An expat is not an immigrant. The term "expat" usually denotes a person living outside their native country for a significant period of time. There is no implication that an expat is seeking permanent residency, it is more transient status.
The term "expat" is indeed a leftover from British colonial times, when you look at things objectively. People who define themselves as expats are typically some sort of migrant for economic reasons, exactly the same as somebody coming from, say, Ethiopia; they just have enough money and culture to escape the label.
If we really want to look for something that differentiates expats from regular migrants, we'll find that it is a certain obstinacy to not "go native", to maintain a separatedness from the local culture even after years or decades. Which is, again, a typically colonialistic mindset.
Exactly. But isn't that true about everything ? Isn't economic/cultural capital what makes us call someone a Doctor/Sir? An expat/immigrant ?
> is a certain obstinacy to not "go native", to maintain a separatedness from the local culture even after years or decades.
Not exactly, I've met tons of immigrants who never wanted to "go native" as well as several expats who adopted their new culture as theirs.
All of this happens in people's minds and whether they ever end up leaving isn't really in the equation.
Do this quick experiment, do an image search "expats in <destination_name>" vs "migrants in <destination_name>" and compare the pictures:
See what their income appears to be, clothing, skin color and circumstances.
Dubai:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=expats+in+dubai&t=h_&iax=images&ia...
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=migrants+in+dubai&t=h_&iar=images&...
Costa Rica:
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=migrants+in+costa+rica&t=h_&iar=im...
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=expats+in+costa+rica&t=h_&iar=imag...
For example, for 'expats in Costa Rica' I got shown a couple in an outdoor hotel, and for 'migrants in Costa Rica' I got shown the Immigration Police detaining a group from Africa and a dozen people sharing a bed.
1. Detaching yourself from the label immigrant because you feel it's demeaning
2. Assuming you are better than other people