Second guessing third culture

Third-culture kids - whose numbers are growing globally, especially in China - typically share a unique mindset unlike their parents' passport countries' or their own visa nations'. Erik Nilsson looks at this demographic, who's neither here nor there but everywhere.

They often fly before they can walk - many fly frequently. Young ones may have as many passport stamps as activity book stickers. Older ones know where they've grown up but likely can't say where they're "from". Third-culture kids rank among the world's fastest-growing demographics. And their numbers are swelling in China, as more foreign parents live, work and raise children in the world's second-largest economy.

TCKs are "(people who've) spent a significant part of (their) developmental years outside the parents' culture", according to the most-cited definition, by sociologist David Pollock.

They're different from people who've never lived outside their home culture and those who first do so as adults - often, their parents.

Pollock's writings explained: "The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership in any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK's life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of the same background." Experts agree TCKs tend to better relate to other TCKs than with either their parents' passport or their own visa cultures - even if none of the TCK peers' particular country backgrounds overlap.

This suggests a person raised in China's Shenyang, by a mother from New Zealand and a father from Uzbekistan, is more likely to share an affinity with a person raised in Djibouti, by a father from Sri Lanka and a mother from Denmark, than with non-TCKs from any of those particular countries.

Such mouthfuls can be tongue-twisting and mind-numbing obstacles for TCKs to articulate where they're from and who they are - and not only to others.