#expats and migrants

[thoughtlessarse]

Brits living in France have described keeping their head low and fear their rights will be eroded under a far-right government that has pledged to crack down on immigration British expats and foreigners living in France fear that their rights could be eroded under a potential far-right government after the National Rally (RN) pledged to crack down on immigration. Opinion polls ahead of the first round of voting on Sunday have suggested the RN has a comfortable lead of 33 per cent – 36 per cent of the popular vote, with a hastily assembled left-wing coalition, the New Popular Front, in second place on 28 per cent – 31 per cent and Macron’s centrist alliance in third on 20 per cent – 23 per cent. The far-right party led by Marine Le Pen and Jordan Bardella has announced plans to ban dual nationals from holding key “strategic positions” in the defense or security sectors as well as scrap the right of nationality for children born in France and raised by foreign parents. It also plans to restrict welfare and healthcare access for foreigners and preference some people for welfare payments in a breach of EU rules. The crackdown has affected the mood of British expats and foreigners living in the UK who don’t have French nationality, with some feeling like their future in their adopted home is in doubt. David Schischka Thomas is an art dealer and DJ from Birmingham who has been living in France for eight years with his wife, near Limoges. He said the current election has led them to think hard about their future in the country. “We have lived through the rise of the far right in the UK with all the racism, hatred, misinformation, and then the polarisation caused by Brexit,” he told i. “I am now worried that France will go the same way.” “My wife is black and we are both very anti-far right,” he adds.

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If the far-right win in France, the racism will eclipse the huge rise in racism in the UK after brexit. The French are very racist but refuse to see it. Those on the far-right complain about migrants not integrating into French society but apply for a job with a foreign name in France and you're automatically put behind all the French names. If your name is Arab or African you'll be last in the queue. If you're Black or Arab your housing choices will be very limited meaning you'll probably end up in one of the banlieues that surround large cities, places where the people that could not advance in French society are put and hence home to large numbers of disaffected French-born "migrant" youth.

[thebusylilbee]

"expats aren't migrants" ...are they not now ? from whose point of view exactly ?

[sembulapeyalneerpol]

i have yet to meet anyone who calls themselves expat seriously, but i never understood it

[poffertjes]

Something that bothers me as a person who is currently not a migrant but was a expat/family are foreign migrants right now is this weird interplay that happens between being in my home country and my parents/brother not bring in my home country. Like. My extended family is largely in the US and my immediate family is in China. I'm in the US. So if I want to introduce a partner to my family they'll probably meet my aunt/uncle/cousins before they ever meet my parents or brother. There's even a non-zero change that they'll meet extended extended family (in the Netherlands!) before they meet my parents.

I love my extended family but like they aren't exactly people I like or want to be around very often. I would very much not like a partner's first introduction to my family to be my beloved aunt and her crazy husband. I don't want introducing a person beloved to me to be a stressful experience and that's just when I introduce friends to my uncle for only 5 minutes! I can't imagine how horrible it would be to introduce a partner to them for any period of time, especially something longer than an hour. Doing so before meeting my parents and sibling? Honestly heartbreaking. I don't have a partner right now so this isn't an issue. I just realized it while I was visiting and now I'm smad (sad and mad).

[thereluctanthousewife]

How to Cope with the Psychological Challenges of Moving Overseas

It's been seven months since we relocated...

In some ways, the move has been smooth, and in others, it has been quite challenging.

For the past decade, every two years or so, moving and adapting to new cultures have been the story of our lives. I'd almost convinced myself that those days were over - until we got the call to move again. Now, here we are, in a world that's foreign yet familiar.

You'd think that moving as many times as we have would make us experts. Logistically, we probably are. We've coordinated our movements like a dance. He shortlists favorite homes, while I cut it down even further. I research schools (when relevant), coordinate with enrollments... He calls suppliers and I do operations. We've learned to adjust our belongings to fill in our space, to bring toys and items that make our new house feels like home, and to find joy in the little things.

Physical challenges are easier to cope with than mental ones.

FIRST THINGS FIRST. Researching a place is always good, but it's best to have clear expectations. Living somewhere is very different from visiting - and even more than reading about it.

Keep your eyes open. There are certain things that will inevitably happen, and it's good to be prepared. Loneliness, culture shock, frustration, confusion... They can all come at varying times with varying degrees. It's quick to dismiss it happening to you, but it will, and when it does, take it easy on yourself.

2. You're only as happy as your happiest child.

I heard this from another mom before. At the time, it didn't fully encapsulate my situation. But now that my kids are grown and moving is more traumatic for them, it resonates so much with me.

