Ask Uncle!
Have you ever had any questions concerning your TCK-ness? Everyone has, and everyone wants answers. Now here’s a place where you might just find some.
Uncle Dan is infamously one of the longer running forum participants in the Facebook Group “Third Culture Kids Everywhere,” ever since he discovered the TCK terminology over a year ago. That experience (and the encouragement of others) has given him a level of insight into the variety of TCKs, as well as the title “Uncle”. He’s responded to hundreds of threads concerning the issues that TCKs regularly encounter, and thinks (with collective agreement) he’s pretty good at it. Is he perfect? Probably not, but at the very least he can offer some insight.
That said, this thread proposes to answer specific questions that TCKs might have concerning their issues in the large world they’re fully aware of.
Please place questions as comments to this thread, and these questions may be answered in new threads. Feel free to comment on these threads to offer your own insights because, as was said, Uncle Dan (despite claims to godliness), is not perfect and highly values every contribution to help another person adjust to life as a TCK.
Thank you, and let the questions roll!
Uncle Dan accepts only measured responsibility for psychological, emotional, or just-plain-psychotic trauma brought about by his advice.
Please send all complaints to Brice, where you will receive a lolcat for your trouble.
December 3rd, 2007 at 2:56 pm
OMG, best thread ever. I love that picture haha! I’m voting this up!
OK, since this thread is for questions only, I’ll start.
Dear Uncle,
What’s the best way to raise a multicultural kid?
My girlfriend is American/Korean and as you know, I’m a mix of French/Vietnamese/Ethiopian and I grew up all over the world. Since we’ll move in the U.S, I feel some responsibility to teach the kids my culture … but here lies the problem. What culture? It’s all mixed up.
For example, I don’t feel French, nor am I an authority on the culture - but I do relate to French people and speak the language somewhat fluently.
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December 3rd, 2007 at 3:02 pm
LOL it almost sounds like an advertisement! LOL. Anyways.. I don’t really have a question RIGHT now sooo… later!
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December 3rd, 2007 at 5:16 pm
LMBO! This is awesome XD
Just want to say “hi”
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December 3rd, 2007 at 6:10 pm
[…] Ask Uncle! […]
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December 3rd, 2007 at 7:09 pm
Hey Uncle Dan,
Am I a guy or a girl?
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December 3rd, 2007 at 7:28 pm
Finn, love your question XD
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December 3rd, 2007 at 7:36 pm
haha, let’s see if the godly Dan will answer that one correctly
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December 4th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
I have one.
Dear Uncle,
Like a lot of TCKs, I have a hard time making friends. As a repatriated American, I’ve made it more difficult for myself by not being a drinker. (I don’t hang out with my coworkers en masse because that would mean barhopping, which I don’t want to do.)I’m casually friendly with a lot of people, but I can’t push any of these casual friendships over into real friendship territory.
Also, when I do find someone who I see outside of work, I tend to sabotage the friendship by thinking of all the reasons why the person isn’t really going to be my friend. I.e., they already have a lot of friends and don’t need me, or they’re emotionally damaged and can’t support me the way I need to be supported by a friend. This is unfair to my potential friends and unfair to me, but I always do it.
I have a pretty good idea why I am the way I am, but I don’t know how to get over it. How does a TCK like me go about making friends?
Thanks
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December 5th, 2007 at 4:49 pm
Oh Dan… i love that pic.
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December 9th, 2007 at 12:06 am
Ok, here goes..
Dear Uncle Dan
If we’re TCKs, what are the children of TCKs? Would THAT be fourth-culture? I have a friend who’s Egyptian, but grew up in the US and Canada, and has kids born in Canada, grew up in Canada, then lived for about 7 years in Egypt, then are back in Canada… They keep telling her that they are fourth-culture, but I’m not sure about that… Is there any research on this?
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