There is a poignancy and a certain level of grief that we don’t pack in our luggage which accompanies us everywhere – Rachel Jones
Students celebrating UWC day
“Where are you from?” is a question I’m asked constantly. My simple answer is Detroit ,as the truth would just be impossible to explain in a minute, leaving the other person bored. Which then leads to the question “Did you watch the last Detroit Tigers game?” which leaves me with a blank face. My life being a third culture kid has left me with no home team to cheer for with pom-poms and no food to call a traditional delicacy. Culture-hopping might seem exciting but it also takes a toll on children when they’re deprived of a “normal” childhood with deeper connections to their surroundings. I have no strong sense of national allegiance. Do you?
Third culture kids (or TCK’s) are people raised in a culture other than their parents’ or the culture of the country named on their passport (where they are legally considered native) for a significant part of their early development years.They are often exposed to a greater variety of cultural influences. Third culture kids might be used to the constant culture shock but it does affect them and make them feel detached to most cultures and traditions. According to Langford (2012), TCK’s have increased tolerance towards different cultures than kids who are only exposed to one culture.
This usually leads most individuals to having an identity crisis. Gabriela Alvarado, the author of “Battling an Imposed Identity: The life of a TCK Perceived as ‘Another American Girl’ ” is the offspring of a Mexican mother and a Cuban father. She was born in USA and thus is an American citizen although she lived in America only until she was two months old. On returning to USA for post-secondary education, she commented, “while I may have never identified with my country of birth, I have found that my language, education, and primary form of identification, have deemed me an ‘American’ in the eyes of the United States, provoking an identity crisis within me.” This same identity crisis plagues many third culture kids into their adulthood.This crisis determines the choices the individual makes and the life they choose in the future. An individual who, having spent a significant part of the developmental years in a culture other than the parents’ culture, develops a sense of relationship to all of the cultures while not having full ownership in any. Elements from each culture are incorporated into the life experience, but the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar experience says David Pollock, a sociologist and an expert on third culture kids.
Our UWCSEA community is a very supportive diverse environment for third culture children. “Home isn’t a place, it’s a feeling, a feeling which I have regularly in this community because of its diverse and rich cultural mix which I feel I belong to”, said Swasthi Rajesh, a UWC student who has lived through four cultural changes and moves.
“The world feels small to me but I feel like I am a part of all the cultures from this one place. We celebrate all traditions and festivals and have varied beliefs. This is the next generation, a modern culture” , said Owen Allwood, a UWC student. Our community has a majority of TCK’s and we celebrate each others quirks and beliefs.
“I don’t have a home” said Mr.Sergey, a parent of the UWC community. Living in multiple cultures affects each individual differently, Mr.Sergey has spent his life travelling from one corner of the world to the other as has his family. The psychological impacts of leading this life are usually based on the moral of finding your identity says Ruth Van Reken, the author of the book “Growing up among worlds” about third culture kids.
As Pollock’s definition says, TCKs develop a sense of relationship to all of the cultures while not having full ownership in any element. The development of relationships is affected by a TCK’s transient lifestyle because it becomes “too difficult to formulate solid and lasting relationships because there is an internal desire or restlessness to ‘change the scene’ every few years” (Tokuhama-Espinosa, 2003, p. 165-6). A TCK’s mobile lifestyle may challenge their establishment of relationships during their adult life (Mclachlan, 2007).
Humans have a basic need to find their purpose and have stability in their lives. Third culture kids rarely have this tranquility and stability that most are looking for. However, most of us third culture kids feel like we have a sense of freedom. The possibilities of the future seem endless and we third culture kids have seemingly forever to find ourselves
Rhea, I thought this article gave me some different perspectives on Third Culture Kids. Of course, as an international school teacher, I’ve done some reading on this, but what I found most interesting in your article was the idea that TCK may be detached from cultures. That you shared your own story was very relevant to me – I think that I always appreciate authors making their own connection – and that it was introduced early was a good hook into your article. I wonder if a little bit more on what unfolds with TCK after high school and through uni. I have heard that graduates of international schools often gravitate to others who have a similar experience. I wonder if this ever changes?
Terry-
Really enjoyed your article. Your personal story gave a very clear connection to the topic and helped to explain the whole concept of TCK’s. I thought the whole article was effective and well balanced. Your references were concise and supportive of your points throughout the article. I thought your end piece could have been more fully explained. Is the purpose and stability not in the other TCK’s around them. What possibilities and are there and how do they find themselves.
uwcsea parent-
What insights has the article given you to [issue/person]?
The article has introduced me to the concept of TCKs. It has put forth salient points regarding the psyche of TCKs which in turn has given me a new perspective about them.
Is there a part of the article that you think is particularly effective?
The part where a UWCSEA student identifies home to a feeling rather than a place was very potent in the article.
What might have made this article more engaging/relevant for you
If there was more in the article as to how TCKs are nomads enjoying not more than a few years of engagement with each culture before the need to move onto another, it would have made for a stronger case.
What could there have been more of or less of to make this article more powerful?
The article seems very precise and puts forth the points implicitly. It makes for a great read and lends a sense of connect and a new feeling of empathy towards TCKs.