I had a thought, if you were not born and raised in your 'home country' and then went to live in your native country, would you consider yourself as a expat?
I was born and raised in England but never stayed or lived in Pakistan but have visited for 2-3 times in my entire 22 years of my life, now I have stayed in Pakistan for 5 months and learned things that I never know and the way of Pakistani living, am I an expat in Pakistan?
I did consider myself as one though when I first came here.
Are you an expat in your 'home' country?
Irum
12 September 2014 10:17:01
11
campogirl
12 September 2014 11:24:01
148
Hi
If you were born and raised in Britain, how can you be an expat in your own 'country'? Surely you are British so an expat yes, but in another country, so your question is irrelevant.
I can understand first generation feeling like it is their country but not second generation. This is the problem with people who are born and raised in Britain but do not feel British. Feeling Pakistan is your country is a betrayal of the country you were born and raised in.
Irum
12 September 2014 11:49:50
11
campogirl wrote:Hi
If you were born and raised in Britain, how can you be an expat in your own 'country'? Surely you are British so an expat yes, but in another country, so your question is irrelevant.
I can understand first generation feeling like it is their country but not second generation. This is the problem with people who are born and raised in Britain but do not feel British. Feeling Pakistan is your country is a betrayal of the country you were born and raised in.
I didn't say I don't feel British. You have misread the whole scenario. Re-read and understand before you comment.
campogirl
12 September 2014 12:07:36
148
Irum
You are calling Pakistan your native country so my comment stands. I am resident in Spain but my native country is England where I was born and raised.
Irum
12 September 2014 12:15:21
11
I referred to it as 'home country' hence the inverted commas.
James
12 September 2014 12:17:41
11272
Hi Irum,
In the most technical terms (if looking only at the definition of the word expatriate), NO you cannot be considered an expat in Pakistan since you're a Pakistani citizens by blood line (jus sanguinas). However in your heart and mind you may probably always consider yourself as such.
I was born and raised in Canada, of English / Italian ancestry, and left for Brazil when I was 52 years old, now 65 going on 66. I have a Brazilian wife and son 7 years old and nowadays consider myself more like a Brazilian. I'm sure if I were to now return to Canada, I'd most certainly feel like an expat there now, even though I'm a Canadian citizen by birth.
@campogirl - where is all this hostility coming from? You've clearly misread the OP's topic completely and failed to understand what she has said. You've also read a lot between the lines here, don't you think? Nowhere did she state that she doesn't feel British, in fact she clearly must feel British since she's stated that she feels like an expat in Pakistan, despite her citizenship there too. There's no need to take things so personally here.
Cheers,
William James Woodward, EB Experts Team
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