[secondaryacct]

I hate that. I call myself immigrant in my new country and I find it very snobish to call ourselves "expat".

In fact I did some tutoring to a school for poorer pupils, many of them second generation from the Philipines (so born in Hong Kong, where I immigrated, with two parents born in PH).

When I told them I was an immigrant they were dumbfounded "but then you re very lucky to have arrived here", I was like "not at all, immigration is a choice, you dont need to feel victim of it, we're not here by luck but by work and opportunity seizing".

Talking of immigrants as victims is like talking of africans as "subevolved" charity needing parasites: it hides most of the truth of it.

Every expat is an immigrant, every immigrant is an expat. You left for a reason, and it s always money or a girl.

[stjohnswarts]

I can't agree. they generally describe different situations and are used in different contexts. We have different "degree" words for all kinds of situations. I think it's people just trying to virtue signal on both sides though. People really overreact to what in the end is just a word.

[MisterSandman]

You're not disagree-ing, the different "contexts" are what is the issue here. The only difference between immigrant and expat is how rich and privileged the individual is. In the past, it's been used to differentiate between white "expats" working in India, and Indian "immigrants" being used as slave labor in other countries. Whether or not its virtue-siganlling is for you to decide for yourself.