We collect material from expatriates and their families during and after their stay abroad. Our definition of ‘expatriate’ is anyone who lives temporarily in a country other than their ‘home’ country.
This includes expat children, Third Culture Kids (TCKs), Cross Culture Kids (CCKs), and others who may not neatly fit any definition or identify with a single home country. Some people prefer to use alternative terms such as global nomad, knowledge migrant, international assignee, transferee, or no label at all. For us, the word ‘expatriate’ is simply an umbrella term to differentiate our sources from other archives that focus on other types of migrants.
We also collect material from organisations dealing with expatriate affairs. For example, we hold archives from Global Outpost Services, the Federation of American Women’s Clubs Overseas and Radio Netherlands Worldwide.
The following list is not exhaustive, but it gives an idea of the different types of expatriates which we collect from:
- Business: entrepreneurs, self-employed, and employees of international or local businesses;
- Economic: workers in search of temporary work;
- Diplomatic: embassy and consular staff;
- Intergovernmental: employees of the UN and other international organisations;
- Academic: researchers or lecturers on an exchange programme or research assignment or international students;
- Non-profit/NGO: people working in non-governmental, non-profit, and charitable organisations;
- Religious: missionaries and workers in religious associations;
- Sport: sports people assigned to clubs and/or teaching/coaching;
- Cultural: artists, musicians, etc.;
- Military: on missions or stationed;
- Expatriate spouses, partners and children accompanying any of the above;
- Repatriates and returnees.
Donating Your Collection
If you have any questions regarding whether your material is of value to us, please contact us at
welcome@xpatarchive.com. Find out more about
donating your collection.