McRefugee is a neologism and McWord referring to those who stay overnight in a 24-hour McDonald's fast food restaurant. [1]
The term was first created in Japanese: makku nanmin (マック難民). [2] That term had been largely replaced by nettokafe nanmin (ネットカフェ難民), literally " net cafe refugee". In Japan, most McDonald's restaurants are operated around the clock. Due to unemployment, high rents, and transportation costs in Japan, McRefugees choose to stay at a McDonald's overnight.
The phenomenon and word spread to Hong Kong as mahk naahn màhn (麥難民), [3] where some McRefugees play video games and are known as McGamers. [4] McDonald's opened 24-hour branches in mainland 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 in Kowloon 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 the Society 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 title I'm Livin' It, mimicking the slogan of the restaurant, "I'm loving it". [11] [12]