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An expatriate (often shortened to expat) is a person who
resides outside their native country. In common usage, the term often refers to educated professionals, skilled workers, or artists taking positions outside their home country, either independently or sent abroad by their employers. However, the term 'expatriate' is also used for retirees and others who have chosen to live outside their native country. Historically, it has also referred to
exiles.
Expatriates are
immigrants
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as permanent residents or naturalized citizens. Commuters, tourists, a ...
or
emigrant
Emigration is the act of leaving a resident country or place of residence with the intent to settle elsewhere (to permanently leave a country). Conversely, immigration describes the movement of people into one country from another (to permanentl ...
s who maintain cultural ties such as the language of their country of origin.
Etymology
The word ''expatriate'' comes from the
Latin
Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...
terms ''
ex'' ("out of") and ''
patria'' ("native country, fatherland").
Semantics
Dictionary definitions for the current meaning of the word include:
:Expatriate:
:* 'A person who lives outside their native country' (Oxford),
or
:* 'living in a foreign land' (Webster's).
These definitions contrast with those of other words with a similar meaning, such as:
:
Migrant:
:* 'A person who moves from one place to another in order to find work or better living conditions' (Oxford), or
:* 'one that migrates: such as a: a person who moves regularly in order to find work especially in harvesting crops' (Webster's);
::::::or
:
Immigrant
:* 'A person who comes to live permanently in a foreign country' (Oxford), or
:* 'one that immigrates: such as a: a person who comes to a country to take up permanent residence (Webster's).
The varying use of these terms for different groups of foreigners can be seen as implying nuances about wealth, intended length of stay, perceived motives for moving, nationality, and even race. This has caused controversy, with some commentators asserting that the traditional use of the word "expat" has had
racist connotations.
An older usage of the word ''expatriate'' referred to an
exile.
Alternatively, when used as a verbal noun, ''expatriation'' can mean the act of someone
renouncing allegiance to their native country, as in the preamble to the United States
Expatriation Act of 1868
The Expatriation Act of 1868 was an act of the 40th United States Congress that declared, as part of the United States nationality law, that the right of expatriation (i.e. a right to renounce one's citizenship) is "a natural and inherent rig ...
which states: 'the right of expatriation is a natural and inherent right of all people, indispensable to the enjoyment of the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness'.
Some
neologism
A neologism Greek νέο- ''néo''(="new") and λόγος /''lógos'' meaning "speech, utterance"] is a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not been fully accepted int ...
s have been coined, including:
* ''dispatriate'', an expatriate who intentionally distances themselves from their nation of origin;
*''flexpatriate'', an employee who often travels internationally for
business (see
"Business expatriates" below);
* ''
inpatriate'', an employee sent from a foreign subsidiary to work in the country where a company has its headquarters;
* ''rex-pat'', a repeat expatriate, often someone who has chosen to return to a foreign country after completing a work assignment;
* ''
sexpat'', an expatriate with a goal for a short term or long term sexual relationships (expatriate +
sex tourist).
The term "expatriate" is sometimes misspelled as "ex-patriot", which author
Anu Garg has characterised as an example of an
eggcorn.
History
Types of expat community
In the 19th century, travel became easier by way of
steamship or
train
In rail transport, a train (from Old French , from Latin , "to pull, to draw") is a series of connected vehicles that run along a railway track and transport people or freight. Trains are typically pulled or pushed by locomotives (often ...
. People could more readily choose to live for several years in a foreign country, or be sent there by employers. The table below aims to show significant examples of expatriate communities which have developed since that time:
During the 1930s,
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
revoked the citizenship of many opponents, such as
Albert Einstein
Albert Einstein ( ; ; 14 March 1879 – 18 April 1955) was a German-born theoretical physicist, widely acknowledged to be one of the greatest and most influential physicists of all time. Einstein is best known for developing the theory ...
,
Oskar Maria Graf
Oskar Maria Graf (July 22, 1894 – June 28, 1967) was a German-American writer who wrote several narratives about life in Bavaria, mostly autobiographical. In the beginning, Graf wrote under his real name Oskar Graf. After 1918, his works for ...
