would you consider "foreigner" an offensive term?

[questionzzz]

I gave a presentation to a university class yesterday, using the term foreigner,eg "foreigners and healthcare" (it wasn't about healthcare). For context, I am visible ethnic minority, grew up in the UK, moved to Canada in my early thirties. I explained in my presentation that I deliberately avoid using the term immigrant, because my presentation did not focus just on immigrants, but also talked about refugees, international students, their spouses, temporary foreign workers and so on. In short, foreigners. At the end of the presentation, one of the students (also visible ethnic minority) said she found the term foreigner offensive because it contributes to "othering" immigrants. I agree- I see the point- but the fact is, immigrants- and foreigners, are "othered", I said my lived reality is that I'm a foreigner- and foreigner is a non-academic,commonly-used phrase which everybody immediately understands. She said what about slogans saying "foreigner go home" on walls. Also many recent immigrants see themselves as "Canadian" and would resent being called foreign. Again, I agree! But should these racist slogans prevent us from using a pretty accurate term? Also, no matter how "canadian" recent immigrants feel, the fact is (as my presentation showed), they are not treated in the same ways and have different outcomes. Others said maybe I should consider using the term "foreign-born". I said in my home country, the administrative term is "alien". Maybe I should use "wanderer? or "stranger"?" Anyway, the discussion was good, and ended on bit of laugh, but it did get me thinking.
AIBU not to find "foreigner" offensive?

you could, if you wanted, find out what the widely accepted term was in the place where you are delivering your work

Or you could insist everyone do it your way

🤔

It’s funny, I have lived in the U.K. for nearly 20 years, and it never occurred to me that I should expect everyone to do things as we do them back home

funny that op went to Canada with that expectation

Good luck, op

I find it blunt and offensive

Me too. It's not really appropriate in this context. Also it's not very clear what you mean.

Of course I can. I'm a naturalised British Citizen, but English is not my
Mother tongue; the culture in my parental home is that of my parents' countries of origin, but I went to school here in England. I am a product of three cultures (DM's, DF's and England).

For instance - why are you defining this group at all? What about people with dual nationality? What about Canadians born elsewhere? It is not a clear cut term at all.

It's not offensive. I am a foreigner.
I am an immigrant not a migrant so if you used migrant I wouldn't count.
In law they do use "alien" sometimes. I find that worse than foreigner tbh

I am a foreigner or foreign national etc - it is what it is and that person complaining might need to become more familiar with the English language if they found it offensive. Ridicolous pandering expected.

@jellyslice you still have the nationality you were born with, so are not "just" british as first claimed?

I think YABU because it is such a broad imprecise term and therefore open to lots of bigoted redefinition by the user and the audience.

Ridicolous pandering expected.

It is actually really inappropriate in the context used. I don't think it is wrong to be pulled up on it. It's not offensive, just wrong.

As long as it is used in the correct way I don't see a problem with the word 'foreigner'.

It's not a word I come across a lot nowadays but I suppose I would consider people from foreign countries as foreigners, just as I would expect people in foreign countries would view me as a foreigner.

Though a problem might arise if someone doesn't like the term 'foreign country' and sees that as offensive in the first place, so won't like people being referred to as foreigners either.

The current climate means that someone will take offence, they look for perceived 'offences'. I personally feel we need to fight back against trivia in the 'ism' industry. By claimed an 'offence' for small things, the big things are diminished, all are lumped together.
I was called a 'racist' because I insisted that a pupil had his coursework in the next day or he wouldn't be entered for the exam, he was already late. My response 'If you say so', he was quite shocked that I hadn't gone out of my way to deny it! The rest of the group, almost all Asians too, laughed at him and said 'That's telling you'.

I don't. I have one passport, British. As my country of birth is now in the EU, I have looked into claiming nationality there, but am not eligible. My parents hold dual nationality, which allows me to claim nationality in DM's country of birth, but I would have to actively claim it as an adult, it's not automatic.

jellyslice you still have the nationality you were born with, so are not "just" british as first claimed?

Are you really telling a complete stranger that you know more about their nationality than they do?! That is way more offensive and patronising than anything the OP has done!

@jellyslice- I admire your composure.

I'm "British" as well, but from a foreign country. I have 2 passports. In my home country I'd be more of a foreigner than I am perceived to be in the uk

Not offensive at all

And I've lived here for 30 years.

And my parents are originally from this country. If someone called me a newcomer I'd laugh

Ffs. As if we cannot say foreigner anymore!!! And i’m not part of the ‘bloody snowflakes’ or ‘pc gone mad bloody hell’ club. From a foreign country. Yanbu and they 10000000% are.

It really depends on the context, it is such a catch-all term. Sometimes it is used to describe a non-national, sometimes - someone fresh off the boat, sometimes even someone with a non-majority skin colour.

Maybe it is not the best choice to use the term in an academic presentation, precisely because it means different things to different people.
As an anecdote:
My boss is half Polish, half English (he is in his 50's, born in Britain). He has his dad's very typical English surname and a common British name, and his twin sister has a very distinctive Polish name and their mum's *ska surname (it was an agreement between their parents).

By the majority of people, he is perceived as "British" and his sister as a "foreigner". They used to laugh about it, but after the referendum it became a bit more unpleasant.

*In Canada people frequently use newcomer

Which you will have heard, if you were in Canada*

I've never heard this. I'm not saying it's not used, just that I've never heard this so it's not THAT common.

Newcomer doesn't work IMO. I've got friends who've been here donkey's years and are still PRs. They're certainly not newcomers.

Are you doubting that OP actually lives in Canada?

Its not offensive. Its a description. People can be so ready to pounce and accuse others with no reason at all.

I think most important at least one person has said they find it offensive. Why not just respect the localisms if they are not offensive?

I think it has much the same connotation as “illegal alien” does in the US (but obviously not the same thing). I’m a ‘foreigner’ and I cringe when I hear people use that word. I think in the current moment it tends to be used in a derogatory way and there are probably more specific and less negative words you could use. Non-British or even foreign nationals or just talk very specifically about the groups you are referring to. If you do opt to use a somewhat contested term, I think it’s always a good idea to acknowledge it’s problematic at the start of your presentation and perhaps it could stimulate some discussion about what might be a better word to use with your audience.

I’m a foreigner in the country I live in, am used to being referred to as such, and don’t find it offensive ... it is a fact that I was born and raised elsewhere, which makes me different from the local population.

If someone snarled “Go home, foreigner!” that would obviously be a totally different situation in which the word would become offensive.

You will always end up offending someone no matter what word you choose !

Would she have preferred a daft and too long phrase such as ,"people not born on Canadian soil" ??