Logistically, finding good schools for kids is of paramount importance. The older kids get, the more time they spend away from home and at school. Getting a "feel" for the school and students is a bonus. If you have the chance, take it.

Whenever we move, we always prioritize securing schools for the kids. This time, since they're going to public schools, the main challenge was finding a town among all the kid-friendly towns with good school programs to choose from.

I once did a look-see at a preschool where the kids looked miserable. (I know, I know, kids are always miserable at school) - but in this one, the teachers looked miserable, too. Needless to say, I hightailed it out of there.

In our previous moves, we've had to navigate the school system, the enrollment processes, and even ready ourselves for any interviews or testing. It's a challenge, especially when you're moving somewhere blind. if you don't have a relocations agent, joining Facebook groups may be worthwhile. Most locals are helpful, and they're the ones who know firsthand any potential problems in the school system.

3. An apple a day...

Next is finding doctors... Knowing if there's an urgent care available, as well as the location of the nearest hospital. Even when we moved to a country with English as a Second Language, we found support - a lot of recommendations from friends and in the tight-knit expat community, which rallied around newcomers, and welcomed us with open arms.

Yesterday, I realized that our kids had a GP but we didn't. I ended up at Urgent Care - with a co-pay that's double the cost of the kids' regular doctor visits!

Most places require a health and wellness check before school starts. Finding out whether any such requirement is necessary is important. Some schools are stricter than others when it comes to collecting required documentation.

4. Be open-minded.

I'm sure you've heard this advice before. Everything will be different when you move. You will need to acquaint yourself with what's out there. You will need to find new favorites - restaurants, grocery stores, coffee shops - even pharmacies. The taste of food will be different. It will take time to find something that's similar to what you're used to. Chinese food in the US is vastly different from the ones in Australia or Asia, for that matter.

Some frustrations are to be expected. Getting lost on your way somewhere is par for the course. Just think of it as another adventure... It may add an hour to your journey, but it's an adventure, nonetheless.

5. Treat yourself with grace.

As a mom, my biggest priority has always been to ensure my babies are settled and happy. Moving comes with the psychological pressure to make friends quickly... to find your place within social hierarchies, and to educate yourself on the culture, pop and otherwise. Failure to do so runs the risk of eating lunch alone, spending recess by yourself, or, worse, getting bullied.

It's been difficult to help my children navigate their own new worlds. The culture is different - our last home was simpler, and the people more unassuming.

Some of the biggest struggles in this move, have to do with my own mental ineptitude, and an inadequacy to deal with my own psychological challenges. I'm finding it hard to find some tangible purpose... Logically, I know I have to treat myself with grace. I can't expect to reach the same level of familiarity that I had in our previous home. But the pressure to adjust fast is intense.

So what I'm saying is - don't be like me. Take it slowly. If you don't find things to love right away, don't force it. There's a balance you need to take between taking time to adjust and pushing yourself forward to find things to love. But you'll need to learn to listen to yourself while you're doing it.

The one foolproof way to cope: take it one day at a time.

***

Most people find our life choices perplexing. They can't fathom the constant relocation. The constant upheaval. The back and forth.

For the most part, I completely understand their confusion. Who in their right minds would choose this kind of life? Up to a certain point, it has served us well. We've met many wonderful people, made friends that are closer to us than family, and learned to adapt culturally. Now, with our goal of staying put for at least four years, the idea seems like a foreign concept.

In all honestly, we never know how long we'll stay in one place. It will depend on our circumstances when the time comes... on whether we have friends we love, schools we enjoy going to, and jobs we find fulfilling.

I've always felt like a hot air balloon, tethered to the ground with multiple strings and weights holding me down. The more strings, the more things there are to connect me. To connect us.

Literal strings that bind.

I've longed to put down these strings. To settle in one place and really feel like I'm home.

I want to be in a place where I don't need to wrack my brain for names to put as emergency contacts. A place where I know where to find my favorites. Where I can confidently navigate without the guide of a GPS. A place where I can't get lost, literally and figuratively.

Realistically, I may never find it.

I'm not sure yet if I'm okay with that.

Seven months isn't long. In relocation years, that's nothing.

It takes a year to completely find your footing. Two to explore and fall in love with it, and three to feel at home.

That's a rough estimation, of course.

Beyond that, I can't tell you.