,
Willy Brandt
Willy Brandt (; born Herbert Ernst Karl Frahm; 18 December 1913 – 8 October 1992) was a German politician and statesman who was leader of the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) from 1964 to 1987 and served as the chancellor of West Ge ...
and
Thomas Mann
Paul Thomas Mann ( , ; ; 6 June 1875 – 12 August 1955) was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and the 1929 Nobel Prize in Literature laureate. His highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novell ...
, often expatriating entire families.
Students who study in another country may or may not be referred to as expatriates.
Worldwide distribution of expats
In 2002, terrorist attacks against Westerners at times curtailed the party lifestyle of some expatriate communities, especially in the Middle East.
The number of expatriates in the world is difficult to determine, since there is no governmental census. Market research companyF inaccord estimated the number to be 66.2 million in 2017.
In 2013, the United Nations estimated that 232 million people, or 3.2% of the world population, lived outside their home country.
As of 2019, according to the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be a centre for harmoniz ...
, the number of international migrants globally reached an estimated 272 million, or 3.5% of the world population.
Business expatriates
Some
multinational corporations
A multinational company (MNC), also referred to as a multinational enterprise (MNE), a transnational enterprise (TNE), a transnational corporation (TNC), an international corporation or a stateless corporation with subtle but contrasting senses, i ...
send employees to foreign countries to work in branch offices or subsidiaries. Expatriate employees allow a parent company to more closely control its foreign subsidiaries. They can also improve global coordination.
A 2007 study found the key drivers for expatriates to pursue international
career
The career is an individual's metaphorical "journey" through learning, work and other aspects of life. There are a number of ways to define career and the term is used in a variety of ways.
Definitions
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' defi ...
s were: breadth of responsibilities, nature of the international environment (
risk
In simple terms, risk is the possibility of something bad happening. Risk involves uncertainty about the effects/implications of an activity with respect to something that humans value (such as health, well-being, wealth, property or the environm ...
and challenge), high levels of
autonomy of international posts, and
cultural differences (rethinking old ways).
However, expatriate professionals and independent expatriate hires are often more expensive than local employees. Expatriate salaries are usually augmented with allowances to compensate for a higher
cost of living
Cost of living is the cost of maintaining a certain standard of living. Changes in the cost of living over time can be operationalized in a cost-of-living index. Cost of living calculations are also used to compare the cost of maintaining a cer ...
or hardships associated with a foreign posting. Other expenses may need to be paid, such as health care, housing, or fees at an
international school
An international school is an institution that promotes education in an international environment or framework. Although there is no uniform definition or criteria, international schools are usually characterized by a multinational student body an ...
. There is also the cost of moving a family and their belongings. Another problem can be government restrictions in the foreign country.
Spouses may have trouble adjusting due to
culture shock
Culture shock is an experience a person may have when one moves to a cultural environment which is different from one's own; it is also the personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to immigration ...
, loss of their usual social network, interruptions to their own career, and helping children cope with a new school. These are chief reasons given for foreign assignments ending early. However, a spouse can also act as a source of support for an expatriate professional. Families with children help to bridge the language and culture aspect of the host and home country, while the spouse plays a critical role in balancing the families integration into the culture. Some corporations have begun to include spouses earlier when making decisions about a foreign posting, and offer
coaching
Coaching is a form of development in which an experienced person, called a ''coach'', supports a learner or client in achieving a specific personal or professional goal by providing training and guidance. The learner is sometimes called a ''coa ...
or adjustment training before a family departs. Research suggests that tailoring pre-departure cross-cultural training and its specific relevance positively influence the fulfilment of expectations in expatriates' adjustment. According to the 2012 Global Relocation Trends Survey Report, 88 per cent of spouses resist a proposed move. The most common reasons for refusing an assignment are family concerns and the spouse's career.
''Expatriate failure'' is a term which has been coined for an employee returning prematurely to their home country, or resigning. About 7% of expatriates return early, but this figure does not include those who perform poorly while on assignment or resign entirely from a company. When asked the cost of a premature expatriate's return, a survey of 57 multinational companies reported an average cost of about US$225,000.
