Best Posts in Thread: White people are expats and others are immigrants

I tend to agree more with CHMacQueen on this subject. I don't believe there is any racial component intended or attached to the use of either word. Just a different way of using the English language. I guess I'm a Expat-Immigrant. However in this country I will always and forever be a Foreigner. I have even had the pleasure of hearing the term foreigner used as a derogatory descriptor, but that is not how the person intended it.
My wife Lucy explained it to me this way. It depends on the education level of the person and what area of the Ph. they are from. When my wife told her uncle I am an American he asked "American what". He considers all foreigners some kind of American.
As far as the BI in Manila, After visiting the BI in Cebu last week for my 13A visa. I am pretty sure we are all recognized as walking ATM's running the treadmill of the Express lane

 

Load of nonsensse. Most see an expat as someone living abroad as their residence generally retired, and NOT eligible for immigrant status. Expat is actually to many lower status then an Immigrant. An expat can never belong to the new country and have equal rights that an immigrant can attain through gaining citizenship and full rights.

So to me the article is backwards. Expat is a term to disqualify people often white from developed countries from gaining full legal status and equal rights. They get to be an expat with many cutbacks and negatives.

Generally an immigrant can become a citizen. If in the Philippines that would mean allowed to own a firearm, allowed to work, own land, own a business, and not have certain negative laws directed at foreigners used against them. An expat however gets so many potential losses.

 

For work, I lived in Belgium, England, Austria, Hong Kong, Japan, Australia, Singapore, Philippines, and spent considerable work time in Germany, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Italy, Sweden, Denmark, China, Thailand, Malaysia, Korea, India, if I remember all of it correctly.
While that may look exotic to some, it took its toll on marriages and long and too many flights. Nevertheless, I enjoyed traveling and working outside of the U.S. than travelling and working all around the U.S. Some regrets but not many.

 

NAH! You don't scare me I have a Teenage Daughter

Back to the Plot, BI still seem to be amused by the word FOREIGNER, Manila us that word a lot when they change rules.

JP