We'd have moved on already (LOL)

[lanegrarolon]

Diarios de la emigrante #1

Esto se escribe solamente con fines descargatorios xD Es la mañana de un miércoles de inicio de noviembre, y, siendo específica, mientras estos dedos deprimen teclas, son las 9:49 am, y estoy escuchando en Spotify pura música italiana. Descargando sentimientos en un modal cuadrado, pienso en los planes a futuro que tenemos Ricardo y yo. Emigrar. 7 letras y muchísimas cosas dichas del tema. ¿Qué loco, no? Decidir dejar todo e iniciar de nuevo (literalmente, de nuevo) en otro país. Nunca pensé tener en mí el coraje necesario para tomar una decisión así, sin embargo, faltan menos de 30 días para partir, y una maleta ya está lista.

Como todo emprendimiento perjudicado por mi ADHD, de seguro esto quedará por la mitad, pero mientras, lasciatemi goderlo, déjenme disfrutar.

PD: quien pio escribe un blog en pleno 2023.

#NowPlaying: Faccio un Casino - Coez

[pulquedeguayaba]

Not discussing my expats comment on that post with US people; if they're offended/want to explain/want me to sympathise idgaf

I needed to vent somewhere they could see it that's it.

[handweavers]

the amount of wealthy asians in my notes saying "this is dumb as fuck you're insane this doesn't apply to me my family is Malaysian / Indian / whatever and we have lived all over the world travelling for work and we are always expats wherever we live and I am very well travelled and you don't know what you're talking about this is US centric" you and your family aren't travelling and working as maids and labourers though are they? they aren't living in dubai as labourers working 16 hours a day and living in shanties 12 ppl to a room with their passports stolen from them yeah? they're working cushy white collar jobs for some company and living in serviced apartments that get cleaned by people from their own countries who are definitely not called Expats yeah? the indonesian lady in a tudung cleaning your rental flat in Riyadh isn't called an expat is she? she's called a migrant worker. but she's only there temporarily to work, just like you. huh I wonder what the difference is? the Filipino lady who cleans your house in Malaysia isn't called an expat is she? the only thing separating you from her is your Class status, and it blinds you to your privilege. are you fucking stupid or are you going to actually think about what i'm saying

[mchiti]

it's even hilarious to me that he said that about Germany and he feels """"safer"""" in Spain when Spain is also full of racists complaining about migrants. do you know how much hate there's there towards maghrebis for instance? As I'm maghrebi I'm mentioning their case because I have relatives there but of course this applies to everyone, Spain for instance has the second biggest moroccan diaspora in europe after France. The hate is INSANE, it's even worse than here in italy. If he has a problem with migrants in Germany I don't see why his ugly racist agenda can't apply to Spain too. but there's an answer to that: he's a white german nationalist dude who only cares about the whiteness and the ""white identity"" of his country and doesn't give a single shit about the rest of the world, other cultures and other people. It's always about "my country, my culture, my people, my State, my rules, I, I, I, I" the shit racist mentality of the average shit racist european. you're migrating to Spain permanently to live the life of the rich millionaire expat while millions of people are denied visas and are basically hold hostages like fuck you big times lmao

[noonesgaylikegatson]

Black and Indian? How that happens? Let’s see:

1. Mixed race. One parent is Black, the other is Indian.

2. Mixed Ancestry. Multiple generations of mixed race individuals. See Dougla.

3. Descendants of enslaved Africans brought to South Asia. See Sidi

4. Black migrants and expats who moved to India.

The world is full of history and human beings. Go learn about it all!

[brostateexam]

As foreigners flock to buy old, inexpensive houses in Italy, one group has gone a step further, helping to revive a depopulated town.

Irsina, deep in the southern Basilicata region, is home to over 300 non-Italians from 12 different countries, alongside 4,000 local residents.

Until the 1960s, this hilltop village surrounded by fields had a population of 12,000, but mass emigration combined with harsh living conditions meant that by the 1960s, barely 4,500 people were living in the old historical center.

Today, things are different. Irsina in 2023 is an expat heaven of mostly retirees and American migrants living the rural Italian dream.

More than 15 families from the US and Canada have bought old properties in this remote village, known for its premium wheat fields and olive groves.

And they keep buying houses and expanding their properties, spreading the word back home of this dreamy location which seems to be frozen in time. Each time they come back, they bring along relatives and friends, all of whom become happy to spend between 20,000 and 150,000 euros ($22,000-$165,000) for a spacious dwelling with bucolic views.

Walking along the narrow alleys, all sorts of accents – American, Canadian, French, Norwegian – can be heard. There’s even a road which locals have rebranded “the Belgian Street” due to the many Belgians who live there.

[chaoticbuggybitchboy]

Still fascinating to me how English speaking N. Americans (inc Canada) say expat instead of immigrant. Like. You immigrated. You’re a migrant. Expat. Why.

