When you know your time in another country is limited, it’s tempting to live inside your comfort zone. It’s a point that will resonate with a lot of expats. Through these brief instances, we see the writers of the show portray Bucky as having been part of Wakandan society, not just a guest. This is perhaps the greatest acknowledgment that Bucky respects Wakanda. He demonstrates extreme respect for Wakanda and its culture by doing his best to assimilate rather than trying to exist separately from the nation and its people. (Though we seriously doubt anyone is checking his passport.) So, for all intents and purposes, Bucky is an expat, and an exemplary one at that. And since he didn’t move there permanently, Bucky can’t be considered an immigrant, either. I think of Bucky as an expat since he can't really be considered a refugee because he was invited to Wakanda and welcomed with open arms, that term wouldn’t fit. That’s unfortunately how society’s usage of the term has come to dictate our assumptions. The thing is, when one thinks of the term ‘expat’, the person you’re likely to see in your head is someone who looks like Bucky - in other words, a white person from a Western nation. The BBC recently reported that the UAE’s population is 90% comprised of foreign nationals-most of us call ourselves expats. But today, people refer to themselves as expats when they’re living in another country on a short-term or impermanent basis. The term "expatriate" is a contested one, since it was originally coined for people who had been moved out of their home country. In its own small way, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier tries to show us that expats can be more than outsiders looking in - they can be a part of the society they’re living in. In properties like Lost in Translation, Eat, Pray, Love, Under the Tuscan Sun, and the Hollywood remake of The Grudge, we see expat life in a certain context and from a singular point of view - Western, often white, and separate from the "local" population. I’m used to seeing expat life being portrayed in a very specific way in pop culture. I think this aspect of his character resonates with me because I was an expat in the UAE for nearly 10 years, and through Bucky I can feel nostalgia for life in my own temporary "home" country. Following the events of Captain America: Civil War, Bucky Barnes ( Sebastian Stan) briefly called Wakanda home, and in his return in the Marvel Cinematic Universe spin-off, he and Sam Wilson/ Falcon ( Anthony Mackie) often speak fondly of Bucky’s connection with Wakanda and its people.Įvery time Bucky mentions Wakanda, I’m reminded that his life there was akin to being an expat. The creators have also snuck in another aspect of modern living: the expat life. From tackling therapy to racism, there’s a surprising level of true-to-life drama in the story of a man wearing wings and his partner with a metal arm. The Disney+ show The Falcon and the Winter Soldierhas attempted to ground its superheroes in reality.
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