Do you consider yourself an immigrant?

[Samurai_Jerk]

I saw this opinion piece which asks why white people are expats and everyone else immigrants. I never really thought about it but I guess it's true. Although in the Tokyo gaishikei world I've found that when people say expat they usually mean someone sent from HQ on an expat package. I'm curious though how many of you FG's think of yourselves as immigrants though.

[wagyl]

My feeling is that the difference between the terms is that there is an expectation, either on the part of the person himself and/or on the part of the receiving community, that the expat will one day repat. The immigrant is not expected to go home back to where you came from, you darkie scum.

[Samurai_Jerk]

My feeling is that the difference between the terms is that there is an expectation, either on the part of the person himself and/or on the part of the receiving community, that the expat will one day repat. The immigrant is not expected to go home back to where you came from, you darkie scum.

Yeah, I think a lot of Western FG consider themselves temporary visitors even if they've been here for a decade or more. I guess they don't want to accept the fact they might be a lifer. When people ask me if I'm going to stay forever I always say I have no plans to leave but I also haven't committed to staying. It's not that I'm in limbo it's just that I'm cool either way.

[matsuki]

My feeling is that the difference between the terms is that there is an expectation, either on the part of the person himself and/or on the part of the receiving community, that the expat will one day repat. The immigrant is not expected to go home back to where you came from, you darkie scum.

LOL

Mawuna Remarque Koutonin is editor of SiliconAfrica.com and a social activist for Africa Renaissance.

Hate whitey much?

[Cyka UchuuJin]

I saw that article as well, and think the author is an idiot. I know plenty of non-whites who are expats.
I think it completely depends on the individual and how they feel about the place they've chosen to live. Expats don't necessarily repatriate (or intend to someday do so), they choose to live outside of their birth/citizenship country. Some country hop, some stay for 5-10 years or more. Expats don't generally integrate/fully immerse into the society they're residing in. Immigrants make a decision to establish a permanent life somewhere.
In Kenya, I am an immigrant. In Denmark and Japan, I'm an expat. I'm here to do a job and have no intention to make this permanent. If I decided to stay here for love or because I develop an attachment to the culture/society that I feel has become part of my soul, then I would immigrate.

[Coligny]

I'm considered a tourist no matter where no matter what... Expat would be a welcome upgrade...

Tourism in japan sux...

[Takechanpoo]

in my theory, western white ppl living in japan are poor patients continuing having forever-prolonged medical treatments in rehabilitation facility aka japan which is like a moms moist warm pussy tolerating all of your defects just because you are white gaijins and making your miserable childhood forgotten.
actually look at around you. only silly empty-headed bitches, yeah
nevertheless you guys always behave like aristocrats. it really makes me giggle.

[matsuki]

in my theory, western white ppl living in japan are poor patients continuing having forever-prolonged medical treatments in rehabilitation facility aka japan which is like a moms moist warm pussy tolerating all of your defects just because you are white gaijins and making your miserable childhood forgotten.
actually look at around you. only silly empty-headed bitches, yeah
nevertheless you guys always behave like aristocrats. it really makes me giggle.

As much as I like Take's mom's "moist warm pussy," most of the FG I know are in support positions, doing things the local "silly empty-headed bitches" can't. I won't even get into the engineering side of things. Although I don't put myself up there with them, this morning I did show my boss how to answer his smart ho when he has an incoming LINE call

[Grumpy Gramps]

Hmm, I am not an expat, wasn't sent here by anyone's HR. And not an immigrant, as I don't feel that this is or will ever be what I'd call home, though I think, I don't really know, where or what "home" is for me.

Maybe I am just a "transcendant"

[Yokohammer]

Hmm, I am not an expat, wasn't sent here by anyone's HR. And not an immigrant, as I don't feel that this is or will ever be what I'd call home, though I think, I don't really know, where or what "home" is for me.

Maybe I am just a "transcendant"

I like it. Much better than being a "transient."

[Coligny]

Hmm, I am not an expat, wasn't sent here by anyone's HR. And not an immigrant, as I don't feel that this is or will ever be what I'd call home, though I think, I don't really know, where or what "home" is for me.

Is where your cat is...

[wagyl]

Wherever you hang your cat?

[kurogane]

Ba dum Bum............

