A TCK's Dilemma
Broken Stereotypes: Stories from Third Culture Kids
What should I choose to write about? What to leave out.
I found a list of prompts from a writing course I took about ten years ago. The prompts led me to search for books written by or about Third Culture Kids. The number of books continues to grow since the TCK population has also increased.
The picture above is not the book cover. I found the book's title, Broken Stereotypes, and the author's name at the bottom intriguing: •Christie Durktuld is the pseudonym used by a group of Grade 8 students from Suzhou Singapore International School in Suzhou, China. The name was created using the letters from the term "Third Culture Kids." This book was written and published as part of an English project and contains more than 30 stories from students of various nationalities. English is a second (if not third or fourth) language for all of these students.
(I promptly ordered the book through a web bookstore here in Finland.)
I am writing a Memoir about my TCK experiences, and I need to find new ways to express or explain specific facts that might be new to my readers. For instance, what is a Third Culture Kid? I was born in Finland as the sixth child in my family. World War II was over in Europe – but not yet in Asia. I was uprooted and became a Third Culture Kid (TCK) before I learned to walk. I was eight when I returned to Finland, having circled the globe.
Third-culture kids (TCK) were raised in a culture other than their parents or the culture of their country of nationality during a significant part of their development years. They typically are exposed to a greater volume and variety of cultural influences than those who grow up in one particular cultural setting. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_culture_kid
Though I grew up as a TCK, I did not know I was one until after my mother died in 1993. Soon after her funeral, I attended a TCK Seminar with the TCK guru, David C. Pollock. Third Culture Kids 3rd Edition: Growing up among worlds. He shared stories of the numerous challenges TCKs face and the conflicting reactions many struggle with; I began to understand some of the recurring problems in my life.
With that background, the writing prompts from ten years ago are still challenging. Which stories should I write about from the numerous unique places where I grew up? What is my cultural identity? How do I face my (writing) challenges today? How can my stories give hope to my readers?
I'm not a TCK but I feel like a Third Culture Adult. I came to Sweden from the U.S. at age 17 and after going back and forth between countries I moved permanently to Sweden at the age of 24. I will be very interested in your book. What I would like to read is your insights on how it has effected you life positively and negatively. Any tips on feeling at home in one place and not always feeling like you don't really fit anywhere. How to meet comments that make you feel others think you can't understand and relate because you aren't a real Swede or not a read American anymore.
Every story you share carries hope, dear Lisa! Thank you for being willing to face such questions, because you give us all courage to allow the Lord to help us to face our own questions. You are in my prayers and love today.