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Are you an expat, a migrant, an immigrant or a guest worker?
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This topic came up at a social gathering at which people from over a dozen countries were present. An elderly Asian gentleman was talking to a relatively young lady from the UK, and when she said that she's been working here for a few years he commented "Ah, a guest worker." She got ruffled and said no, she intends to stay permanently. When the man came back good naturedly with "So you're an immigrant" feathers started to fly and a heated debate followed. So I'm posting this with a link on the topic to see if any of you care to comment.
http://www.antropologi.info/blog/anthropology/2011/expats-and-migrants
""Mikek1300gt:
Why take offense?""'
Because when a person lives here and takes the rough with the smooth along with those who just happen to have the Nationality, telling that person they are a guest is likely to pizz them off. A guest does not usually pay, a lot. Suggesting they are a guest suggests they are here on sufferance only and they better behave.
Immigrant, as others have said, carries negative connotations. Here's an idea, stop labelling people who live and work between EU countries anything at all. What next, Southern UK starts telling Northerners that they are guests and /or immigrants?
"Your elderly Asian gentleman" is merely a figure of speech, you know him better than we do. ;-)
"Africans are immigrants. Arabs are immigrants. Asians are immigrants. However, Europeans are expats because they can’t be at the same level as other ethnicities. They are superior. Immigrants is a term set aside for ‘inferior races’."
For me, an immigrant is somebody coming from outside the EU and who has no intention of leaving. I don't think cross border workers in the EU deserve either guest worker or immigrant labels.
My French friends like the term "émigré" - i.e. someone who has consciously left their country of origin out of choice. They also seem to like the term "rescapé" of "nafragé", however, suggest that they are an "immigré", and you get a long diatribe verging on openly racist.
How on earth can origin within or outside the EU determine whether someone is, or is not, an immigrant?
My brother moved to Australia 30 odd years ago. Does the fact that we are British mean that he is not an immigrant?
I have never considered labelling myself but, if I must, then I am an immigrant. I moved to Belgium 20+ years ago and know that I am never going to return to live in the UK. How else can I be classified vis-à-vis my situation here?
""How on earth can origin within or outside the EU determine whether someone is, or is not, an immigrant?""
Because I am an EU citizen.
Do we live in the EU or not? If we do then we have a single market, jobs market, and freedom of movement. If that is true, and it is, then I firmly believe terms such as "guest" or "immigrant" are firmly out of date for those that treat the EU as home, rather than just one bit of it.
Yes, I do feel slightly differently if a person is not an EU citizen and wants to come and live in the EU. Then I think such terms could be used.
I no more expect to be called an immigrant or guest when I am working in any EU country any more than I would expect it if I moved from one end of the UK to the other to live and work. Besides, use those terms on people who feel they are at home like anyone else at a social gathering and see what you get.
No wait, ask Mimi! ;-)
Immigrant: a person who migrates to another country, usually for permanent residence.
Emigrant: a person who emigrates, as from his or her native country or region.
Nothing negative about either of these definitions. Nothing wrong in moving from one country to another and why you would let anyone make you feel inferior or shameful about such a move is beyond me. Nuff said.
Ya I'm here :-)
We can try to twist the meaning of words to our purposes. Or, to facilitate communication, we can accept word definitions and usage. Migrant and immigrant refer to being in another "country" and the EU is not one country. Movement of EU nationals from one member state to another is called officially, legally and in the major press (including UK press) "migration." Also in the articles of EU laws, if a person is from the UK or other EU member state is working here, this country is referred to as the "host country." At the end of last year there was a lot of noise following Mr. Cameron's proposed reforms of social security laws concerning "EU migration." So according to dictionary definitions and offical usage, a British citizen, for example, who lives and works in Belgium is considered an EU migrant living in a host member state, even if a person feels or thinks differently. What is needed is to shed our repulsion of being called, perhaps, anything but an expat, and to condemn the sensing of being called an immigraant or migrant as a derogatory word.
Hi Mimi it is seems to me is that people tend to give variable values to these words. At present there is a lot of negative press about immigration, migrant workers etc. I think that's why people get offended. It's because people attach negative values to these words. What a real shame migration offers people from all over the world the chance to change their lives and those of others often in a positive way.
Did the elderly gentleman live here was he also an immigrant? If one takes citizenship does that change ones status? I live here but I don't consider myself anything other than English, well maybe European.
I had a German neighbour in Overijse moved there after the war. He was complaining to us about the numbers of foreigners in the commune. He clearly considered himself a local after so many years. Despite the fact that he wasn't Belgian.
What a can of worms this is!
Ugg...........here we go again. Why must we argue over what proverbial box to put someone in? This only points out that there are ignorant people who exist.
Who cares about the title? You are not considered a native if you weren't born and raised here. It is obvious this Asian man didn't really have enough information about this UK woman before he shoved her into a proverbial box which I find most ignorant people do.
I wish we would as human beings quit sweating the small stuff and worry more about bigger and more concerning issues.
Expat, immigrant, guest worker.....................more labels to separate people.
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