I admit it: I liked calling myself an expat. Something about the word sounded cool, even though no Mexican has ever called me, or any other foreigner I know, an “expatriada.” They refer to us as either extranjeros or gringos.
I thought of this recently when two Mexico News Daily readers commented that my use of the word ‘expat’ in an article I wrote was offensive and elitist. I pointed out, defensively, that the Oxford Dictionary’s definition of expat is pretty innocuous: “a person who lives outside their native country.”
What’s not to like? But while the word ‘expat’ may seem neutral at first, its implications are not. As you probably remember from high school English class, there’s denotation, the literal, textbook meaning of a word, as opposed to connotation, the subjective idea or sense — positive or negative, but rarely neutral — associated with that word. And it turns out, the connotation of the word “expat” is very charged.
Unpacking the terms expat, immigrant, and migrant
What makes one person an expat and another an immigrant? I doubt most foreigners who move to Mexico think of themselves as ‘immigrants’. Moving here, for most of us, is a lifestyle choice and not the result of economic deprivation or dire circumstances in our home country, such as oppression or persecution. Even those foreigners who move to Mexico because they can’t afford to buy a home in the U.S. are still privileged economically, compared to most Mexicans.
The truth is, the word expat carries assumptions about class, race, education, affluence, and privilege, and usually refers to Western white people working or retiring abroad.
There are a few exceptions. For example, I’ve met professionals from India who work in the US high-tech sector. Although they’re not White, the kind of work they do gives them expat status (although they may be perceived as immigrants because they’re dark-skinned, just as affluent African Americans are sometimes stereotyped as people on welfare).
“Migrants” are people searching for higher pay and better living conditions, who move back and forth across a border to find work, like seasonal crop harvesting or construction. I’ve never met a foreign resident in Mexico who picks avocados and sends money back to their family in the U.S., the way Latino migrants in California pick strawberries and send money back to Mexico.
Then there are the foreigners who work within the Mexican economy, who don’t fit into any of these categories. In Guanajuato, for example, where my husband and I live, we know foreign residents who teach English at the University of Guanajuato or perform as musicians in the university symphony. Their salary is decent only by Mexican standards, and their pensions are small. These foreigners have the privilege that comes with skin color, without the usual economic advantages.
To me, the word “immigrant” sounds less affluent, more like a person searching for better economic opportunities, than the word expat, which sounds classy and hip. No wonder I liked the sound of it.
Changing the words we use will not, by itself, change the inequities that privilege brings, but it’s a start. How we refer to ourselves and others carries weight. I, for one, have decided not to use the term ‘expat’ anymore. I’m an extranjera, a foreign resident of Mexico.
How do you feel about the word expat being offensive in nature? Does it describe us best, or is there another word you would use when describing yourself?
Louisa Rogers and her husband Barry Evans divide their lives between Guanajuato and Eureka, on California’s North Coast. Louisa writes articles and essays about expat life, Mexico, travel, physical and psychological health, retirement and spirituality. Her recent articles are on her website, https://authory.com/LouisaRogers.
I think that the term/word immigrant denotes a person who has formally immigrated to Mexico and obtained citizenship, while an expat is a foreign citizen who lives in Mexico who has permission (or not) to to live and work in Mexico.
I like extranjero as well. The word feels neither positively nor negatively charged. It is a simple description of a person living in Mexico who is from a different country. “Expat” feels too privileged and harkens back to colonial times like British citizens living in India.
Absolutely agree and am now adopting that as my word!!! Until now I’ve eschewed gringo, expat and used Immigrant as the word I felt comfortable with. But I like this better. Thank you.
ff
As The editor of a bilingual newspaper in Mexico I have instructed our translators to use the word ex pet instead of foreigner, because foreigner in english contains a connotation that is slightly negative.A person who doesn’t belong whereas, expat is merely a person who lives in a country other than their country of original birth or citizenship.
EXPAT, not ex pet (although there are plenty of ex-pets here
Jajaja
First, I cannot see an article unless I put something in comments, such as ff.
Second, exppat all to often refers to gringos who have moved to other countries who start drinking in the morning and continue all day. While this may be a stereotype, I have seen this all too frequently.
I have to confess I’m surprised at the negative connotations the readers above find in the word “expat,” short for expatriate. I find it totally neutral. The word extranjero to me sounds just like what it means: “I’m a foreigner.” To me, it doesn’t mean that you may live in Mexico. It means I’m just a foreigner. I may be here today but gone tomorrow. Expat to me indicates a note of belonging, of saying “I live here!” I cast my vote for expat.
The word extranjero really isn’t correct for those who live/work in Mexico and are residents. Technically it does mean foreigner. The proper word would seem to be immigrant. Expatriate, someone who is living outside their native country, would also be correct. I refer to myself as an immigrant. Perhaps I do so because I’m an activist and one of the groups I work with are immigrants in the US. However, I know many Mexicans that refer to us as either Gringo, Expat, or Americans (please don’t start arguing on that one). I’m not sure why we should shy away from being immigrants, technically our visas are immigrant visas.
