Several months ago, I had the privilege of reading Born Confused authored by Tanuja Desai Hidier as a requirement for a seminar on issues and trends in young adult literature. In this novel, an Asian teenager
struggles with self-identity while living with her Indian parents in the United States. Feeling the impact of both an eastern and western culture, she expresses:
…not quite Indian, and not quite American.
Usually I felt more along the lines of Alien
(however legal, as my Jersey birth certificate attests to). The only times I retreated to one or the other description were when my peers didn’t understand me (then I figured it was because I was too Indian) or when my family didn’t get it (clearly because I was too American)…
Sometimes I was too Indian in America, yes, but in India, I was definitely not Indian
enough...
This statement compelled me to continue on a
most fascinating and reflective reading experience. As I paralleled my own life experiences against the experiences of the girl in the story, I was reminded of the
overwhelming sense of loneliness that accompanied my final return from Africa to the United States at the age of seventeen. After spending thirteen years in Kenya,
intermingled with a few years of furlough, I found that it took increased amount of energy to adjust to the fastpaced, materialistic lifestyle of the United States, and I, like the heroine in Hidier’s story, became frustrated over the lack of knowing how to fit into the culture,
understand myself, and relate to my peers

Perkins, Rebecca Lee

IUPUIScholarWorks

Bringing Third Culture Kids Together: Building a TCK Network in Your Library

Indiana Libraries, Vol. 23, Number 2 41BRINGING THIRD CULTURE KIDS TOGETHER:BUILDING A TCK NETWORK IN YOUR LIBRARYby Rebecca Lee Perkins‘I amA confusion of cultures.Uniquely me.I think this is goodBecause I canUnderstand the traveler, sojourner, foreigner,The homesicknessThat comes.I think this is also badBecause I cannot be understoodBy the person who has sown and grown in one place.They know not the real meaning of homesicknessThat hits meNow and then.Sometimes I despair of understanding them.I amAn islandAndA United Nations.Who can recognize either in meBut God?’“Uniquely Me” by Alex Graham James(qtd. in Pollock and Van Reken, 37)INTRODUCTIONSeveral months ago, I had the privilege of readingBorn Confused authored by Tanuja Desai Hidier as arequirement for a seminar on issues and trends inyoung adult literature. In this novel, an Asian teenagerstruggles with self-identity while living with her Indianparents in the United States. Feeling the impact of bothan eastern and western culture, she expresses:…not quite Indian, and not quite American.Usually I felt more along the lines of Alien(however legal, as my Jersey birth certificateattests to). The only times I retreated to one orthe other description were when my peersdidn’t understand me (then I figured it wasbecause I was too Indian) or when my familydidn’t get it (clearly because I was too Ameri-can)…Sometimes I was too Indian in America,yes, but in India, I was definitely not Indianenough (13)This statement compelled me to continue on amost fascinating and reflective reading experience. As Iparalleled my own life experiences against the experi-ences of the girl in the story, I was reminded of theoverwhelming sense of loneliness that accompanied myfinal return from Africa to the United States at the ageof seventeen. After spending thirteen years in Kenya,intermingled with a few years of furlough, I found thatit took increased amount of energy to adjust to the fast-paced, materialistic lifestyle of the United States, and I,like the heroine in Hidier’s story, became frustratedover the lack of knowing how to fit into the culture,understand myself, and relate to my peers.As I have matured, I have become more aware thatmy life experiences are not uncommon. In my research,I have found there are many who, like me, are membersof an increasing population known as “third culturekids” (“TCKs”) – individuals deeply impacted by mul-tiple cultures. As people from all parts of the globebecome more mobile, it is inevitable that TCKs willcontinue to increase in number. And these TCKs,undoubtedly, are making use of libraries all over theworld every day.With this in mind, I will share how and where theterm “third culture kid” originated, provide informationthat will help librarians to know how to identify andbetter serve their TCK population, and in conclusion,offer practical ideas in regard to programming andcollection development specific to meeting the needs ofthe TCK.WHERE DID THE TERM “TCK” ORIGINATE?In the 1950’s, two social scientists from the Univer-sity of Michigan, Drs. John and Ruth Hill Useem, wentoverseas for the purpose of studying Americans indifferent occupational roles who were stationed withtheir families in India. In the course of researching thelifestyles of these Americans, the Useems were alsointroduced to expatriates of other nationalities. Thedoctors were surprised to discover that all the expatri-ates representing multiple subcultures shared a lifestylethat was unique – neither Indian, nor one that mirroredany of their respective home cultures. In defining theirIndiana Libraries, Vol. 23, Number 242discovery, the Useems described the various birthcultures of the expatriates as their “first culture.” Theyidentified the Indian culture as the “host culture” or theexpatriates’ “second culture.” And finally, the sharedlifestyle of the expatriate community within the hostculture became the “third culture.” In describing thisthird culture, the Useems used phrases such as “culturebetween cultures” or “interstitual culture.” The childrenwho lived within this third culture were defined as thirdculture kids (Pollock and Van Reken, 20).The definition of the term