Tag Archives: immigration

I Thought Having the Paper Would Help: Meditations on NOT Being Irish

First, my deepest apologies for not writing sooner, and particularly for not writing in the lead up to my naturalization ceremony (originally postponed due to the hurricane, and ten rescheduled and executed in late November). So, yes, I am now … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Europe, Expat Living, Naturalization | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Waiting: The Naturalization Shuffle

Apologies for the six-month delay in posting, but I’ve been waiting for my citizenship paperwork to go through, and hoped to be able to write about being a citizen for my next post. Alas, it was not to be.  I’m … Continue reading

Posted in Bureaucracy, Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living, Immigration & Emigration | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Multiculturalism and This Immigrant

Apologies for taking so long to post something, but it’s been a busy couple of months. In August I returned to filmmaking, my first love, and was fortunate enough to put together an amazing team of people to shoot most … Continue reading

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Immigrant Awareness: American Isolation, Social Media, and Brexit

It seems all too obvious that living in another country would, or should, increase our awareness of the world; but I was not prepared for how much it would open my eyes not just about the rest of the world, … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Europe, Expat Living, Immigration & Emigration, Modern Life, Politics | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Everything Is Ireland’s Fault: Or Why I’m a Bad Immigrant

Hey, Ireland, I’ll let you in on a little secret. As much crap as you talk about the immigrants within your borders, we talk about you too. Even after nearly five years of living in Dublin, a town I’ve grown … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living, Friends & Family, Home & A Sense of Place | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Thanksgiving in Ireland: The Importance of Sharing Old Traditions and Making New Ones

Each year around Thanksgiving I’m amazed at how many of the Irish I meet are familiar with American Thanksgiving traditions. I know that’s not a typical immigrant experience. Ireland and the U.S. are unnaturally close. But I am heartened to … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Attractions, Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living, Home & A Sense of Place, Irish History, Irish Life & Society, Pubs, Things to See in Ireland | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Immigrant Dreams: Fantasies of Prosperity, Happiness, and a Sense of Place

In light of the recent refugee crisis, many of us have had the migrant’s pursuit of happiness and a better life on our minds. But those of us privileged enough to choose emigration, rather than having it forced on us, … Continue reading

Posted in Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living, Irish Life & Society, Modern Life, Things to See in Ireland, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Company you Keep: Celebrating Immigrant Differences

In the ex-pat community you often hear people say that to have a true local experience you shouldn’t hang out with other immigrants, particularly your own kind (Americans if you’re American, the French if you’re from Paris, etc.). “Buswah”, I … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Attractions, Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Immigration & Emigration | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Expat Or Immigrant: What’s In a Name

Recent articles in The Guardian the Wall Street Journal’s “Expat” blog have discussed the racial implications of certain migrants being called “expats”, while others are labeled “immigrants”. That got me thinking. And that’s always a dangerous thing….   Yes, “expat” … Continue reading

Posted in Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 20 Comments

InterNations: A Useful Resource For Expats, Emigrants, & Immigrants

Apologies in advance for the shameless self-promotion, but for those of you who didn’t see it on the Facebook page, I wanted to let y’all know that An American in Dublin was recently profiled on InterNations, a terrific web-based resource … Continue reading

Posted in Dublin Life, Emigrant/Immigrant Life, Expat Living | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments