By Laura Cockburn
Does the question ‘where are you from?’ continue to make you
pause and think: ‘Do they want the truth?’ ‘Do I know?’
Welcome to an enormous ‘club’ where there are many of us who
have had nomadic childhoods. These days there are an increasing number of
organisations and people who are assisting us to understand this more. “A Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a person who has spent a
significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents’
culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having
full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into
the TCK’s life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others
of a similar background”. Cliff Richard is one of us – many of
his childhood years were spent in India!
What’s important to know is that there
are many positive things about being raised overseas or in experiencing a
highly mobile childhood. There are also a few ‘downers’ but these simply need
to be understood.
On the up side: the long term benefits of the
enriching experience offered by mobility are issues such as independence,
adaptability to change, and a higher level of tolerance towards a range of
races and cultures, to name just a few. On the down side the rootlessness and
restlessness; the unresolved grief wrought by many moves and the loss of places
and friendships.
These kids typically feel comfortable as outsiders and see
themselves as global citizens. They are often fluent in several languages, have
an insider's knowledge of different cultures, adapt quickly to new
environments, and move with ease from one country to another.
Once I had a full understanding about
all this my life view has changed and deepened.
You
know you are a TCK when!
You vary your answer when people ask you where
you are from
You have a trunk for a coffee table
You flew before
you could walk
Your life story included the phrase “and then
we went to…”
The National Geographic makes you homesick
You’re aware you look different, but wear a
sarong around the house anyway
You have best friends in 5 different countries
You had your own set of luggage before you
were five
You often feel odd when you are in the ethnic
majority
You have a list of 45 possibilities for
retirement
I have a very interesting book list on the subject and would
really like to hear back from anyone who would like to know more about us
‘third culture kids’
Please contact me
Laura Cockburn email address pact_ss@yahoo.com
Information collated
by Laura Cockburn, military brat and TCK. Lived in Cyprus and attended KRS
between 1971 – 1974.