Posts: 1,494 ✭✭✭Uncle Pierre


    bmc58 wrote: »
    No such thing as "used to be Irish".If you're Irish you will always be Irish.And your home will always Ireland should you wish.

    I reckon that was just a joke. :D

    Actually believed for a good few years myself when I was younger that the term "ex-pat" referred to the Irish abroad only. As in when you're in Ireland, you're a Paddy. And when you're abroad, you're an ex-pat (or more correctly, an ex-Pat).


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    #33
    dwayneshintzy
    Registered Users Posts: 1,343 ✭✭✭dwayneshintzy


    I know of plenty of English/Australians/Canadians, etc in Hong Kong who are here 7+ years, have permanent residency and have little plan to return "home" any time soon. The vast majority of these people would still call themselves "ex pats".


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    #34
    NSAman
    Registered Users Posts: 3,438 ✭✭✭NSAman


    Only time I have ever heard the term ex-pat (and I have lived abroad for many years) is in Spain/Portugal / Africa / Middle East and normally it refers to the English who like to hang around in their own groups and not integrate with the culture they have moved into, let alone the people.

    Personally, I have always been an immigrant. Still am.


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    #35
    James Brown
    Closed Accounts Posts: 16,013 ✭✭✭✭James Brown


    I would imagine immigrants would call fellow countrymen/women 'expats'. It does seem to be more of a western or British associated term, but then you'd need ask an African or Asian if they've an equivalent.


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    #36
    Beasty
    Administrators, Social & Fun Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 76,552 Admin ✭✭✭✭✭Beasty


    I consider myself an "Ex-pat" from a UK perspective and an "immigrant" from an Irish perspective. I find neither term offensive in any way


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    #37
    Brian?
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 21,427 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    Actually the correct term is now "internationals" according to my company. We had to change the name of the ex pat society, that's really a group of immigrants to the Netherlands.

    We still have an ex pat centre in the city centre though, they need to get with the times.

    they/them/theirs


    And so on, and so on …. - Slavoj Žižek




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    #38
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Brian? wrote: »
    We still have an ex pat centre in the city centre though, they need to get with the times.

    Why?

    Surely, we should be pushing back at this urge to be offended or traumatized over commonly used phrases, that are essentially neutral. The term expat, by itself isn't positive or negative. It's just a vague label.


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    #39
    Zookey123
    Registered Users Posts: 340 ✭✭Zookey123


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Why?

    Surely, we should be pushing back at this urge to be offended or traumatized over commonly used phrases, that are essentially neutral. The term expat, by itself isn't positive or negative. It's just a vague label.

    Thats an interesting choice of words. We are allowed to point out the double standards that this word represents in todays society. Who exactly seems traumatised and offended the people trying to make a point about privilege or those trying their best to ignore it?


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    #40
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Zookey123 wrote: »
    Thats an interesting choice of words. We are allowed to point out the double standards that this word represents in todays society. Who exactly seems traumatised and offended the people trying to make a point about privilege or those trying their best to ignore it?

    What double standards? It's a word with no particular positive/negative associated with it. Westerners might use it, whereas an Asian person likely has their own word, in one of their own language to describe something similar. The only people looking to show a double standard are those who are looking to get offended on behalf of someone else.

    Think of the quote I responded to. "they need to get with the times." I don't see why we need to remove such a word..

    And yes... you are allowed to point out the double standards that it represents to you, but then, I'm also allowed to disagree. no?


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    #41
    CageWager
    Registered Users Posts: 545 ✭✭✭CageWager


    The Baader-Meinhof effect is thriving in 2020. Soon there won’t be a single utterance, gesture or expression that won’t be deemed racist.


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    #42
    Brian?
    Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators Posts: 21,427 Mod ✭✭✭✭Brian?


    [Deleted User] wrote: »
    Why?

    Surely, we should be pushing back at this urge to be offended or traumatized over commonly used phrases, that are essentially neutral. The term expat, by itself isn't positive or negative. It's just a vague label.

    It was sarcasm. I thought that was obvious.

    they/them/theirs


    And so on, and so on …. - Slavoj Žižek




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    #43
    Zookey123
    Registered Users Posts: 340 ✭✭Zookey123


    Deleted User wrote: »
    What double standards? It's a word with no particular positive/negative associated with it. Westerners might use it, whereas an Asian person likely has their own word, in one of their own language to describe something similar. The only people looking to show a double standard are those who are looking to get offended on behalf of someone else.

    You dont need to be black to call out racism, you dont need to be gay to call out homophobia and you certainly dont need to be an ethnic minority to call out white privilege. This notion of "looking to get offended on behalf of someone else" is a ridiculous one.
    Deleted User wrote: »
    Think of the quote I responded to. "they need to get with the times." I don't see why we need to remove such a word..

    Read the article it clearly explains the double standard associated with the word.
    Deleted User wrote: »
    And yes... you are allowed to point out the double standards that it represents to you, but then, I'm also allowed to disagree. no?

    I have never said you arent allowed to disagree. Dont get this false notion that anyone is interested in censoring you.


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    #44
    Lillyfae
    Registered Users Posts: 1,829 ✭✭✭Lillyfae


    Brian? wrote: »
    Actually the correct term is now "internationals" according to my company. We had to change the name of the ex pat society, that's really a group of immigrants to the Netherlands.

    We still have an ex pat centre in the city centre though, they need to get with the times.

    Ya, expat always strikes me as the middle aged men that used to be around here before the 2008 crisis, with wives and families back home in England who they saw once a month.

    I don't use the word expat to refer to myself, because that suggests I believe that there's a difference between me or the Turkish guy who has a kebab shop up the road. I find it elitist and exclusionary. I stay away from anywhere that has "Expat" in the name aswell. I say "International" if I'm speaking to other people in my position or "Foreigner" if I'm speaking to Dutch people. It might sound a bit self deprecating as a translation to English but that's the nuance of the language.


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    #45
    RasTa
    Closed Accounts Posts: 15,116 ✭✭✭✭RasTa


    An expat is someone who moves abroad and has no intention of learning the local language, mixing with locals and insists on eating and living the exact same way they did in their country of origin but they like the warmer climate


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    #46
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Brian? wrote: »
    It was sarcasm. I thought that was obvious.

    I've grown incapable of detecting it from online forums. Sorry. :o


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    #47
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 0 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Zookey123 wrote: »
    You dont need to be black to call out racism, you dont need to be gay to call out homophobia and you certainly dont need to be an ethnic minority to call out white privilege. This notion of "looking to get offended on behalf of someone else" is a ridiculous one.

    Just as "white" privilege is ridiculous, but apparently we have to deal with it nonetheless.

    Personally, I'd suggest that the people who would advocate against the use of expat would be the same people looking to advocate the concept of white privilege. As such, "people looking to get offended on behalf of someone else"
    Read the article it clearly explains the double standard associated with the word.

    Opinion piece. Different opinion.
    I have never said you arent allowed to disagree. Dont get this false notion that anyone is interested in censoring you.

    You raised it... that you were allowed to point it out, even though I didn't say you couldn't... so...


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