4 ms·

If you're poor, you're an immigrant. If you're rich, you're an expat.

by ucaetano 10y ago

twic 10y ago
If you're rich and old you're an émigré.
- robjan 10y ago
  They are an émigré from their country of birth or an immigrant into their new country.
blowski 10y ago
Reminds me of the Einstein quote: > If I am proved correct,” he said, “the Germans will call me a German, the Swiss will call me a Swiss citizen, and the French will call me a great scientist. If relativity is proved wrong, the French will call me a Swiss, the Swiss will call me a German, and the Germans will call me a Jew.
WildUtah 10y ago
^rich^white
CptJamesCook 10y ago
There have been dozens of articles written about rich "immigrant founders" the past few weeks. https://thenextweb.com/insider/2017/02/01/study-immigrant-startup-founders-create-159-new-jobs-average/ https://thenextweb.com/insider/2017/02/01/study-immigrant-st... http://fortune.com/2017/01/30/tech-immigrant-founders/ http://fortune.com/2017/01/30/tech-immigrant-founders/ https://hardavenue.com/immigrant-founders-trump-muslim-ban/ https://hardavenue.com/immigrant-founders-trump-muslim-ban/ etc
Swizec 10y ago
While this sounds true and everyone likes to harp on it, there's another consideration. An immigrant is somebody who intends to stay forever, an expat is someone who plans to go back home eventually. There are also legal considerations. My US visa for example specifically says it's a non-immigrant visitor's work visa. Legally speaking, I'm an expat. Culturally ... I like to call myself a dirty immigrant. Riles people up a bit :P edit for background: I come from the border between Central and Eastern Europe. Some say Slovenia is one, some say another. In the UK I would most definitely be an evil evil immigrant. In the US nobody really cares as long as I'm not brown.
- ucaetano 10y ago
  Same here, technically I'd be an expat in the country I currently live and work. But technically, an "illegal immigrant" from Mexico in the US is also an expat. So I'm an immigrant, and my grandparents were immigrants and refugees.
- notahacker 10y ago
  I've seen an awful lot of references to Eastern Europeans in short to medium-term stints in the UK as "migrant workers" and nearly as many characterisations of British retirees buying property in Spain as "expats"...
- NoMyGodIsThis 10y ago
  " I come from the border between Central and Eastern Europe. Some say Slovenia is one, some say another." Compulsory link, shirley? https://youtu.be/bwDrHqNZ9lo https://youtu.be/bwDrHqNZ9lo
  - Swizec 10y ago
    My house is actually about 50 meters to the right of that river. So I guess I'm from the Balkans.
- thecupisblue 10y ago
  As far as I remember, you're in SF right now? Mind sharing what kind of Visa you're on? Croatian here, so wondering what kind of Visa I could get to work in US except a H-1B.
deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
smnscu 10y ago
Reminds me of the recent The Grand Tour episode, when they mention how if you're famous for something positive you're called British, otherwise you're Scottish/Welsh.
- mjw1007 10y ago
  Do they give any reason to believe that what they're mentioning is true? I've looked informally for this phenomenon and I haven't been able to find it. The only concrete piece of research I know on a specific case came up negative: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-34909845 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-349098...
  - Retric 10y ago
    List of famious Scottish People often include J.K.Rowling as Scottish, but Wikipedia lists her as English. So, it probably only applies to people that can claim both as she was born in England, but wrote the books in Scotland.
    - falsedan 10y ago
      Scots have a saying: if you live here, you're Scottish.
  - falsedan 10y ago
    Andy Murray is a highly-visible recent example [0]. [0]: https://stv.tv/news/stirling-central/1360095-andy-murray-more-scottish-when-he-is-losing-poll-finds/ https://stv.tv/news/stirling-central/1360095-andy-murray-mor...
acchow 10y ago
It's about color, not wealth.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- stefantalpalaru 10y ago
  Not in Europe. White people coming from Eastern Europe are immigrants while white people coming from Western Europe are expats.
clamprecht 10y ago
Search Google Images for "expat" and "immigrant", and see what the difference is in the people you see in the photos. Skin color.

