Every day going to school she would see poor indigenous mothers with their two, three, four or so kids of two, three, four years old. They were on every street corner begging you to buy chewing gum and cigarettes. Their faces were pollution black and their clothes shabby.
Then at school all the pretty girls would brag about going to Miami next vacation. What would be trendy? What would they buy this time? Do you like what I’m wearing?
Sacha just couldn’t wrap her head around it or in fluff for that matter. Do you not see them?
By Laura Kneale
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Third culture kids are mostly from well-to-do backgrounds. It is no secret they often lead lives of privilege, especially in poorer countries. But that doesn’t necessarily make them insensitive to the human condition. If anything for a TCK coming from a country where inequalities aren’t as drastic, moving to a third world country can be quite an eye-opener. Many ATCKs develop professions that will permit them to go abroad and offer some assistance or aid. [i]
Furthermore, in regards to cultural diversity, TCKs are forerunners to understanding the dilemmas immigrants, refugees and other international migrants can experience. The TCK may not have dealt with economic strains while growing up but they incarnate the feeling of standing out that can often be the most difficult part underlying immigration. In this sense whether TCK or international adoptee, they are all cross-cultural kids. [ii]
In the face of conflicting feelings about international policy of a TCKs passport country as Pollock has reported having seen in the past,[iii] it is in the TCKs best interest to be an active citizen in order to gain more say in international issues. A study on the fields of study of many TCKs at university level reports that many study international relations. [iv]
http://jvwisdom.com/index.php/news/251/70/d,articles.tpl.html
Not all TCKs are necessarily sensitive to these issues. Yet if awareness is usually the first step in developing citizenship, then TCKs have good baggage for it.
[i] Cottrell AB, Useem RH (1994). “ATCKs have problems relating to own ethnic groups”. International Schools Services, 8(4).
[ii] Britten, Samuel (November 30, 1998) “TCK World: A Comparison of Different “Versions” Of TCKs” Third Culture Kid World. Retrieved December 3, 2006
[iii] Pollock D. C. and Van Reken R. Third Culture Kids. The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds (Yarmouth Maine, Intercultural Press 1999), 80-87.
[iv] Cottrell AB, Useem RH (1994). “ATCKs have problems relating to own ethnic groups”. International Schools Services, 8(4).
[v] “Baggage is Beautiful – | Joint Venture Articles by Robin J. Elliot.” 26 Nov. 2007 <http://jvwisdom.com/index.php/news/251/70/d,articles.tpl.html>