[wogism]

Meet the Blogger

To truly understand the heart and soul of wogism.blog, it's essential to get to know the person driving this project. Let me introduce you to Nicholas, a second-generation Italian-Australian hailing from the vibrant city of Melbourne.

I possess a deep passion for community-building, audience engagement, and storytelling. My approach to these endeavors is rooted in diligent research, active listening, and the art of content creation.

When I am not crafting the narratives that grace wogism.blog, I can often be found on Wikipedia runs, enriching my knowledge across various topics. I am an enthusiastic follower of TV shows like "House of The Dragon" and I take solace in the music of artists such as Kehlani and BLANCO. As an ardent tennis fan, I wholeheartedly believes it's the greatest sport on earth.

Not only am I bilingual, fluent in both English and Italian, but I also deeply connect to my cultural and ethnic roots. Heritage is a cornerstone of my identity, and I consider it to be paramount in fostering a sense of belonging and fulfillment.

Education holds a special place in my heart, and I consistently advocate for its power and significance. A lifelong lover of learning, I nurture a passion for languages, both classical and modern, which enrich my worldview.

The journey of wogism began on Instagram in July 2022, and now, it takes a momentous step forward toward realizing its vision on Tumblr.

I am very excited about this project's growth and the opportunity it offers to share genuine, lived experiences.

Stay tuned for more insights, stories, and content that reflects the authentic spirit of wogism.

I welcome you to be a part of this exciting journey and wish you all the best in your own life endeavors.

Stay well and be well,

Nicholas

[sjerzgirl]

Let them go.

[andreasphilippineslitblog]

Ten Interesting Filipino Novels

1. In the country by Mia Alvar

In The Country is a stunning, lyrical work of fiction presented in the form of nine short stories. In 2016, Mia Alvar put contemporary Filipina authors on the map with her first published piece, giving voice to Filipino men and women in the diaspora. Her short stories about emigrants, wanderers, exiles, and expats across the globe expertly distinguishes the Philippine experience for each protagonist, while upholding the universal likeness of all Filipinos around the world and “in the country.” The tales of a migrant worker in Saudi Arabia, the sighting of a “White Lady,” and a New York pharmacist smuggling drugs to his sickly father in Manila will illicit nostalgia for many Filipinos looking for glimpses of home. (thenextsomewhere.com)

2. Dauntless by Elisa A. Bonnin

Seri’s world is defined by very clear rules: The beasts prowl the forest paths and hunt the People. The valiant explore the unknown world, kill the beasts, and gain strength from the armor they make from them. As an assistant to Eshai Unbroken, a young valor commander with a near-mythical reputation, Seri has seen first-hand the struggle to keep the beasts at bay and ensure the safety of the spreading trees where the People make their homes. That was how it always had been, and how it always would be. Until the day Seri encounters Tsana. Tsana is, impossibly, a stranger from the unknown world who can communicate with the beasts – a fact that makes Seri begin to doubt everything she’s ever been taught. As Seri and Tsana grow closer, their worlds begin to collide, with deadly consequences. Somehow, with the world on the brink of war, Seri will have to find a way to make peace. (yourtitakate.com) 3. America Is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo

How many lives can one person lead in a single lifetime? When Hero de Vera arrives in America, disowned by her parents in the Philippines, she's already on her third. Her uncle, Pol, who has offered her a fresh start and a place to stay in the Bay Area, knows not to ask about her past. And his younger wife, Paz, has learned enough about the might and secrecy of the De Vera family to keep her head down. Only their daughter, Roni, asks Hero why her hands seem to constantly ache.

Illuminating the violent political history of the Philippines in the 1980s and 1990s and the insular immigrant communities that spring up in the suburban United States with an uncanny ear for the unspoken intimacies and pain that get buried by the duties of everyday life and family ritual, Castillo delivers a powerful, increasingly relevant novel about the promise of the American dream and the unshakable power of the past. In a voice as immediate and startling as those of Junot Díaz and NoViolet Bulawayo, America Is Not the Heart is a sprawling, soulful telenovela of a debut novel. With exuberance, muscularity, and tenderness, here is a family saga; an origin story; a romance; a narrative of two nations and the people who leave home to grasp at another, sometimes turning back. (goodreads.com)

4. When The Elephants Dance by Tess Uriza Holthe

In the waning days of World War II, as the Japanese and U.S. forces battle to possess the Philippine Islands, the Karangalan family hides with their neighbors in a cramped cellar, where they glean hope from the family stories and folktales they tell each other. These stories of love, survival, and family blend the supernatural with the rich, little known history of the Philippines, the centuries of Spanish colonization, the power of the Catholic church, and the colorful worlds of the Spanish, Mestizo, and Filipino cultures.