If you're poor, you're an immigrant. If you're rich, you're an expat.

twic 10y ago

If you're rich and old you're an émigré.

robjan 10y ago
They are an émigré from their country of birth or an immigrant into their new country.

blowski 10y ago

Reminds me of the Einstein quote: > If I am proved correct,” he said, “the Germans will call me a German, the Swiss will call me a Swiss citizen, and the French will call me a great scientist. If relativity is proved wrong, the French will call me a Swiss, the Swiss will call me a German, and the Germans will call me a Jew.

WildUtah 10y ago

^rich^white

CptJamesCook 10y ago

There have been dozens of articles written about rich "immigrant founders" the past few weeks. https://thenextweb.com/insider/2017/02/01/study-immigrant-startup-founders-create-159-new-jobs-average/ https://thenextweb.com/insider/2017/02/01/study-immigrant-st... http://fortune.com/2017/01/30/tech-immigrant-founders/ http://fortune.com/2017/01/30/tech-immigrant-founders/ https://hardavenue.com/immigrant-founders-trump-muslim-ban/ https://hardavenue.com/immigrant-founders-trump-muslim-ban/ etc

Swizec 10y ago

While this sounds true and everyone likes to harp on it, there's another consideration. An immigrant is somebody who intends to stay forever, an expat is someone who plans to go back home eventually. There are also legal considerations. My US visa for example specifically says it's a non-immigrant visitor's work visa. Legally speaking, I'm an expat. Culturally ... I like to call myself a dirty immigrant. Riles people up a bit :P edit for background: I come from the border between Central and Eastern Europe. Some say Slovenia is one, some say another. In the UK I would most definitely be an evil evil immigrant. In the US nobody really cares as long as I'm not brown.

ucaetano 10y ago
Same here, technically I'd be an expat in the country I currently live and work. But technically, an "illegal immigrant" from Mexico in the US is also an expat. So I'm an immigrant, and my grandparents were immigrants and refugees.
notahacker 10y ago
I've seen an awful lot of references to Eastern Europeans in short to medium-term stints in the UK as "migrant workers" and nearly as many characterisations of British retirees buying property in Spain as "expats"...
NoMyGodIsThis 10y ago
" I come from the border between Central and Eastern Europe. Some say Slovenia is one, some say another." Compulsory link, shirley? https://youtu.be/bwDrHqNZ9lo https://youtu.be/bwDrHqNZ9lo
- Swizec 10y ago
  My house is actually about 50 meters to the right of that river. So I guess I'm from the Balkans.
thecupisblue 10y ago
As far as I remember, you're in SF right now? Mind sharing what kind of Visa you're on? Croatian here, so wondering what kind of Visa I could get to work in US except a H-1B.

deleted 10y ago

[deleted]

smnscu 10y ago

Reminds me of the recent The Grand Tour episode, when they mention how if you're famous for something positive you're called British, otherwise you're Scottish/Welsh.

mjw1007 10y ago
Do they give any reason to believe that what they're mentioning is true? I've looked informally for this phenomenon and I haven't been able to find it. The only concrete piece of research I know on a specific case came up negative: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-34909845 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-349098...
- Retric 10y ago
  List of famious Scottish People often include J.K.Rowling as Scottish, but Wikipedia lists her as English. So, it probably only applies to people that can claim both as she was born in England, but wrote the books in Scotland.
  - falsedan 10y ago
    Scots have a saying: if you live here, you're Scottish.
- falsedan 10y ago
  Andy Murray is a highly-visible recent example [0]. [0]: https://stv.tv/news/stirling-central/1360095-andy-murray-more-scottish-when-he-is-losing-poll-finds/ https://stv.tv/news/stirling-central/1360095-andy-murray-mor...

acchow 10y ago

It's about color, not wealth.

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
stefantalpalaru 10y ago
Not in Europe. White people coming from Eastern Europe are immigrants while white people coming from Western Europe are expats.

clamprecht 10y ago

Search Google Images for "expat" and "immigrant", and see what the difference is in the people you see in the photos. Skin color.