Reasons and motivations for expatriation
People move abroad for many different reasons. The realisation of what makes people move is the first step in the expatriation process. People could be ‘pushed’ away as a reaction to specific socio-economic or political conditions in the home country, or ‘pulled’ towards a destination country because of better work opportunities/conditions. The ‘pull’ can also include personal preferences, such as climate, a better quality of life, or the fact that family/friends are living there.
For some people, moving abroad is a conscious, thoroughly planned decision, while for others it could be a ‘spur of the moment’, spontaneous decision. This decision, of course, is influenced by the individual’s geographic,
socioeconomic
Socioeconomics (also known as social economics) is the social science that studies how economic activity affects and is shaped by social processes. In general it analyzes how modern societies progress, stagnate, or regress because of their l ...
and political environment; as well as their personal circumstances. The motivation for moving (or staying) abroad also gets adjusted with the different life changes the person experiences – for example, if they get married, have children, etc. Also, different personalities (or
personality type
In psychology, personality type refers to the psychological classification of different types of individuals. Personality types are sometimes distinguished from personality traits, with the latter embodying a smaller grouping of behavioral tenden ...
s) have diverse reactions to the challenges of adjusting to a host-country culture; and these reactions affect their motivations to continue (or not) living abroad.
In this era of international competition, it is important for companies, as well as for countries, to understand what is that motivates people to move to another country to work. Understanding expatriates’ motivations for international mobility allows organisations to tailor work packages to match expatriates’ expectations in order to attract and/or retain skilled workers from abroad.
Recent trends
Trends in recent years among business expatriates have included:
* Reluctance by employees to accept foreign assignments, due to spouses also having a career.
* Reluctance by multinational corporations to sponsor overseas assignments, due to increased sensitivity both to costs and to local cultures. It is common for an expat to cost at least three times more than a comparable local employee.
* Short-term assignments becoming more common.
These are assignments of several months to a year which rarely require the expatriate family to move. They can include specific projects, technology transfer, or problem-solving tasks.
In 2008, nearly two-thirds of international assignments consisted of long-term assignments (greater than one year, typically three years). In 2014, that number fell to just over half.
* ''Self-initiated expatriation'', where individuals themselves arrange a contract to work overseas, rather than being sent by a parent company to a subsidiary.
An 'SIE' typically does not require as big a compensation package as does a traditional business expatriate. Also, spouses of SIEs are less reluctant to interrupt their own careers, at a time when dual-career issues are arguably shrinking the pool of willing expatriates.
* Local companies in
emerging markets
An emerging market (or an emerging country or an emerging economy) is a market that has some characteristics of a developed market, but does not fully meet its standards. This includes markets that may become developed markets in the future or wer ...
hiring Western managers directly.
* Commuter assignments which involve employees living in one country but travelling to another for work. This usually occurs on a weekly or biweekly rotation, with weekends spent at home.
* ''Flexpatriates'', international business travellers who take a plethora of short trips to locations around the globe for negotiations, meetings, training and conferences. These assignments are usually of several weeks duration each. Their irregular nature can cause stress within a family.
* Diversity is becoming more of an issue. Consulting firm
Mercer
Mercer may refer to:
Business
* Mercer (car), a defunct American automobile manufacturer (1909–1925)
* Mercer (consulting firm), a large human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City
* Mercer (occupation), a merchant or trader, ...
reported in 2017 that women made up only 14 per cent of the expatriate workforce globally.
* According t
Expats in Saudia there are many business expats who are moving to Saudi Arabia due to its vision of 2030. Prince Muhammad Bin Salman's Vision 2030 is creating more opportunities for Businesses and Expats to come to Saudi Arabia and Establish their business branch.
The Munich-based research firm InterNations conducts a survey of expat opinions and trends.
Academic research
There has been an increase in scholarly research into the field in recent years. For instance,
Emerald Group Publishing
Emerald Publishing Limited is a scholarly publisher of academic journals and books in the fields of management, business, education, library studies, health care, and engineering.
History
Emerald was founded in the United Kingdom in 1967 as ...
in 2013 launched ''The Journal of Global Mobility: The home of expatriate management research''.