ＰＳ　Ｉ　ｈａｖｅ　ａｌｗａｙｓ　ｎｏｔｉｃｅｄ　the distinction between NA English and Other Englishes usage of the term Expat. I agree with SamJ that it tends to mean a corporate post abroad, usually involving a transfer whilst already employed. I have met Australian backpackers in Thailand that talked about being expats. To NA ears it seems at best pretentious if not just wrong, but non-NAs use it so much I think the semantic difference is legit. It seems to be creeping into NA use to mean Living Abroad as well, but those are the same sort of lemmings that say Cheers, mate! and No worries! in a standard North American accent, which we can all agree is like wearing socks with sandals. Or shorts over long johns.

[legion]

Do you consider yourself an immigrant?

Yes, or economic migrant to be more precise. Considering us white anglo saxon protestants are all migrants I say read Frank Stenton and appreciate what we are over compensating for.

[Samurai_Jerk]

It seems to be creeping into NA use to mean Living Abroad as well, but those are the same sort of lemmings that say Cheers, mate! and No worries! in a standard North American accent, which we can all agree is like wearing socks with sandals. Or shorts over long johns.

I can't fucking stand it when Americans start talking like that. I don't give a fuck if all your friends are English, Australian, or whatever. You sound like a douche bag. Although I do sometimes wish "take the piss" would enter the North American vernacular. I feel like we don't have an adequate equivalent.

[matsuki]

Although I do sometimes wish "take the piss" would enter the North American vernacular. I feel like we don't have an adequate equivalent.

I had some nutjob computer teacher in middle school who made us type up some some sort of summary of a short story...typing/formatting practice or something like that. I never really got in trouble much back then so it was quite a shock to be suddenly grabbed by the arm and dragged ( I mean literally...bitch never said a word to me but I was too much in shock to really fight back) to the principals office at the end of class. She was obviously off but I had never heard anything but praise from her before that day so I was really confused at how angry she was and what was happening. (and the students I was dragged by in the halls must have thought I had done something really crazy) Apparently, in my summary of the short story I had written "he was pissed off" (thank my mom for using that phrase all the time) to indicate the character was angry...and the nutty teacher was red in the face crying/screaming at the principal about my "inappropriate and vulgar description of urination."



I can only imagine how insane her reaction would have been if I managed "take the piss" in there.

The principal wasn't moved by Mrs. Nutty but that didn't stop her from demanding an apology and making me change the wording. I want to say she must have been some sort of church nutter but I never once heard her say anything religious so there's that.

[Samurai_Jerk]

nutter

That's exactly the type of thing I'm talking about.

[matsuki]

As long as we don't adopt words like "wanker" and "cheeky" I'm all for it.

[omae mona]

It seems to be creeping into NA use to mean Living Abroad as well, but those are the same sort of lemmings that say Cheers, mate! and No worries! in a standard North American accent, which we can all agree is like wearing socks with sandals. Or shorts over long johns.

I can't fucking stand it when Americans start talking like that. I don't give a fuck if all your friends are English, Australian, or whatever. You sound like a douche bag. Although I do sometimes wish "take the piss" would enter the North American vernacular. I feel like we don't have an adequate equivalent.

Fuck, we don't use "no worries" in North America? This is a serious question. I have a feeling I've turned into a douche bag without realizing it. I honestly lost track.

[Mike Oxlong]

It seems to be creeping into NA use to mean Living Abroad as well, but those are the same sort of lemmings that say Cheers, mate! and No worries! in a standard North American accent, which we can all agree is like wearing socks with sandals. Or shorts over long johns.

I can't fucking stand it when Americans start talking like that. I don't give a fuck if all your friends are English, Australian, or whatever. You sound like a douche bag. Although I do sometimes wish "take the piss" would enter the North American vernacular. I feel like we don't have an adequate equivalent.

Fuck, we don't use "no worries" in North America? This is a serious question. I have a feeling I've turned into a douche bag without realizing it. I honestly lost track.

Walter White used it on Breaking Bad. That's some fairly mainstream usage going on.

[matsuki]

It seems to be creeping into NA use to mean Living Abroad as well, but those are the same sort of lemmings that say Cheers, mate! and No worries! in a standard North American accent, which we can all agree is like wearing socks with sandals. Or shorts over long johns.

I can't fucking stand it when Americans start talking like that. I don't give a fuck if all your friends are English, Australian, or whatever. You sound like a douche bag. Although I do sometimes wish "take the piss" would enter the North American vernacular. I feel like we don't have an adequate equivalent.

Fuck, we don't use "no worries" in North America? This is a serious question. I have a feeling I've turned into a douche bag without realizing it. I honestly lost track.

Walter White used it on Breaking Bad. That's some fairly mainstream usage going on.

Did he? I don't remember that but I could be oblivious since my Aussie friends have hammered that into my head over the years.

