If a writer is freelancing and moves somewhere on a temporary visa with the intention of leaving in a year or three, I'd probably call them an expat, sure. Obviously there's no bright line, and different people use the term for different things (even crypto-hate speech, as evidenced by other commenters in this thread!).
I suspect dfc refers in part to famous expats like Gertrude Stein, Henry James, and John Singer Sargent? They were part of the American expat community 100 years ago, and all lived in Europe for decades.
Obviously language changes, but doing a search for "expat artist" or "expat writer" easily finds things like:
Also, take a look at the profiles at http://www.expatinfodesk.com/our-authors/ . While some moved because of work, others say things like "Her relocation to Barcelona happened almost by accident, after she and her daughter set off on a European adventure. The adventure turned into a settlement and the pair are now officially expatriates - at least for the time being." and "... came to Los Angeles originally as a student, with an intention of going home after completing her sociology studies in college. Now she finds herself still living in Los Angeles after a couple of decades"
Thus, while you can say "the above is how I look at it", you cannot really argue "Within the expat community I think there is a different distinction ... ", because the expat community doesn't seems to agree with your corporate, short-term qualifications.
Sometimes people talk about "British expats in Spain", but "Indian immigrants in UK". Which tells you everything.
In 2007, Al Jazerra did a short documentary about the British immigrants in Spain ( http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/witness/2007/11/20085251... ), and it's brilliant. You can imagine an Indian show about Indian immigrants in UK ("Oh look they can't count to 10 in English, and know nothing of British history"), and it would be fodder for the far right in UK.
You keep finishing my sentences like this and people are going to talk;) This is the explanation that I should have included with my comment about expat writers/artists.
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If a writer is freelancing and moves somewhere on a temporary visa with the intention of leaving in a year or three, I'd probably call them an expat, sure. Obviously there's no bright line, and different people use the term for different things (even crypto-hate speech, as evidenced by other commenters in this thread!).
I suspect dfc refers in part to famous expats like Gertrude Stein, Henry James, and John Singer Sargent? They were part of the American expat community 100 years ago, and all lived in Europe for decades.
Obviously language changes, but doing a search for "expat artist" or "expat writer" easily finds things like:
http://juliedawnfox.com/2013/07/05/expat-artists-algarve/ - a British expat who lives full-time in Portugal
http://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2014/02/27/expat-arti... - another British expat, 18 years in Spain
http://www.theyucatantimes.com/2013/11/meet-expat-writers-li... - various expat writers in Yucatan, including a Canadian who moved there in the 1970s for love
Also, take a look at the profiles at http://www.expatinfodesk.com/our-authors/ . While some moved because of work, others say things like "Her relocation to Barcelona happened almost by accident, after she and her daughter set off on a European adventure. The adventure turned into a settlement and the pair are now officially expatriates - at least for the time being." and "... came to Los Angeles originally as a student, with an intention of going home after completing her sociology studies in college. Now she finds herself still living in Los Angeles after a couple of decades"
Thus, while you can say "the above is how I look at it", you cannot really argue "Within the expat community I think there is a different distinction ... ", because the expat community doesn't seems to agree with your corporate, short-term qualifications.
Sometimes people talk about "British expats in Spain", but "Indian immigrants in UK". Which tells you everything.
In 2007, Al Jazerra did a short documentary about the British immigrants in Spain ( http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/witness/2007/11/20085251... ), and it's brilliant. You can imagine an Indian show about Indian immigrants in UK ("Oh look they can't count to 10 in English, and know nothing of British history"), and it would be fodder for the far right in UK.
I completely agree with your analysis that the distinction between immigrant or economic migrant and ex-pat is class-based.
You keep finishing my sentences like this and people are going to talk;) This is the explanation that I should have included with my comment about expat writers/artists.