S.K Canhilal and R.G. Shemueli suggest that successful expatriation is driven by a combination of individual, organizational, and context-related factors. Of these factors, the most significant have been outlined as: cross-cultural competences, spousal support, motivational questions, time of assignment, emotional competences, previous international experience, language fluency, social relational skills, cultural differences, and organizational recruitment and selection process.
Literary and screen portrayals
Fiction
Expatriate milieus have been the setting of many novels and short stories, often written by authors who spent years living abroad. The following is a list of notable works and authors, by approximate date of publication.
19th century: American author
Henry James
Henry James ( – ) was an American-British author. He is regarded as a key transitional figure between literary realism and literary modernism, and is considered by many to be among the greatest novelists in the English language. He was the ...
moved to Europe as a young man and many of his novels, such as ''
The Portrait of a Lady'' (1881), ''
The Ambassadors
''The Ambassadors'' is a 1903 novel by Henry James, originally published as a serial in the ''North American Review'' (NAR). The novel is a dark comedy which follows the trip of protagonist Lewis Lambert Strether to Europe to bring the son o ...
'' (1903), and ''
The Wings of the Dove
''The Wings of the Dove'' is a 1902 novel by Henry James. It tells the story of Milly Theale, an American heiress stricken with a serious disease, and her effect on the people around her. Some of these people befriend Milly with honourable ...
'' (1902), dealt with relationships between the New World and the Old. From the 1890s to 1920s, Polish-born
Joseph Conrad wrote a string of English-language novels drawing on his seagoing experiences in farflung colonies, including ''
Heart of Darkness'' (1899), ''
Lord Jim
''Lord Jim'' is a novel by Joseph Conrad originally published as a serial in ''Blackwood's Magazine'' from October 1899 to November 1900. An early and primary event in the story is the abandonment of a passenger ship in distress by its crew, ...
'' (1900) and ''
Nostromo
''Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard'' is a 1904 novel by Joseph Conrad, set in the fictitious South American republic of "Costaguana". It was originally published serially in monthly instalments of '' T.P.'s Weekly''.
In 1998, the Modern Lib ...
'' (1904).
1900s/1910s: German-American writer
Herman George Scheffauer
Herman George Scheffauer (born February 3, 1876, San Francisco, California – died October 7, 1927, Berlin) was a German-American poet, architect, writer, dramatist, journalist, and translator.
San Francisco childhood
Very little is known abou ...
was active from 1900 to 1925. English writer
W. Somerset Maugham
William Somerset Maugham ( ; 25 January 1874 – 16 December 1965) was an English writer, known for his plays, novels and short stories. Born in Paris, where he spent his first ten years, Maugham was schooled in England and went to a German un ...
, a former spy, set many short stories and novels overseas, such as ''
The Moon and Sixpence
''The Moon and Sixpence'' is a novel by W. Somerset Maugham, first published on 15 April 1919. It is told in episodic form by a first-person narrator providing a series of glimpses into the mind and soul of the central character, Charles Stric ...
'' (1919) in which an English stockbroker flees to Tahiti to become an artist, and ''
The Razor's Edge'' (1944) in which a traumatised American pilot seeks meaning in France and India.
Ford Madox Ford
Ford Madox Ford (né Joseph Leopold Ford Hermann Madox Hueffer ( ); 17 December 1873 – 26 June 1939) was an English novelist, poet, critic and editor whose journals '' The English Review'' and ''The Transatlantic Review'' were instrumental in ...
used spa towns in Europe as the setting for his novel ''
The Good Soldier
''The Good Soldier: A Tale of Passion'' is a 1915 novel by the British writer Ford Madox Ford. It is set just before World War I, and chronicles the tragedy of Edward Ashburnham and his seemingly perfect marriage, along with that of his two A ...
'' (1915) about an American couple, a British couple, and their infidelities.
1920s: ''
A Passage to India
''A Passage to India'' is a 1924 novel by English author E. M. Forster set against the backdrop of the British Raj and the Indian independence movement in the 1920s. It was selected as one of the 100 great works of 20th century English liter ...
'' (1924), one of the best-known books by
E.M. Forster
Edward Morgan Forster (1 January 1879 – 7 June 1970) was an English author, best known for his novels, particularly '' A Room with a View'' (1908), ''Howards End'' (1910), and ''A Passage to India'' (1924). He also wrote numerous short stor ...