third culture kid hasseemingly gone through an evolutionary process.Barbara Schaetti, Principal of Transition Dynamics,suggests that the Useems regarded TCKs as those wholive between two cultures, but more specifically, thosewho live between “western” and “non-western” cul-tures. Then in 1984, Norma McCaig, President ofGlobal Nomad Resources, used the term “globalnomad” interchangeably with TCK. She gave moredepth to the definition of TCK by claiming a TCK is “aperson of any age or nationality who has lived a signifi-cant part of his or her developmental years in one ormore countries outside his or her passport countrybecause of a parent’s occupation” (1). Dr. DavidPollock, founding member of Global Nomads Interna-tional, and co-author Ruth Van Reken, of CulturalConnexions out of Indianapolis, Indiana, agree that, “Acommon misconception about third culture kids is thatthey have been raised in what is often called the ‘ThirdWorld.’ While this might be true for some TCKs, theThird World has no specific relationship to the conceptof third culture” (21). The same authors state, “A thirdculture kid is a person who has spent a significant partof his or her developmental years outside the parents’culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of thecultures, while not having full ownership in any.Although elements from each culture are assimilatedinto the TCK’s life experience, the sense of belonging isin relationship to others of similar background” (21).This definition seems to fall more in line with what theUseems proposed.Pollock and Van Reken note that the world haschanged dramatically since the Useems did their initialresearch on TCKs. No longer do expatriates necessarilylive in a communal system like a military base, mission-ary compound, or a business enclave. Thus, the validityof the term “third culture” or “third culture kid” hasbeen questioned. Recently in an interview, Dr. Ruth HillUseem claimed, “Because I am a sociologist/anthropolo-gist I think no concept is ever locked up permanently…concepts change as we get to know more; other timesconcepts change because what happens in the world ischanging” (qtd. in Pollock and Van Reken, 19). Evenmore recently, Dr. Useem broadens and defines “thirdculture” as “a term to discuss the lifestyle created,shared and learned by those who are from one cultureand are in the process of relating to another one. TCKs,then, are children who accompany their parents intoanother society” (qtd. in Pollock and Van Reken, 21).Pollock and Van Reken agree with this generalization ofthe third culture concept because they have witnessedTCKs, in spite of their individualistic third cultureexperience and mix of nationalities, sharing andconnecting below the surface on a deeper level of lifeexperience (21).Thus, by definition, a TCK is not someone who hasgrown up in a “third world” country. Rather, a TCK isone whose way of thinking and lifestyle has beengreatly affected as he or she lives and is enmeshed intwo or more world cultures. All TCKs, instead of beingdefined by a point of origin, are defined by an idiosyn-cratic set of experiences. TCKs are not always easy tospot because many are in the process of trying to blendinto a culture; however, TCKs do have some identifyingcharacteristics. Librarians have a better understandingof how to reach this growing population of adolescentsif they are aware of the very things that make themunique.CHARACTERISTICS THAT DEFINE A TCKRobin Pascoe – diplomat’s wife, author, andjournalist – refers to Pollock and Van Reken’s research,and writes about the positive and negative elementsthat pull TCKs from all cultural backgrounds together.A unique characteristic about TCKs is that they areaccustomed to change. Moving from country to countryevery two to three years is normal whether they like itor not. In addition, many travel back and forth toboarding school every few months. The unfamiliarbecomes predictable because change is a part of theiridentity. With frequent changes, TCKs develop amigratory instinct that creates a pattern often carriedover into their adulthood. For example, TCKs may go tomore than one college, or they might change jobsfrequently. On a negative note, sometimes TCKs mayfeel there is no need to work through problems be-cause, according to their experience, one can leavetroubles behind. Settling in one place is not easybecause they deal with the urge to get up and moveagain.Operating from a large knowledge base, TCKs areoften highly motivated and strong academic achievers.TCKs have a broader picture of the world around thembecause they have been exposed to more countriesthan most individuals; they also have perspective oninternational issues. Articulate and well read, TCKS areusually self-sufficient, disciplined, independent, andmay know several languages.A TCK will have numerous relationships establishedacross the world yet be without a stable peer group.TCKs friendships are brief and more intense as theyIndiana Libraries, Vol. 23, Number 2 43realize they will not be staying in one place for a verylong time. It is interesting to note that TCKs are ratherdiplomatic. Well behaved as they are, TCKs spend moretime with adults over their counterparts back home.They also get along with their siblings who take theplace of friends in the early days of adjustment to adifferent country.TCKs often have delayed adolescence and a periodof rebellion. Job opportunities for teenagers who areoverseas are very few. In addition, a lower number ofrelationships established with other TCKs make it moredifficult for them to break family ties. Experts say thatmany TCKs work through adolescent rebellion at agetwenty and beyond. TCKs are definitely different, butnot necessarily special. TCKs are told they are special bysome, however, upon re-entering their homeland,reality