It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I found out I was a Third Culture Kid (often referred to a TCK). What is a TCK you might ask? I did some research myself and found the following definition which seems to sum it up perfectly:
Now, there are several elements of this definition that relate to me. First off, I moved to China when I was 7 years old, so still very much in my developmental years. After living in Shanghai for nearly 6 years, I moved to Beijing. After living there for 3 years, I moved to Hanoi, which is where I spent the last two years of my childhood. So where am I from? I am Dutch, but to be honest, I don't feel all that Dutch. Next is the aspect of building relationships to all cultures, but not really owning any of them fully. I must say, I still have a very strong connection to China, and I often refer to it as home. Vietnam is next in line, as that is where my family lives at the moment, so it is very much a part of me. Lastly is the Netherlands. While I do carry a Dutch passport and my extended family all live in the Netherlands, I really don't feel like I am all that Dutch. I think there are numerous reason for this, which I will examine more in a up coming post. And lastly, the feeling of belonging with people of a similar background is very familiar. My best friends are all TCK's as well. We understand each other and experience the same difficulties.
Through this blog, I want to create a space for other TCK's to share similar experiences to mine, while at the same time trying to explain to non-TCK's what it is really like being a TCK. I will talk about topics like school, friends, family as a TCK, but also issues like homesickness, what is "home", and a sense of belonging. My no means are my posts only relatable to TCK's, they touch topics that everyone experiences. So please stick around for more, I will try post as regularly as I can!
"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 frequently builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture may be assimilated into the TCK's life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of similar background." (David C. Pollock, 2009)
Now, there are several elements of this definition that relate to me. First off, I moved to China when I was 7 years old, so still very much in my developmental years. After living in Shanghai for nearly 6 years, I moved to Beijing. After living there for 3 years, I moved to Hanoi, which is where I spent the last two years of my childhood. So where am I from? I am Dutch, but to be honest, I don't feel all that Dutch. Next is the aspect of building relationships to all cultures, but not really owning any of them fully. I must say, I still have a very strong connection to China, and I often refer to it as home. Vietnam is next in line, as that is where my family lives at the moment, so it is very much a part of me. Lastly is the Netherlands. While I do carry a Dutch passport and my extended family all live in the Netherlands, I really don't feel like I am all that Dutch. I think there are numerous reason for this, which I will examine more in a up coming post. And lastly, the feeling of belonging with people of a similar background is very familiar. My best friends are all TCK's as well. We understand each other and experience the same difficulties.
Through this blog, I want to create a space for other TCK's to share similar experiences to mine, while at the same time trying to explain to non-TCK's what it is really like being a TCK. I will talk about topics like school, friends, family as a TCK, but also issues like homesickness, what is "home", and a sense of belonging. My no means are my posts only relatable to TCK's, they touch topics that everyone experiences. So please stick around for more, I will try post as regularly as I can!