, is set against the backdrop of the independence movement in India.
Ernest Hemingway
Ernest Miller Hemingway (July 21, 1899 – July 2, 1961) was an American novelist, short-story writer, and journalist. His economical and understated style—which he termed the iceberg theory—had a strong influence on 20th-century f ...
portrayed American men in peril abroad, beginning with his
debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...
, ''
The Sun Also Rises
''The Sun Also Rises'' is a 1926 novel by American writer Ernest Hemingway, his first, that portrays American and British expatriates who travel from Paris to the Festival of San Fermín in Pamplona to watch the running of the bulls and the b ...
'' (1926).
1930s:
Graham Greene
Henry Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer and journalist regarded by many as one of the leading English novelists of the 20th century. Combining literary acclaim with widespread popularity, Greene acquir ...
was a keen traveller and another former spy, and from the 1930s to 1980s many of his novels and short stories dealt with Englishmen struggling to cope in exotic foreign places. ''
Tender is the Night
''Tender Is the Night'' is the fourth and final novel completed by American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald. Set in French Riviera during the twilight of the Jazz Age, the 1934 novel chronicles the rise and fall of Dick Diver, a promising young p ...
'' (1934), the last complete novel by
F. Scott Fitzgerald
Francis Scott Key Fitzgerald (September 24, 1896 – December 21, 1940) was an American novelist, essayist, and short story writer. He is best known for his novels depicting the flamboyance and excess of the Jazz Age—a term he popularize ...
, was about a glamorous American couple unravelling in the South of France.
George Orwell drew heavily on his own experiences as a colonial policeman for his novel ''
Burmese Days
''Burmese Days'' is the first novel by English writer George Orwell, published in 1934. Set in British Burma during the waning days of empire, when Burma was ruled from Delhi as part of British India, the novel serves as "a portrait of the dark ...
'' (1934).
Evelyn Waugh
Arthur Evelyn St. John Waugh (; 28 October 1903 – 10 April 1966) was an English writer of novels, biographies, and travel books; he was also a prolific journalist and book reviewer. His most famous works include the early satires '' Decl ...
satirised foreign correspondents in ''
Scoop
Scoop, Scoops or The scoop may refer to:
Objects
* Scoop (tool), a shovel-like tool, particularly one deep and curved, used in digging
* Scoop (machine part), a component of machinery to carry things
* Scoop stretcher, a device used for casualt ...
'' (1938).
1940s: From the mid-1940s to the 1990s, American-born
Paul Bowles
Paul Frederic Bowles (; December 30, 1910November 18, 1999) was an American expatriate composer, author, and translator. He became associated with the Moroccan city of Tangier, where he settled in 1947 and lived for 52 years to the end of his ...
set many short stories and novels in his adopted home of Morocco, including ''
The Sheltering Sky
''The Sheltering Sky'' is a 1949 novel of alienation and existential despair by American writer and composer Paul Bowles.
Plot
The story centers on Port Moresby and his wife Kit, a married couple originally from New York who travel to the Nor ...
'' (1949).
Malcolm Lowry in ''
Under the Volcano
''Under the Volcano'' is a novel by English writer Malcolm Lowry (1909–1957) published in 1947. The novel tells the story of Geoffrey Firmin, an alcoholic British consul in the Mexican city of Quauhnahuac, on the Day of the Dead in Novemb ...
'' (1947) told the tale of an alcoholic British consul in Mexico on the Day of the Dead.
1950s: From the 1950s to the 1990s, American author
Patricia Highsmith
Patricia Highsmith (January 19, 1921 – February 4, 1995) was an American novelist and short story writer widely known for her psychological thrillers, including her series of five novels featuring the character Tom Ripley.
She wrote 22 novel ...
set many of her psychological thrillers abroad, including ''
The Talented Mr. Ripley'' (1955).
James Baldwin's novel''
Giovanni's Room'' (1956) was about an American man having an affair in Paris with an Italian bartender.
Anthony Burgess
John Anthony Burgess Wilson, (; 25 February 1917 – 22 November 1993), who published under the name Anthony Burgess, was an English writer and composer.