would show they are just different. For them,believing they are special could cause problems(Pascoe, Culture Shock!, 171-174).Moving beyond these more specific characteriza-tions to looking once more at the bigger picture,Pollock and Van Reken would attest that two keyrealities mold the life of a third culture kid. The first ofthese realities is that they live within more than oneculture, and their physical surroundings usually fluctu-ate with every move they make. The second shapingfactor is that they are raised in a highly mobile world.More than likely, their life will consist of coming andgoing along side those with whom they identify (22).These two atypical distinctions could give cause forsome instability and delayed self-actualization. With thisbackground information, discussion will now beoffered on how to network and provide for TCKs withinlibrary communities.MAKING THE TCK FEEL AT HOME IN YOURLIBRARYThere are many ways libraries can serve the TCKpopulation. In making collection development deci-sions for the TCK group in your community, the mosthelpful resource is the TCK group itself. Generallyspeaking, TCKs interests are wide spread, however,having a variety of sources that cover internationalissues, cultural studies, world history, geography, andtravel will be of value to this population. Self-helpresources that focus on socio-psychological issues thatrelate to their personal experience will be of benefit tothem as well.TCKs love to share their life experiences and have awealth of resources that can add cultural enhancementto the library environment. Often, TCKs will havetraditional costuming from the countries they havelived in, as well as foreign decorative pieces thatenhance library multicultural displays. TCKs may bewilling to talk to children about their life in anothercountry, share a song in a different language, or talkabout a curio that has particular relevance to a storythat has just been read. In serving the library, the TCKis benefited by sharing from his or her life story.Providing opportunities that will allow networkingbetween those who share similar TCK experiences isthe key to successful TCK programming, and gettingTCKs to return to the library. TCKs, though citizens,most likely do not feel at home in the country wherethey find themselves. Regardless of whether or not theyare dealing with identity issues, TCKs still need a placeto belong – a place that feels like home! Perhaps areemphasis of Pollock and Van Reken’s quote would behelpful: “Although elements from each culture areassimilated into the TCK’s life experience, the sense ofbelonging is in relationship to others of similar back-ground” (21). In other words, when a TCK is able toshare their experience with another TCK, a connectionis made that only TCKs can understand. In making thatconnection, a deeper relational need is met that issatisfying and dynamic! It would seem, then, that byoffering library programming that allows TCKs toconnect with each other, the potential for building anetwork of these individuals is great.While focusing on the initial stages of building anetwork of TCKs, attention should be given to pro-gramming ideas that have a multicultural and ethnicappeal. Providing an informal event of this nature isparamount because, in getting TCKs to share with oneanother of their life experiences, friendships that provemeaningful will likely be formed. Those that connectwith each other will probably want to somehow meetagain, and this is yet another opportunity for the libraryto increase its service to this community.Thinking of programming from a practical stand-point, here is a list of ideas that may promote morebrainstorming:l Ethnic Dinners (feature a country per dinnersuited to the TCKs)l International Movie Night (complete withpopcorn and drink)l Book Discussions (let the TCKs in the grouppick the book)l Scrapbooking cultural history (building theTCK’s life by pictures)l Karaoke (singing songs from around the world)l A Night on Cultural Folk Lorel Program to integrate foreign exchange studentsinto your TCK groupl Travel Logs of trips taken (projecting picturepresentations on a screen and displaying curioscollected)Indiana Libraries, Vol. 23, Number 244In determining the programming that will be mosteffective, it is important to remember that the programitself will not be as valuable to the TCK as the opportu-nity to be with another who has similar life experiences.TCKs are likely to have many interests because of wherethey have been in their lifetime, and due to their widebase of interests, it is probable they would come tomany of the library programs regardless of whether theprograms were specifically for TCKs. However, connect-ing TCKs to TCKs at the library is the answer to bring-ing them back to the library to participate in otherprograms and events offered!REFERENCESPascoe, Robin. Culture Shock! Successful Living Abroad:A Parent’s Guide. Portland, OR: Graphic Arts CenterPublishing Co, 2000.Pollock, David C. and Ruth E. Van Reken. Third CultureKids: The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds.Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press, Inc. 2001.Schaetti, Barbara F.  “Global Nomad. Third Culture Kid.Third Culture Adult.What Do They All Mean?” 6 pars. Families in GlobalTransition. Inc. 2003. March 19, 2004 http://incengine.com/incEngine ?content=information&iid=17.ABOUT THE AUTHORRebecca Lee Perkins (bperkins@in-span.net) is an MLSstudent at Indiana University School of Library andInformation Science – Indianapolis and AssistantDirector, Greensburg-Decatur County ContractualPublic Library in Greensburg.

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Bringing Third Culture Kids Together: Building a TCK Network in Your Library

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