McRefugee is aneologism andMcWord referring to those who stay overnight in a 24-hourMcDonald's fast food restaurant.[1]
The term was first coined inJapanese asmakku nanmin (マック難民).[2] That term had been largely replaced bynettokafe nanmin (ネットカフェ難民), literally "net café refugee". In Japan, most McDonald's restaurants are operated around the clock. McRefugees in Japan were reportedly mostlyday laborers and some high school aged teenagers who chose to stay at McDonald's restaurants overnight as a cheaper alternative to net cafés.[2]
The phenomenon and word spread to Hong Kong asmahk naahn màhn (麥難民),[3] where some McRefugees playvideo games and are known asMcGamers.[4] McDonald's opened 24-hour branches inmainland China in September 2006,[5] which quickly attracted McRefugees.[5]
In early October 2015, the death of a woman in a 24-hour Hong Kong McDonald's restaurant inKowloon Bay brought attention to the phenomenon of McRefugees.[6] McRefugees can be found in other 24-hour branches as well.[7][8] Among the more than 1,600 homeless people in Hong Kong in 2015, about 250 were McRefugees.[9]
In 2018, a study conducted by theSociety for Community Organization found that there were 384 McRefugees in Hong Kong.[10] In August of the same year, a movie concerning about this topic started to film in Hong Kong, with the titleI'm Livin' It, mimicking the slogan of the restaurant, "I'm loving it".[11][12]
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