American expats and exceptionalism
Expatriates, or expats, are individuals who live outside their home country. I became one more than 40 years ago.
Born and educated in the US, I took a job in Canada. I thought I’d return to the US after a couple of years. The expected movie of my life did not unspool as expected, however. I put down Canadian roots and never returned to the US except for frequent visits.
Lots of us with many reasons
I am scarcely alone in my expat status. There were about 66 million of us worldwide in 2018, and that number was expected to reach 88 million by 2021. However, the pandemic probably curtailed the growth in expat numbers.
As for American expats, there are approximately 8.7 million of us, roughly the number of people living in New Jersey or Virginia. Of course, we don’t live in a single jurisdiction, but are scattered across many countries.
Individuals become expats for many reasons, for employment, retirement, love, or for a better life. A job is the most common motive for moving abroad. As time passes, though, other factors like friends and romantic partners become increasingly influential as reasons for remaining abroad.
Feeling special
Many Americans are surprised by fellow citizens who voluntarily move abroad. Taking a job imay be seen as an acceptable reason for the initial move, but there’s an implicit expectation that the expat will return.
If a return hasn’t happened in a few years, friends and family members become more puzzled. They ask, “Why aren’t you moving back?”.
My brother, for example, could never understand why I didn’t. He would point out advantages for returning to the US, such as cheaper prices and lower taxes. My rebuttals, such as less gun violence and better health care, never seemed to carry much weight.
Of course, people everywhere love their countries of birth. Attachment to our place of origin is usually strong. It certainly is for me. I have a vivid childhood memory of returning to my hometown late at night in a car with my parents. When we crested the hill to see the lights of our small town in the river valley below, I was filled with pleasure for being home again.
Puzzlement about an expat’s failure to return has another reason: Americans believe strongly that the USA is a country to which a person would want to move to, not from.
Exceptionalism’s shadow
By not returning to the US, expat Americans violate a belief that the USA is a uniquely special country, the “shining city on the hill” as Ronald Reagan put it.
This belief in American exceptionalism holds that “...the United States is inherently different from other nations. ... being perceived both domestically and internationally as superior to other nations or having a unique mission to transform the world.”
It’s typical to cheer for one’s home, be it a high school or a country. Canadians are passionate about their hockey teams. The Dutch live and die for their football, and New Zealanders idolize their All Blacks rugby stars.
That said, the US differs from most other countries in a crucial way. It’s been a dominant economic and political world power for 70 years. Decades of American economic success and influence gives rise to excessive pride and an unrecognized arrogance.
Suspicious minds
When applied to the individual, this exceptionalist worldview raises doubts about the expat’s motivation. If you live in the best country, why would you want to choose to live elsewhere?
More tellingly, why wouldn’t you want to move back to the US after a year or two? Surely things are better in the US than in Country X. What could Country X offer that the US can’t?
Such exceptionalism-fueled suspicions lead, in turn, to unfair expat-related taxation and privacy policies that make the financial lives of expats very difficult.
The policies seem to assume that the expat is cheating Uncle Sam, and the expat must prove that they aren’t.
And what triggers the suspicion? Only that the expat is living outside the borders of the United States.
About this newsletter
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Regards,
The 🇺🇸 Expat Advisor