Immigrant or Expat? We use these words to describe people who have moved to a different country. Which of these words would you use to describe these men?

Immigrants are people who move to a different country permanently, while expats are people who live in a country that’s not their own, often temporarily. Despite these definitions, these terms are often used incorrectly. An African farmer working in Malta to earn money to send home to his family, with every intention of returning home is an expat. A Spanish man who moved to Malta to retire is an immigrant. 

Words are powerful. When they are used incorrectly in this way, they perpetuate a racist system that only benefits some. Many of those who benefit from this system deny that they enjoy its privileges. If that were true, there would be no reason that we should be enforcing these prejudices. You can do your part to push back against these systemic issues, starting by describing people accurately, not based on the color of their skin, their economic status, their education or their nationality.