Second guessing third culture

He believes family is important to cultural transmission.

"It feels a little artificial trying to recreate the atmosphere around important cultural events," he says.

"Also, my wife and I come from different countries and thus have totally different traditions."

Yet third-culture parenthood offers benefits in this realm, he says.

"For our specific situation of being a couple from two different countries, raising our child in a third country also feels like we're raising her in neutral territory," the father explains.

"With our own home activities and trips to the US and Uganda, we can make her aware of where she comes from, but she can also be exposed to a new place."

Kirabo says: "We hope these experiences will make her a person who's comfortable wherever she is. That should be a vital skill in this rapidly globalizing world."

Golding points out that China is still a "fairly homogenous society".

"We're aware our little girl with her brown skin and crazy curly hair will never look like a local," he says.

Kirabo adds: "We just hope she has the language and cultural skills to make good friends and be a part of things as long as we're living here."

They believe she will.

"I think for Zuri, she was always going to be a little different regardless of where she's raised," Golding says.

"She still was going to have Ugandan and American influences that would make her a bit unusual in both places. I think the added experience in China is going to be a plus for her in the future and also makes for a pretty interesting childhood."

Kurt Nagl contributed to this story.