In my opinion this really shouldn’t be an issue. I agree with Barri in that we are immigrants. I also believe expat, short for expatriot, is 100% acceptable, purely from a definition perspective. I don’t take offense to gringo or even white boy. I believe that as long as comments are made with positive intent, I don’t care what YOU think. Life is a lot more enjoyable when you quit taking offense to every little thing. Just be a decent human. Do the best you can and chill out. Who cares if using the word expat “sounds” elitist. It is the correct descriptor. After all, just by having the ability to be living in Mexico, we kind of are elitist and/or privileged – especially to 90% of the citizens in our new country. Be nice and treat everyone with respect and regardless of what you call yourself, or others call you, and you can rest easy. I’m fairly certain that the person who called you out, is a busy body American “Karen” making up an issue where there isn’t one. I’ve been in Mexico off & on for almost a decade and this is the very first time I’ve heard of this, and it’s the last time I give it any thought. 🤙✌️&❤️
How about simply “I moved here a
Let’s try that again. I always just say I moved here three years ago from Canada and leave it at that.
yep.
I agree with Gregory Davis. The word expat to me always conjures up the British in “Inja” Riding crops, handlebar moustaches, gin y tonics in the mess, tea wallahs, treating Indians like cattle/slaves.
Detroit62 Yes, short and sweet.
I was an economic immigrant from Ireland to England and then on to Canada and subsequently a climate immigrant to Mexico. 🇲🇽
Climate immigrant, I like that Maggie.
Back in 2015, I wrote a similar opinion piece for another online news source. I’m happy to share the text here:
MÉRIDA, YUCATÁN – A recent article in UK newspaper The Guardian has the Twittersphere ablaze. Headlined “Why are white people expats when the rest of us are immigrants?” it fails to answer its own question, instead quoting faintly racist stereotypes to back up the author’s belief that Europeans and “western white people” (a somewhat curious and inflammatory definition in itself, at least to me) living in other countries are expats, while everyone else living away from their home country is an immigrant.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines an expat (expatriate) as “A person who lives outside their native country” and an immigrant as “A person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country.”
It seems to me that it is a question of perception, and how we choose to define the words, and, indeed define ourselves. All though my life, I have considered an ‘expat’ to be someone living and working in a country other than his/her country of birth/citizenship, usually on a temporary (although maybe long term) basis, generally employed in a position arranged before arrival in the foreign country, often by an international company. I always considered an ‘immigrant’ to be someone who moves to another country on a permanent basis, often (but not always) for economic reasons, who goes through the process of becoming a permanent resident or citizen of that country. On reflection today, I find these definitions increasingly irrelevant.
Historically, the ‘tired, poor, huddled masses’ clearly fell into the ‘immigrant’ category, despite the fact that they were overwhelmingly European; of course in 1883 the ‘expat’ concept was yet to be invented. More recently, especially in the countries where the ‘western white people’ originate, the term ‘immigrant’ has taken on a much more negative connotation, often used to imply someone from a poor country moving to a rich one (perhaps illegally) to take advantage of social benefits, and frequently used in a derogatory fashion.
Here in Mérida, we have a large number of foreigners resident in the city, referred to by many as ‘the expat community’. This group is indeed largely comprised of “western white people”; in this case primarily (although not exclusively) from the USA; some are here short term, some long, and some with the intention to remain permanently in México. I myself am a member of this demographic, i.e. a “western white person” residing in Mérida. I don’t consider myself an ‘expat’ or an ‘immigrant’ though by my own definition; however don’t mind if others wish to use those terms to describe me.
México is my home, yet I wasn’t born here. I don’t feel the need to label myself with terms I consider outdated, or to define my place of residence according to arbitrary lines drawn on maps centuries ago by warlords and meddling colonial masters. I’m sure I could feel equally at home in Paraguay or Botswana as I do in México if I so chose; the color of my passport and the accident of my birth on a particular piece of land are irrelevant. Nationality becomes a state of mind; as does one’s status as an ‘expat’, an ‘immigrant’, or, as in my case, neither. I am someone who lives in México.
I find this a fascinating topic. I entered the comment section believing that estranjero Was my chosen name for Myself. Now I consider the term to be generic. It defines who I am, but that does not define what I am. Personally, I call myself viajero. I will be in Mexico, 3 1/2 months this winter. I wias here last year also. But next year I might be in Colombia. That means that I am a traveling foreigner in Latin America. Immigrant defines legal status as does resident And intent to make it permanent.. I believe there is a Hierarchy ofTerminology. For example, is a tourist an expat? Thanks for the post Louisa. It was a conversation opener!
Great article as usual, Louisa! For me an expat visits for convenience while an immigrant moves due to need and it’s usually permanent – including their offspring. Expat is a “bougie” word because it requires certain privilege that only a small percentage of people enjoy (whether they’ve earned it, inherited it or stolen it). The people I see who tend to have a problem with the word expat usually do not enjoy the privilege. So, it’s not a disagreement with the definition but rather that someone would label themselves publicly as having that privilege. Extranjera works – but it is the most generic or terms. ‘Extranjera’ would include any foreigner – tourist, student, expat, immigrant, visiting president, etc who is in the country. The word expat accurately (certainly with a negative connotation for many) describes the person – visiting at length whenever they want because a) it suits them and b) they can. Saludos!
To me, the word “expat” meant leaving your original country behind, not returning much or at all. In my first year here I was so surprised that these other Americans went “home” around Easter. Are they expats or snowbirds? I feel an expat is one who considers their new country to be their real home, not a second home.
People who use the word expat sound silly. Where are you? Morocco in the 30’s?
I like the terms the Mexican Government uses: “Tourist” (less than 6 months), “Temporary Resident”, “Permanent Resident” and “Citizen”. They give a better sense of an individual’s commitment and history of living in Mexico.
I’ve always used “visitor”/”visitante” since 1976 and lately residency…