Although Burgess was primarily a comic writer, his dystopian satire ''A Clockwork ...
worked as a teacher in Malaya and made it the setting of ''
The Malayan Trilogy'' (1956-1959). ''
The Alexandria Quartet
''The Alexandria Quartet'' is a tetralogy of novels by British writer Lawrence Durrell, published between 1957 and 1960. A critical and commercial success, the first three books present three perspectives on a single set of events and characters ...
'' (1957-1960) was the best-known work of
Lawrence Durrell
Lawrence George Durrell (; 27 February 1912 – 7 November 1990) was an expatriate British novelist, poet, dramatist, and travel writer. He was the eldest brother of naturalist and writer Gerald Durrell.
Born in India to British colonial p ...
, who was born in India to British parents and lived overseas for most of his life.
1960s: English writer
Paul Scott is best known for ''
The Raj Quartet'' (1965-1975) dealing with the final years of the British Empire in India.
John le Carré
David John Moore Cornwell (19 October 193112 December 2020), better known by his pen name John le Carré ( ), was a British and Irish author, best known for his espionage novels, many of which were successfully adapted for film or television. ...
made use of overseas settings for ''
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold'' (1963) and many of his subsequent novels about British spies.
1970s: In ''
The Year of Living Dangerously'' (1978),
Christopher Koch
Christopher John Koch AO (16 July 1932 – 23 September 2013) was an Australian novelist, known for his 1978 novel '' The Year of Living Dangerously'', which was adapted into an award-winning film. He twice won the Miles Franklin Award (for ' ...
portrayed the lead-up to a 1965 coup in Indonesia through the eyes of an Australian journalist and a British diplomat. ''A Cry in the Jungle Bar'' (1979) by
Robert Drewe
Robert Duncan Drewe (born 9 January 1943) is an Australian novelist, non-fiction and short story writer.
Biography
Robert Drewe was born on 9 January 1943 in Melbourne, Victoria. At the age of six, he moved with his family to Perth. He grew ...
portrayed an Australian out of his depth while working for the UN in South-East Asia.
1990s: In both ''
Cocaine Nights
''Cocaine Nights'' is a 1996 novel by J. G. Ballard. Like '' Super-Cannes'' that followed it, it deals with the idea of dystopian
A dystopia (from Ancient Greek δυσ- "bad, hard" and τόπος "place"; alternatively cacotopiaCacotopia ( ...
'' (1996) and ''
Super-Cannes
''Super-Cannes'' is a novel by the British author J. G. Ballard, published in 2000. It picks up on the same themes as his earlier ''Cocaine Nights'', and has often been called a companion piece to that book.
Plot summary
In the hills above Cann ...
'' (2000),
J. G. Ballard's English protagonists uncover dark secrets in luxurious gated communities in the South of France.
2000s: ''
Platform
Platform may refer to:
Technology
* Computing platform, a framework on which applications may be run
* Platform game, a genre of video games
* Car platform, a set of components shared by several vehicle models
* Weapons platform, a system or ...
'' (2001) was French author
Michel Houellebecq's novel of European sex tourists in Thailand. ''
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and List of cities in the Czech Republic, largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 milli ...
'' (2002) was a debut novel by
Arthur Phillips
Arthur Phillips (born April 23, 1969) is an American novelist. His books include ''Prague'' (2002), ''The Egyptologist'' (2004), ''Angelica'' (2007), ''The Song Is You'' (2009), '' The Tragedy of Arthur'' (2011), and ''The King at the Edge of the ...
which dealt with Americans and Canadians in Hungary towards the end of the Cold War. ''
Shantaram'' (2003) was a bestselling novel by
Gregory David Roberts
Gregory David Roberts (born Gregory John Peter Smith; 1952) is an Australian author best known for his novel ''Shantaram (novel), Shantaram''. He is a former opioid use disorder, heroin addict and convicted bank robber who escaped from Pentrid ...
about an Australian criminal who flees to India.
2010s: American novelist
Chris Pavone
Chris Pavone (born 1968) is an American author of international thrillers. His first novel, '' The Expats'', was a ''New York Times'' bestseller''.''
