• Deceptichum@kbin.social
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      8 months ago

      Germany doesn’t really seem like a very efficient country, they still use fax for things and every person has to manage like 10,000 different insurances for everything. Seems like an old (and inaccurate) ww2 trope.

      • esserstein@sopuli.xyz
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        8 months ago

        It’s mostly a misunderstanding of what is valued in German society. The common trope is that German society covets precision. This is not the case. German society covets unwavering precision in the adherence to norms. To the point where innovation is akin to revolution in the negative sense, and pigheadedness in procedure is considered a workplace virtue. In the mean time nothing gets done. Source: expat in Germany.

          • Skelectus@suppo.fi
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            8 months ago

            I believe the difference is that an expat moved there non-permanently, while an immigrant moved there permanently

            Though if I ever somehow became an expat, I wouldn’t use the word because of how people associate it.

            • FlorianSimon@sh.itjust.works
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              8 months ago

              What you call an expat is a temporary immigrant. “Expats” fill immigration forms in their country of migration, not expatriation forms. Politicians pass laws that govern immigration, not expatriation.

              That word is meant to differentiate rich (and white, often) workers from the poor, because “immigrant” has a negative connotation. That’s why I take issue with it.

              The truth is, the poor might be temporary migrants too (cf Pakistanis in Dubai). The media still uses the word migrants for those. We don’t know if they’re “expats” or not, we just assume because they’re not rich or white enough.

              Quick disclaimer here: I’m not saying you are racist for using the word. I just wanted to explain why I react so strongly when I hear it.

            • puppy@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              Immigrant = Someone who has moved to another country permanently. Migrant = Someone who has moved to another country temporarily.

              Expat is often used by western migrants who don’t like the word “migrant”.

              I take issue with it because people classify an Indian doctor moved to the US as a migrant but an American doctor eho has moved to Europe is an expat.

            • puppy@lemmy.world
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              7 months ago

              Migrant implies the non permanent kind because a permanent migrant is referred to as an “immigrant”.

              What’s the technical difference between a migrant and an expat?