Tue, 9 February 2010
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It takes up no room in a suitcase; an expat can take their national identity around the world and unpack it in any new destination.
Passports symbolise that identity; an identity that also divides us. A national identity cannot be replicated because an American is not Canadian; a New Zealander is not Australian; a Taiwanese national is not Chinese, nor is an Irish national British.
The expat community is a mixed breed with individual national identities, but expats are also subjected to the identity of their land of residence. Its culture and language have a habit — whether consciously or subconsciously — of seeping in through their pores.
Integration by osmosis, if an expat is open to the possibility.
But when significant national days of honour or celebration occur, national identity cannot and should not be denied.
Anzac Day — when Australia and New Zealand honour those who fell at Gallipoli against the Turkish defenders during the First World War and the wars that followed — is such a day. The Anzac tradition is part of the nation's psyche and a nation remembers the people and events that shaped the nation that bred them.
Expats — those who temporarily reside in a foreign land for work or family ties — are unofficial ambassadors for their nation, with a unique opportunity to express their national identity in a foreign land.
British newspaper the Telegraph correctly said identity is a complex issue for expats. Nevertheless expats have a right to freely express that identity.
Integration has become the main component of immigration policy in the Netherlands, with an increasing emphasis on compulsory assimilation courses. The main political parties want to use these classes to instil Dutch culture into its newcomers. Expats who come here to work are currently exempt from these courses, but people coming for family reunification purposes are not and they are obliged to learn Dutch.
Here's a short introduction to our Renting a house or an apartment section for France.
Here's a short introduction to our Buying a house or apartment section for France.
From Gaelic clubs to Canadian Alumni organisations, there is bound to be an English-speaking club for you in France.
It’s time to get active! Research shows exercise can improve your health, confidence and quality of life.
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