Growing up in the Third Culture WRITTEN BY TANYA CROSSMAN
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illions of children around the world right now are growing up in countries where they do not have citizenship or permanent residency, and do not have an expectation of permanence. They are not having the same childhood experiences of peers in their passport countries. They have no legal right to stay in the countries where they are growing up. Their childhood is happening in between – in the Third Culture.
What is a Third Culture Kid (TCK)? Third Culture Kid (TCK) is a term used to describe people who spend a significant part of childhood living outside their passport countries. Even where the acronym TCK is fairly well known, it is
often misunderstood. Most people assume that the “Third” part of a “Third Culture Kid” means my first country (home) plus my second country (where I live) equals a mixed up third culture – but we aren’t talking about simple addition. Many TCKs are connected to more than two or three cultures. In fact, most TCKs I know have encountered more than three or even four countries. This leads them to wonder if they should be called “Fourth Culture Kids” or “Fifth Culture Kids.” They instinctively know that three countries can never sum up all of who they are. But the three cultures of a Third Culture Kid are not how many countries influence a person. Instead, they are three types of cultural influence. INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL PARENT AUTUMN 2021 | 55
First Culture: Legal Culture A legal culture is any country in which I have legal recognition. That is, the government grants me citizenship or permanent residency (green card or equivalent). I have legal rights of access, and legal responsibilities as well. 35% of TCKs have more than one legal culture. Holding a passport does not automatically confer experiential connections. The experience of growing up in places where I do not have legal recognition has an emotional impact. The country I legally belong to may not completely feel like home, as I did not share all the same childhood experiences of peers who spent all of childhood there.