Background
Pavone attended Cornell University. Before writing his first novel, Pavone worked ...
has set several thrillers overseas since his debut ''
The Expats
''The Expats'' () is a novel by Chris Pavone which was originally published by Crown Publishing Group (a subsidiary of Random House) on 6 March 2012, and in 2013, won the Anthony Award and the Edgar Award for Best First Novel.
References
Ext ...
'' (2012).
Janice Y. K. Lee
Janice Y. K. Lee (born 1972), is a Hong Kong-born American author, known for her best-selling debut novel '' The Piano Teacher''.
Career
After graduating from Harvard College with a degree in English and American Literature and Language, Lee mo ...
in ''The Expatriates'' (2016) dealt with Americans in Hong Kong.
Tom Rachman
Tom or TOM may refer to:
* Tom (given name), a diminutive of Thomas or Tomás or an independent Aramaic given name (and a list of people with the name)
Characters
* Tom Anderson, a character in ''Beavis and Butt-Head''
* Tom Beck, a character ...
in his debut novel ''The Imperfectionists'' (2010) wrote of journalists working for an English-language newspaper in Rome.
Memoirs
Memoirs of expatriate life can be considered a form of
travel literature
The genre of travel literature encompasses outdoor literature, guide books, nature writing, and travel memoirs.
One early travel memoirist in Western literature was Pausanias, a Greek geographer of the 2nd century CE. In the early modern pe ...
with an extended stay in the host country. Some of the more notable examples are listed here in order of their publication date, and recount experiences of roughly the same decade unless noted otherwise.
Medieval: In ''
The Travels of Marco Polo
''Book of the Marvels of the World'' ( Italian: , lit. 'The Million', deriving from Polo's nickname "Emilione"), in English commonly called ''The Travels of Marco Polo'', is a 13th-century travelogue written down by Rustichello da Pisa from st ...
'' (c.1300),
Rustichello da Pisa recounted the tales of Italian merchant
Marco Polo about journeying the
Silk Road to China.
1930s-1960s: In the first half of ''
Down and Out in Paris and London
''Down and Out in Paris and London'' is the first full-length work by the English author George Orwell, published in 1933. It is a memoir in two parts on the theme of poverty in the two cities. Its target audience was the middle- and upper-cl ...
'' (1933),
George Orwell described a life of low-paid squalor while working in the kitchens of Parisian restaurants. In ''The America That I Have Seen'' (1949), Egyptian Islamist
Sayyid Qutb
Sayyid 'Ibrāhīm Ḥusayn Quṭb ( or ; , ; ar, سيد قطب إبراهيم حسين ''Sayyid Quṭb''; 9 October 1906 – 29 August 1966), known popularly as Sayyid Qutb ( ar, سيد قطب), was an Egyptian author, educator, Islamic ...
denounced the United States after studying there. In ''
My Family and Other Animals
''My Family and Other Animals'' (1956) is an autobiographical book by British naturalist Gerald Durrell. It tells in an exaggerated and sometimes fictionalised way of the years that he lived as a child with his siblings and widowed mother on ...
'' (1956) and its sequels,
Gerald Durrell
Gerald Malcolm Durrell, (7 January 1925 – 30 January 1995) was a British naturalist, writer, zookeeper, conservationist, and television presenter. He founded the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust and the Jersey Zoo on the Channel Island o ...
described growing up as the budding naturalist in an eccentric English family on the Greek island of
Corfu during the late 1930s. In ''
As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning
''As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning'' (1969) is a memoir by Laurie Lee, a British poet. It is a sequel to ''Cider with Rosie'' which detailed his early life in Gloucestershire after the First World War. In this sequel Lee leaves the securit ...
'' (1969),
Laurie Lee told of busking and tramping in his youth across 1930s Spain.
1970s-1990s: In ''Letters from Hollywood'' (1986),
Michael Moorcock
Michael John Moorcock (born 18 December 1939) is an English writer, best-known for science fiction and fantasy, who has published a number of well-received literary novels as well as comic thrillers, graphic novels and non-fiction. He has worke ...
corresponded with a friend about the life of an English writer in Los Angeles. In ''
A Year in Provence
''A Year in Provence'' is a 1989 best-selling memoir by Peter Mayle about his first year in Provence, and the local events and customs. It was adapted into a television series starring John Thaw and Lindsay Duncan. Reviewers praised the book's ho ...