[Samurai_Jerk]

It seems to be creeping into NA use to mean Living Abroad as well, but those are the same sort of lemmings that say Cheers, mate! and No worries! in a standard North American accent, which we can all agree is like wearing socks with sandals. Or shorts over long johns.

I can't fucking stand it when Americans start talking like that. I don't give a fuck if all your friends are English, Australian, or whatever. You sound like a douche bag. Although I do sometimes wish "take the piss" would enter the North American vernacular. I feel like we don't have an adequate equivalent.

Fuck, we don't use "no worries" in North America? This is a serious question. I have a feeling I've turned into a douche bag without realizing it. I honestly lost track.

Walter White used it on Breaking Bad. That's some fairly mainstream usage going on.

It's definitely crept into American English. I've been surprised to hear my father and some of my friends use it in recent years when I visited. It seems there are more Britishisms creeping in too. Harry Potter and South Park have made the term ginger for redhead mainstream. I guess it's only fair considering how many Aussies, Brits, Irish I've heard use dude.

[matsuki]

Ginger minge from GOT....something about that word just works....minge

[Mike Oxlong]

Remember some Americans I used to bump into from time to time utterly confused by "to be pissed" meaning "to be wasted" in some circumstances, and "to be upset/angry" in others.

[wagyl]

Although I do sometimes wish "take the piss" would enter the North American vernacular. I feel like we don't have an adequate equivalent.

Do Americans actually extract the urine that often? I get the feeling that that level of sarcasm and mockery is not welcome in public, and may be the sort of thing you only tolerate from your little sister, and then only because your mother is watching to make sure you don't punch her.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Remember some Americans I used to bump into from time to time utterly confused by "to be pissed" meaning "to be wasted" in some circumstances, and "to be upset/angry" in others.

You'd have to add "away" for that that to mean wasted.

[wagyl]

Remember some Americans I used to bump into from time to time utterly confused by "to be pissed" meaning "to be wasted" in some circumstances, and "to be upset/angry" in others.

You'd have to add "away" for that that to mean wasted.

I think he is referring to wasted from alcoholic intoxication, not money pissed away/pissed down a drain. In my dialect, you are pissed off that your mates got pissed last night but didn't invite you, but at least you didn't piss away your wages.

A rich and deep idiom, the English language. This example shines out like a strand of gold.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Remember some Americans I used to bump into from time to time utterly confused by "to be pissed" meaning "to be wasted" in some circumstances, and "to be upset/angry" in others.

You'd have to add "away" for that that to mean wasted.

I think he is referring to wasted from alcoholic intoxication. In my dialect, you are pissed off that your mates got pissed last night but didn't invite you.

Oh yeah. That meaning is completely absent from American English. It shouldn't be too tough to figure out in context but I guess if you've never heard it it would be confusing.

Although I do sometimes wish "take the piss" would enter the North American vernacular. I feel like we don't have an adequate equivalent.

Do Americans actually extract the urine that often? I get the feeling that that level of sarcasm and mockery is not welcome in public, and may be the sort of thing you only tolerate from your little sister, and then only because your mother is watching to make sure you don't punch her.

It's really regional. People on the West Coast definitely can't handle it because they're a bunch of PC pansies. In the South they have too much pride so you have to be careful or you might get hurt. In the North East all you do is brutally and sarcastically mock your friends day in and day out.

[Russell]

Although I do sometimes wish "take the piss" would enter the North American vernacular. I feel like we don't have an adequate equivalent.

I had some nutjob computer teacher in middle school who made us type up some some sort of summary of a short story...typing/formatting practice or something like that. I never really got in trouble much back then so it was quite a shock to be suddenly grabbed by the arm and dragged ( I mean literally...bitch never said a word to me but I was too much in shock to really fight back) to the principals office at the end of class. She was obviously off but I had never heard anything but praise from her before that day so I was really confused at how angry she was and what was happening. (and the students I was dragged by in the halls must have thought I had done something really crazy) Apparently, in my summary of the short story I had written "he was pissed off" (thank my mom for using that phrase all the time) to indicate the character was angry...and the nutty teacher was red in the face crying/screaming at the principal about my "inappropriate and vulgar description of urination."



I can only imagine how insane her reaction would have been if I managed "take the piss" in there.

The principal wasn't moved by Mrs. Nutty but that didn't stop her from demanding an apology and making me change the wording. I want to say she must have been some sort of church nutter but I never once heard her say anything religious so there's that.

Hmm, she was just trying to take the piss out of you. Nothing wrong with that.

[wagyl]

He's just a cheeky wanker anyway.