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   Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Sunday, 25-Jan-2026 23:31:31 JST Evan Prodromou

   @fabio say "emigrant" then. If you're living outside of Brazil, you're not an immigrant to Brazil.

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Sunday, 25-Jan-2026 23:42:37 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     @fabio I intentionally chose "expatriate" as an accurate and clear term for describing citizens who live outside their nation of citizenship.

     "Expatriate" and "emigrant" are almost synonyms, but "emigrant" is less well known and suggests greater permanence.

     I considered "overseas citizens", "voters abroad", and other terms, but I settled on expatriate because it's clear and accurate.

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Sunday, 25-Jan-2026 23:43:43 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     @fabio I am aware of the concern you expressed.

     People from richer countries living in poorer countries often have the luxury of defining themselves by their relationship with their home country, so they call themselves "expatriates" and expect others to do so too.

     People from poorer countries don't have that luxury. They are defined by people in their new home country, so they are called "immigrants". Association with their country of origin is highlighted as a sign of unworthiness.

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Sunday, 25-Jan-2026 23:47:40 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     @fabio in this poll, I am specifically talking about the relationship with the country of origin. We are not talking about how people are viewed and defined in their country of residence.

     There are other terms, like diaspora, used for this kind of population.

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Monday, 26-Jan-2026 00:49:04 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     • May Likes Toronto

     @mayintoronto @fabio Great, you should definitely make that poll!

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     May Likes Toronto (mayintoronto@beige.party)'s status on Monday, 26-Jan-2026 00:49:05 JST May Likes Toronto

     in reply to

     @evan @fabio And further down the thread to:
     https://cosocial.ca/@evan/115956282132331931

     "Country of origin" also gets really messy if you have multiple citizenships and grew up in different places. Or if some citizenships no longer exist (like my birth place).

     A clearer, not-problematic question: "Should people who do not permanently reside in their country of citizenship have the right to vote?"

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     May Likes Toronto (mayintoronto@beige.party)'s status on Monday, 26-Jan-2026 00:49:07 JST May Likes Toronto

     in reply to

     @evan @fabio Fabio is right. Expatriate is a term that spun out of white colonizers living in the other parts of the world, where they have no intention of becoming a part of the society, including accepting citizenship.

     Would most people call Jamaican temporary foreign workers on Canadian farms that are treated as slave labour "expats"?

     When I went to China to work, was I a Canadian expat? Would I be considered one from the lens of a Chinese national vs a Canadian? The place where I was born is a part of China now. I don't even know what my rights are anymore with regards to my birth place. I'm a Canadian citizen.

     Expatriate is a term that's drowning in class, racism, and white colonial history. Perhaps you should reconsider its use.

   • Embed this notice
     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Monday, 26-Jan-2026 00:53:32 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     • May Likes Toronto

     @mayintoronto @fabio In Jamaica, people who are working overseas are called "Jamaicans abroad". There's also a slang term, "yardie".

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yardie

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Monday, 26-Jan-2026 00:56:40 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     • May Likes Toronto

     @mayintoronto @fabio In Canada, some people who work and live abroad are called "Canadians abroad":

     https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/living-abroad

     I also like "snowbirds" for the very specific set of people who live abroad only during the winter.

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowbird_(person)

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     Evan Prodromou (evan@cosocial.ca)'s status on Monday, 26-Jan-2026 00:58:01 JST Evan Prodromou

     in reply to

     • May Likes Toronto

     @mayintoronto @fabio Duly noted!

   • Embed this notice
     May Likes Toronto (mayintoronto@beige.party)'s status on Monday, 26-Jan-2026 00:58:02 JST May Likes Toronto

     in reply to

     @evan I'm asking you to reconsider your position on the term "expatriate", and to perhaps refrain from using it in this context in the future.

     I don't care about the poll itself, since I know that editing is not an option.

     @fabio

   • Embed this notice
     rakoo (rakoo@blah.rako.space)'s status on Monday, 26-Jan-2026 02:52:40 JST rakoo

     in reply to

     • May Likes Toronto
     @evan @mayintoronto @fabio
     
     French perspective: "expat" is used for french people who live abroad, sometimes for years, but still feel more french than anything else. Foreign people who live in France might be called expat if they come from a rich country, but immigrant if coming from a poor country. So "expat" really is a marker of being part of the proper, rich, white countries, aka good old racism