Egregoros · Phoenix Framework

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flisk

i have a question. anyone is welcome to answer, though i'd especially appreciate POVs from immigrants with a visibly different ethnicity from the majority of their country of residence.

i moved from germany to france. no one here can tell i'm from germany until i open my mouth and speak somewhat broken french. should i call myself an immigrant on this platform? i feel like that term implies things about me that aren't necessarily true, but at the same time i do not want to call myself an "expat" because i don't want to put myself above anyone else who came to this country.

i am asking for opinions here, not dictionary definitions.

Blurry Moon

@sun@shitposter.world remote

@flisk If someone believes "immigrant" connotes things like "not white" or "oppressed" that they are making a huge mistake. there are other ways to signal that without ruining a perfectly cromulent word with clear meaning.

flisk

@flisk@fops.cloud remote

@sun what other ways would that be?

Blurry Moon

@sun@shitposter.world remote

@flisk I might be biased because almost every white person in america is the offspring of immigrants so that's my mental model of it. just say poc or something right? or if you properly label someone's ethnic group or class then it's built in.

flisk

@flisk@fops.cloud remote

@sun calling myself a "white immigrant" in my bio might read kinda strange is what i'm thinking

Blurry Moon

@sun@shitposter.world remote

@flisk oh I see. yeah I don't think that's a good idea. I don't mean to minimize your concern because definitely some people will read into "immigrant" if you just put that in your profile and hold it against you if they find out you're (I assume) white and relatively affluent/unoppressed. I don't think they should, but they will.

flisk

@flisk@fops.cloud remote

@sun that's exactly the train of thought that led me to this question. i'll say this: i haven't encountered anyone who made that assumption and then treated me like someone who was "stealing valor". i'll probably cross that bridge when i get to it, if ever.

Replying to @flisk@fops.cloud

Blurry Moon

@sun@shitposter.world remote

@flisk I am in fact an immigrant too, I live in Japan now. I never felt bothered calling myself an immigrant but I can see your point of view now.

Replies

Replying to @sun@shitposter.world

grillchen

@grillchen@brot.eus remote

@sun @flisk you could say german immigrant living in france.

but i would be hesitant making it your identity. (even though it might be at some point).

Replying to @grillchen@brot.eus

flisk

@flisk@fops.cloud remote

@grillchen @sun that's a pretty decent and obvious in hindsight compromise, actually. thanks.