ICSA is home to over 80 countries across the globe, and there’s a reason the word “international,” is included in the school name. Many students in the community identify with multiple cultures and nationalities, and this is known as being a “third-culture kid,” or TCK for short. From feeling left out to having impactful experiences, this article will give a sneak peek into life as a third-culture kid.
Diving Into a New World
Being a TCK has several negative impacts, and one of them is the inability to adapt to the culture of their home country, something that many students at ICSA can relate to. This culture shock might feel isolating at first, especially when getting used to the new environment and immediate connections might be hard to make.
Mwamvita Barnabas, 10th-grade student feels that “A lot of third-culture kids don’t speak their native language, so this can lead them to feel estranged from their own culture.” She says that her and others in her family feel left out in their native country when “everybody’s laughing and having a good time, but you can’t even relate to them.”
When you’re a third-culture kid, family relationships can be weaker in general, as not only is it hard for you to relate to your family, but you also most likely don’t live where the rest of your family lives. This is true for Mwamvita, as she and her parents live in Cote d’Ivoire, but the rest of her family is spread around Tanzania and South Sudan. Luckily, she says that there is a surprisingly positive spin to this.
Mwamvita’s family and friends are spread around many countries, and although she might not always relate to them, when she gets to see them, she cherishes them as much as possible and doesn’t take the time for granted.
“Since I don’t get to see my family and friends often, I appreciate them more When I do.”
Mwamvita Barnabas, 10th grade
Living an Exciting Life
One of the biggest advantages that TCKs have is the experiences they have throughout their childhood years. Because of the variety of life experiences TCKs have, they are often adventurous with a zest for life, open minded, curious, and adaptable.
Camille Eeckhout, 11th grader, is the perfect example of this. She has lived in eight countries and says that her experiences in those countries will always be a major part of her identity.
This large cultural portfolio is not only great for memories, but it also opens her up to many possibilities education and job wise, as many organizations are eager for this type of global minded individual.
Not everyone agrees with Camille’s identities though. She says that she feels people tend to disregard her experiences with different cultures and often don’t listen to her opinion when it comes to issues involving culture. “It’s hard to talk to others because they just say “oh you don’t know anything.”
Even though she has lived in Egypt, Trinidad and Tobago, Cameroon, Dubai, Mozambique, Belgium, Australia, and obviously, the Ivory Coast, many just ignore that side of her life because she’s not actually from those countries. At the beginning of the interview, Camille herself said that she doesn’t know why she was interviewed as she is “only from Belgium,” but that’s exactly it. Being a TCK isn’t about being from many different countries, but rather, the cultures you embrace and live in.
“The greatest advantage of being a TCK is the experiences. All the countries I’ve lived in, the languages I’ve learned, and the people I’ve met have all been memorable.”
Camille Eeckhout, 11th grader
It’s not fair to ignore Camille’s cultural diversity, just because she’s from Belgium, because she has experienced much more than an average Belgian child. She has not only been influenced by Belgian culture, but by all the other cultures she’s been exposed to.
What is Home?
The diverse lives that TCK’s cause many to ask a very simple question: what is home? The issue with this question is that with all the places they’ve lived in, it makes it hard for many TCK’s to choose what country to call home. Additionally, home is usually defined as a place where someone lives permanently, witch obviously doesn’t really work for you when you’re constantly moving around. Luckily, this doesn’t stop people from creating their own definitions of the word.
Mwamvita says home is the place that she’ll look back on when she’s older, whereas Camille says that home is where her family is. Although these ideas might not really fit our definitions, it’s their version we’re asking them about, so they can define it however they choose.
As a community, we should continue to celebrate our various cultures, especially since we have over 80 different versions of home. After all, home is what we create and might not even be a place, but a feeling.