What is an expatriate

Loughborough University

What is an expatriate?

Dr Sophie Cranston

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The term ‘expatriate’ is subject to some debate, with recent newspaper articles providing a starting point for discussion about the politics of separating expatriates from immigrants. In its technical definition, what differentiates an expatriate from an immigrant is the intention to stay— an expatriate expects to return home.

However, this intention to return was only mentioned by 20% of the survey respondents in their definition of expatriate.

This report explores some of the ways in which the term ‘expatriate’ has meaning today.

Key Points: • There are multiple ways in which the term expatriate can be understood— it is not just a technical term.

• The term expatriate is used to distinguish between groups of migrants and comes to be associated with privilege.

• In reflection of changing global work patterns, multinational organizations are moving away from the term expatriate.

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History of the Term Meanings of words do not stay still; they change. ‘Patria’ in Latin refers to one’s homeland, the literal meaning of expatriate being someone who has been banished from their native country.

Before the turn of the 20th Century, ‘expatriate’ signified inclusion into the USA where the migrant broke ties to their homeland— nation building for the USA.

1715 ‘He had deemed himself expatriated for the rest of his life’ Louis De Rouvoy writing the memoirs of Louis XIV. 1902 ‘To her we were lawless adventurers, exiles, expatriates, fugitives’ Captain Macklin: His Memoirs, Richard Harding Davis.

At the turn of the 20th Century, ‘expatriate’ comes to mean the loss of citizenship.

1944 ‘Expatriation of certain nationals of the United States: hearings before the Committee on Immigration and Naturalization…bills to expatriate certain nationals of the United States to create a Japanese Deportation Commission, and to deport disloyal Japanese’ United States, Congress, House of Representatives, Committee on Immigration and Naturalization.

By the 1960s, ‘expatriate’ becomes inclusive, a citizen abroad, referring to residence not citizenship.

1962 ‘THOUGH one is oneself one, One appreciates the objection, Expatriates are large and active, The menfolk. And the womenfolk, Are large and inactive, And they speak in loud voices.’ D.J. Enright poem ‘Expat.’

Expatriate, then, has had distinct meanings in the past, from changing citizenship to residence. It is a myth that it described colonial settlers prior to World War Two. Expatriate only became a term used to describe temporary migration in the 1960s.

From the 1960s, the use of the term expatriate, particularly in reference to international business, has increased significantly. This results in the second technical definition of the expatriate as a type of compensation package within the multinational organization, one which is associated with a substantial pay package and additional benefits for those employees sent overseas on a temporary basis.

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Meanings of Expatriate Today From asking my respondents ‘what does it mean to be an expatriate?’ there are four key ways in which the term expatriate was understood: immigrant, package, lifestyle, race. The definitions show how the term expatriate is used to distinguish groups of migrants from one another.

1.Immigrant Expatriate is used to describe a type of immigrant, one who is highly skilled.

One of the key ways in which the expatriate is understood is as an immigrant. This was the closest way in which respondents thought the expatriate resembled a technical definition.

“Living in a country other than your birthplace as a temporary status.”

“Someone who lives in a country which is different from where they were brought up.”

Within this technical definition distinctions are also made. For example, it comes to be used to describe a highly skilled migrant or a migrant who has skills which are seen as desired.

“A foreigner living in another country, working on a temporary contract basis, especially in white-collar jobs.”

“Being invited to a country to add to the economy of that country based on your desired skills.”

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2.Package Expatriate is a compensation package, one which is associated with understandings of being abroad as being a hardship.

The other technical way in which the expatriate is understood is as a type of package that multinational organisations offer for their employees that they send overseas on secondment. Usually tax equalised, the individual is paid on home terms, and incentivised with benefits, for example housing, a car, servants, education provision for children, healthcare and club membership. An expatriate is an individual who receives this type of package.

“Full expat benefits in package.”

This separation of package types again works to distinguish immigrants from one another, between those on expat and local packages. With the individual on the expatriate package being financially well-off, this becomes associated with financial privilege.

“The gilded packages, the airfares, housing, schools.”

“An overpaid obnoxious banker/broker getting paid too much and being too big for his or her boots.”

3. Lifestyle Expatriate is used to describe a privileged lifestyle while abroad.

Associated with the package, is the use of the term expatriate to describe a lifestyle while abroad. We can associate this lifestyle with a colonial imagery.

“I think it carries the image of the old colonial type of Brit with the pith helmet and safari suit sitting under a fan drinking gin.”

“Expat, champagne lifestyle”

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In this way, the expatriate becomes understood as a hedonist lifestyle linked in some ways to the transcience of the expatriate experience which means making the most of an experience while you can. This type of imagery then contributes to understandings of the expatriate as a privileged migrant.

“It’s a vision of someone sitting by the pool enjoying their life in a foreign country”

4. Race In making distinctions, expatriate is often used to distinguish western or white migrants from other immigration debates.

The way in which expatriate is used is often used by western migrants to distinguish themselves from immigration. This draws upon wider debates of immigration in Western media that portrays immigration in negative terms.

“Expat is synonymous with Western expatriates, usually Americans.”

This is often perceived in racial terms as expatriate comes to denote a white migrant.

“I can’t really get away from that. It’s the colour of your skin.”

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Organizational Use of Expatriate

My research indicated a shift in terminology within multinational organizations away from the ‘expatriate.’

There are two reasons behind this shift: • A decline in the traditional expatriate package; • The shift in multinational organizations towards global mobility as part of talent management.

1. As the traditional expatriate package is in decline and employees are paid on more local terms, multinational organizations are reframing the terminology they use to international assignment or secondment.

Two factors have led to a decline in traditional expatriate packages: • The global recession which has resulted in multinational organizations needing to reduce costs; • International secondments becoming increasingly common and desirable as part of individual’s career trajectories.

2. In reflection of a changing world economy, patterns of international assignments are becoming more global. We no longer see international assignments as individuals from the headquarters being sent to the subsidiaries, especially as international assignments become part of a training tool associated with talent management. This is reflected in a change of terminology in multinational organizations from human resource management to global mobility management.

“We are more about globally mobile people, so I don’t think the term expat wouldn’t fit with our global brand. I mean it’s almost colonial”

The term expatriate, it is no longer seen as appropriate for a globalized economy and workforce. Although expatriate may have a technical definition of people who migrate temporarily for work, the way in which the term is widely used distinguishes migrants from one another. We can argue that, in the 21st Century, it is time to change our terminology when talking about immigration.

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The research presented here is based upon qualitative research that looked both at management discussions of expatriates in the UK and how British migrants in Singapore responded to these. This includes 23 interviews with people who work in expatriate management, and 36 interviews with 39 British migrants in Singapore, alongside surveys data.

This ESRC project entitled ‘Following the Expatriate: Producing, Practising and Performing British Expatriate Identities in Singapore’ was carried out between 2010 and 2014 by Dr Sophie Cranston. For more information please see www.sophiecranston.com.

See: http://www.theguardian.com/global-development-professionals-network/2015/mar/13/whitepeople-expats-immigrants-migration.

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See Green, N.L., Expatriation, Expatriates and Expats: The American Transformation of a Concept, The American Historical Review, 114(2) 307-328.

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See Webster’s Dictionary. 2009. Expatriate: Webster’s Timeline History 1576-2007 ed. P.M. Parker.

San Diego, California: ICON Group International.

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See Enright, D. 1962. ‘Expat’ Times Literary Supplement 3154 10/8/1962. 568.