THIRD CULTURE KIDS

Nowadays, international careers are usually this released the third culture kids (TCKs). This called for children who are growth in a culture and separate with their parents culture passport(s). The developmental surround cultural complexity linked them with their experience from adults TCKs (ATCKs).

Ruth Hill Useem, a sociologist, begins her research in India with expatriates. She finds out that people who come from their home (first) culture to a crowd place (second) culture made lifestyle which was different either from first and second culture. The condition is called “third culture” as the termination. For children who nurture with this phenomenon she called “third culture kids”. This day, most of expatriates family have been kept using their familial pattern while they live overseas.

Next, we can see some examples for these case. Brice Royer, the former of TCKid.com, is a child from the UN peacekeeper. His father is a half-French/half-Vietnamese, whereas his mother is Ethiopian. Brice lived in seven countries before his eighteen; France, Mayotte, La Reunion, Ethiopia, Egypt, Canada, and England. Based on this numerous movement he said, when people talk to me where I came from, I just make a joke and answer “My mom said I came from heaven”.

In the other example ATCK, Elizabeth Dunbar’s father, Roy, was relocated from Jamaica to Britain when he was young. Her mother, Hortense, was a child from Jamaican immigrant in Britain at that time and had a scheme to oust “one day”. When she would build her career in Britain, she had to face the relocation of her father job’s, and moved from his family member to Venezuela and then living back in the three different countries in USA. Presently, she realized that racial diversity may be recognized, the hidden cultural diversity of her life remained invisible.

Notwithstanding, such complexities, most ATCKs share their experiences and give privilege gift to them. They have seen the world and get the opportunity to become billiangualist or more. The most important thing is, from their understanding about culture and individual differences; they can spread out the way of seeing life. It is nice, whether not all of the children can get this good chance. ATCK Mikel Jentzsch, the author of Bloodbrothers–Our Friendship in Liberia, one of the best- selling books in Germany, has a German passport but grew up in Niger and Liberia. He was experience to become soldier before the civil war forced his family to leave that country. Through his perception, the stories of those would otherwise overlook to come to life for the rent of us.

It is important to understand the reason behind TCK experience. Many ATCKs now are in the influence and power position, which can be benefit as the weapon for them to face globalization challenge. Usually the ATCK succeed while doing businesses or in the professional working. Meanwhile, the ATCK experience can create fear for those who view the world from the traditional world view. ATCK and non-ATCK usually have a different point of view about traditional measure of diversity such as race or gender, they are alike.

In addition, many people know about the benefit and challenges of the TCK profile and have a curiosity why they related to it even they never link to live overseas because of their parent career. Usually they had grown up with different condition, perhaps as children of immigrants, refugees, bi-racial or bi-cultural unions, international adoptees, even children in minority. If we see the TCK experience as a Petri dish of sorts, a effect of their development in many cultural places linked with a high degree of mobility has been studied. Thus, we can see what lesson may be also related for helping us to understand about other issues of other cross-cultural kids who (CCKs) may also face. It is doable we may find that we need to reconsider our traditional thinking to term diversity and identity also. Particularly, as for TCK’s, “culture” may be definited by shared experience rather than shared nationality or ethnicity. Based on their stories and building new representatives for our changing world, some will be able to acknowledge and take benefit from the prestige of cross-cultural childhood. It can be used as a substantial material to successfully deal with the challenges neither in for their personal, communal, even in corporate proficient.