Thursday, November 24, 2005

Foreign Worker vs Expatriates vs Foreign Talent

What are expatriates?

ex·pa·tri·ate

v. ex·pa·tri·at·ed, ex·pa·tri·at·ing, ex·pa·tri·ates
v.tr.
1. To send into exile. See Synonyms at banish.
2. To remove (oneself) from residence in one's native land.
v.intr.
1. To give up residence in one's homeland.
2. To renounce allegiance to one's homeland.
n.
1. One who has taken up residence in a foreign country.
2. One who has renounced one's native land.
adj.
Residing in a foreign country; expatriated: "She delighted in the bohemian freedom enjoyed by the expatriate artists, writers, and performers living in Rome" Janet H. Murray.

What do you understand from the word foreign?

for·eign
adj.
1. Located away from one's native country: on business in a foreign city.
2. Of, characteristic of, or from a place or country other than the one being considered: a foreign custom.
3. Conducted or involved with other nations or governments; not domestic: foreign trade.
4. Situated in an abnormal or improper place in the body and typically introduced from outside: a foreign object in the eye.
5. Not natural; alien: Jealousy is foreign to her nature.
6. Not germane; irrelevant.
7. Subject to the jurisdiction of another political unit.


Think the distinction here is that expats have taken up residence. While the irrelevant aliens foreign workers are only here "on business".

They have an ExpatSingapore as well as a Singaporeexpats website.

Oh, there are foreign talents as well. So are they essentially irrelevant aliens foreign workers who can play badminton, table tennis, football?

Why the distinction?
And how come no Singaporeforeignworkers.com or foreignworkerssingapore.com? Reeks of the technology divide.

1 comment:

Tan Kok Seng said...

BTW not related to this post but I saw Young and Dangerous 1 and 2 on DVD at Y-Vision at Raffles Place MRT. 6535 6472.