'' (1989),
Peter Mayle
Peter Mayle ( "mail"; 14 June 1939 – 18 January 2018) was a British businessman turned author who moved to France in the 1980s. He wrote a series of bestselling memoirs of his life there, beginning with '' A Year in Provence'' (1989).
Early l ...
and his English family adapt to life in Southern France while renovating an old farmhouse. In ''
Notes from a Small Island'' (1995), American writer
Bill Bryson
William McGuire Bryson (; born 8 December 1951) is an American–British journalist and author. Bryson has written a number of nonfiction books on topics including travel, the English language, and science. Born in the United States, he has b ...
described a farewell tour of Britain.
2000s: In ''
A Year in the Merde
''A Year in the Merde'' is a comic novel by Stephen Clarke first published in 2004 under the pen name Paul West. In later editions, the author's real identity was revealed. In France, the book title is ''God save la France''.
Paul West is in ...
'' (2004) English bachelor
Stephen Clarke recounted comic escapades while working in Paris. In ''
Eat, Pray, Love
''Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia'' is a 2006 memoir by American author Elizabeth Gilbert. The memoir chronicles the author's trip around the world after her divorce and what she discovered d ...
'' (2006), divorced American
Elizabeth Gilbert
Elizabeth Gilbert (born July 18, 1969) is an American journalist and author. She is best known for her 2006 memoir, '' Eat, Pray, Love'', which has sold over 12 million copies and has been translated into over 30 languages. The book was also ma ...
searched for meaning in Italy, India and Indonesia. In the early chapters of ''
Miracles of Life'' (2008),
J. G. Ballard
James Graham Ballard (15 November 193019 April 2009) was an English novelist, short story writer, satirist, and essayist known for provocative works of fiction which explored the relations between human psychology, technology, sex, and mass med ...
told of his childhood and early adolescence in Shanghai during the 1930s and 1940s.
Film
Films about expatriates often deal with issues of culture shock. They include dramas, comedies, thrillers, action/adventure films and romances. Examples, grouped by host country, include:
Television
Reality television has dealt with overseas real estate (''
House Hunters International'' and ''
A Place in the Sun''), wealthy Russians in London (''
Meet the Russians
''Meet the Russians'' is a 2013 British reality show produced by Fox about wealthy Russians and Russian speakers who live in London, England. It premiered on 25 September 2013. It was directed by Emma Walsh. According to ''The New York Times
...
''), British expat couples (''
No Going Back)'' and mismanaged restaurants (''
Ramsay's Costa del Nightmares'').
The final decades of the British Raj have been portrayed in dramas (''
The Jewel in the Crown'' and ''
Indian Summers
''Indian Summers'' is a British drama television series that began airing on Channel 4 on 15 February 2015. The show details the events of summers spent at Simla, in the foothills of the Himalayas, by a group of the British governing and tradi ...
''). Diplomats on a foreign posting have been the basis for drama (''
Embassy
A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually den ...
''), documentary (''
The Embassy'') and comedy (''
Ambassadors
An ambassador is an official envoy, especially a high-ranking diplomat who represents a state and is usually accredited to another sovereign state or to an international organization as the resident representative of their own government or so ...
''). British writers in Hollywood have been the subject of comedy (''
Episodes
Episodes may refer to:
* Episode
An episode is a narrative unit within a larger dramatic work or documentary production, such as a series intended for radio, television or streaming consumption.
The noun ''episode'' is derived from the Greek ...
''). Other settings include British doctors in contemporary India (''
The Good Karma Hospital
''The Good Karma Hospital'' is a medical drama series produced by Tiger Aspect Productions for ITV about a disillusioned doctor, Ruby Walker, who travels to South India hoping to make a fresh start. It stars Amanda Redman, Amrita Acharia, Ja ...
'') and a series of British detectives posted to an idyllic Caribbean island (''
Death in Paradise'').
See also
References
External links
*{{curlie, Society/People/Expatriates/
Nationality
Residency
Diaspora studies
Employment of foreign-born