The Art Of Identity And Migration

I moved to South Africa in 2016. For close to a decade Ive lived, studied and worked in Johannesburg. So that makes me an expatriate, right?

If the funny looks Ive got every time Ive described myself as such are anything to go by, thats actually wrong. At these times, Ive often been told that Im an immigrant.

But whats the difference?

The more Ive looked for a coherent explanation, the more Ive landed on the conclusion that its a distinction that has everything to do with race and country of origin.

Immigrants are black and brown people who come from countries in the Global South, including nations in Africa. Expatriates, on the other hand, are typically white people who come from Europe and other parts of the Global North.