As the villagers tell their stories in the darkened cellar below, Holthe masterfully weaves in the stories of three brave Filipinos--a teenage brother and sister and a guerilla fighter--as they become caught in the battle against the vicious Japanese forces above ground.

Inspired by her father's firsthand accounts of this period, Tess Uriza Holthe brings to magical and terrifying life a story of the hope and courage needed to survive in wartime. (goodreads.com)

5. Noli Me Tángere (Touch Me Not) by José Rizal

In more than a century since its appearance, José Rizal's Noli Me Tangere has become widely known as the great novel of the Philippines. A passionate love story set against the ugly political backdrop of repression, torture, and murder, "The Noli," as it is called in the Philippines, was the first major artistic manifestation of Asian resistance to European colonialism, and Rizal became a guiding conscience—and martyr—for the revolution that would subsequently rise up in the Spanish province. (goodreads.com)

6. Gun Dealer's Daughter by Gina Apostol

At university in Manila, young, bookish Soledad Soliman falls in with radical friends, defying her wealthy parents and their society crowd. Drawn in by two romantic young rebels, Sol initiates a conspiracy that quickly spirals out of control. Years later, far from her homeland, Sol reconstructs her fractured memories, writing a confession she hopes will be her salvation. Illuminating the dramatic history of the Marcos-era Philippines, this story of youthful passion is a tour de force. (ginaapostol.com)

7. Sophie Go's Lonely Hearts Club by Roselle Lim

A new heartfelt novel about the power of loneliness and the strength of love that overcomes it by critically acclaimed author Roselle Lim.

Newly minted professional matchmaker Sophie Go has returned to Toronto, her hometown, after spending three years in Shanghai. Her job is made quite difficult, however, when she is revealed as a fraud—she never actually graduated from matchmaking school. In a competitive market like Toronto, no one wants to take a chance on an inexperienced and unaccredited matchmaker, and soon Sophie becomes an outcast.

In dire search of clients, Sophie stumbles upon a secret club within her condo complex: the Old Ducks, seven septuagenarian Chinese bachelors who never found love. Somehow, she convinces them to hire her, but her matchmaking skills are put to the test as she learns the depths of loneliness, heartbreak, and love by attempting to make the hardest matches of her life. (goodreads.com)

8. Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay

Jay Reguero plans to spend the last semester of his senior year playing video games before heading to the University of Michigan in the fall. But when he discovers that his Filipino cousin Jun was murdered as part of President Duterte's war on drugs, and no one in the family wants to talk about what happened, Jay travels to the Philippines to find out the real story.

Hoping to uncover more about Jun and the events that led to his death, Jay is forced to reckon with the many sides of his cousin before he can face the whole horrible truth -- and the part he played in it. (amazon.com)

9. Wicked As You Wish by Rin Chupeco

When a hidden prince, a girl with secrets, a ragtag group of unlikely heroes, and a legendary firebird come together…something wicked is going down. Many years ago, the magical Kingdom of Avalon was left encased in ice when the Snow Queen waged war. Its former citizens are now refugees in a world mostly devoid of magic. Which is why the crown prince and his protectors are stuck in…Arizona. Prince Alexei, the sole survivor of the Avalon royal family, is hiding in a town so boring, magic doesn’t even work there. Few know his secret identity, but his friend Tala is one of them. A new hope for their abandoned homeland reignites when a famous creature of legend, the Firebird, appears for the first time in decades. Alex and Tala must unite with a ragtag group of new friends to journey back to Avalon for a showdown that will change the world as they know it. (yourtitakate.com)

10. The Woman Who Had Two Navels and Tales of the Tropical Gothic by Nick Joaquin

Nick Joaquin is widely considered one of the greatest Filipino writers, but he has remained little-known outside his home country despite writing in English. Set amid the ruins of Manila devastated by World War II, his stories are steeped in the post-colonial anguish and hopes of his era and resonate with the ironic perspectives on colonial history of Gabriel García Márquez and Mario Vargas Llosa. His work meditates on the questions and challenges of the Filipino individual’s new freedom after a long history of colonialism, exploring folklore, centuries-old Catholic rites, the Spanish colonial past, magical realism, and baroque splendor and excess. This collection features his best-known story, “The Woman Who Had Two Navels,” centered on Philippine emigrants living in Hong Kong and later expanded into a novel, the much-anthologized stories “May Day Eve” and “The Summer Solstice” and a canonic play, A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino. As Penguin Classics previously launched his countryman Jose Rizal to a wide audience, now Joaquin will find new readers with the first American collection of his work. (amazon.com)