"I have a person in my city that I can physically see, connect and hang out with. I am really delighted and hope that this will be the beginning of a lovely friendship." - Nioucha

Do you feel like a stranger in your passport country? No Tckid group or meetup in your area? Learn how Nioucha and Yu successfully met each other on tckid.com, and how you can do it too.

“Without [Tckid], which has become this lovely net for us all to caught in, we would have wandered the streets of Portland and missed each other!

Find a Tckid in your city in 10 minutes
Who would you like to meet? You can search based on age, interest, location and much more. Login to my.Tckid.com and use the “Advanced Search” to find members interested in making friends or networking in your city. There are new members joining every day, and we invite you to keep searching. (Can”t find someone in your location? Learn how to help raise awareness of Tckid in your region.)

Our First Meeting

“So, Yu and I agreed to meet in a lovely modern “European” style café in an area in the center of Portland called the Pearl District in the afternoon. Yu spotted me right away as I was getting ready to order my chai latte. We made warm our warm introductions, ordered our respective drinks and then sat down and talked…and talked…and talked. 2 hours and 45 min flew by so quickly as there was so much to exchange and parallels to draw.”

2. Break the ice: Introduce yourself
Yu wrote in her profile that she was interested in meeting new people in Portland, and Nioucha sent her a message to introduce herself and meet at a cafe. Sometimes you have to take first step to break the ice. You can start getting connected and meet people today.

"I travel... because I want to see the world through different eyes... and to meet TCKs around the world!" - Yu

“Yu is warm, very pretty, engaging, upbeat, easy-going, well-educated, well-rounded and a keen listener. While our stories and backgrounds are different, we are both transplants to this city, we are both struggling to find steady employment, we are both thinking about leaving and going elsewhere (but where to and when are the main issues), we both have an education/teaching background, we both feel a bit lost and ‘stuck between two or more worlds’, we both want to travel more, we both are fascinated by different cultures and languages and we both miss feeling connected to other internationals.

There were several moments when Yu was telling about her feelings or what she was experiencing that I felt “I know, I know what you mean. I have been there too!” That intrinsic sense of understanding the delicate and complex framework that makes us TCKs was such a lovely reprieve, a kind of “chicken soup for the soul”, from my more overall current feelings of frustration, isolation and at times profound loneliness. Now, not only do I have a little haven to connect with my TCK friends and companions online, but I also have a person in my city that I can physically see, connect and hang out with. I am really delighted and hope that this will be the beginning of a lovely friendship.”

What if I get no response and it doesn”t work out? And I still don”t know where I belong?

You may reach out to a few people and get no response or maybe you won”t connect with the right person right away. The reality is that you may have to meet more than one person before you find a connection that “fits”. Every friendship takes time to develop and requires persistence. However, taking the time to build a strong social network of friends in your city will reap many rewards. Learn more on TCK Academy.

Scott M writes:
“When I lived in Texas, I struggled to fit in, no matter how hard I tried… then I actually met a TCK here in the Tckid.com chatroom. We exchanged emails, and eventually got on Skype … and now we’re best friends. This community really changed my life, this is why I got involved to help.”

Want to meet Tckid today? Here”s how to get started:

1. Login to  http://my.tckid.com

2. Find a Tckid in your city
Who would you like to meet? Use the “Advanced Search” to find members interested in making friends or networking in your city. You can search based on age, interest, location and much more. There are new members joining every day, and we invite you to keep searching.

(Can”t find someone in your location? Learn how to help raise awareness of Tckid in your region.)

3. Join an interest group

Do you want to connect based on interests?  We have groups such as: Writers, Singles/dating, Parents, Office TCKs, Universities, Pre-teens, Missionary/Christian, Adult TCKs over 50+, and much more.

4. Read More Stories

Want to learn where you can read more stories and share yours?  Learn why over 21,000 members joined Tckid and read their stories.

More Questions? Check out our FAQ to get answers!

Popularity: 31% [?]

Struggling refugee moms who rely on craft-making to feed their children

It’ll be so awesome to see the smiles on their faces when they see what Tckid has to say about moms.

Popularity: 8% [?]

For new community members or friends making new discoveries about their identities, it can be overwhelming to navigate all the different terms, phrases, and ideas that emerge from discussing the TCK experience. For others who are more familiar with talking about their experiences, it helps to be re-acquainted with these terms.

Here are a list of the Top 10 Third Culture Kid glossary terms to guide you through some of the basic words and concepts.

1) Third culture kid (TCK) – Dr. David Pollock, a sociologist and co-author of Third Culture Kids: The Experience of Growing Up Among Worlds, defines a TCK as “a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents’ culture. The TCK builds relationships to all of the cultures, while not having full ownership of any. Although elements from each culture are assimilated into the TCK’s life experience, the sense of belonging is in relationship to others of a similar background.” This has traditionally included those who have grown up in more than one country.

Other terms for TCK include: global nomad; trans-culture kid; expat brat

Types of TCKs include:

a) Army/Military brats – A TCK with at least one parent working in his/her passport country’s military and who has moved lived in military bases.

b) Missionary Kids – A TCK with at least one parent working as a missionary for a religious institution and who has moved as part of missionary work.

c) Diplobrats – A TCK with at least one parent working in a diplomatic capacity, such as part of a government organization or embassy, and who has moved as part of diplomatic work.

d) Business brats – A TCK with at least one parent working in a multinational organization and who has moved as part of a business assignment.

2) Adult Third Culture Kid (ATCK) – A TCK who is of adult age. An ATCK experiences adulthood with his/her TCK perspective.

3) Cross Cultural Kid (CCK) – Like TCKs, a CCK is a person who has spent a significant part of his/her developmental years outside of the parents’ cultures. CCKs include persons who have grown up in one country but within multiple cultural settings.

4) Unresolved grief – An emotional state felt as a reaction to loss of ties to a place or places where a TCK once lived. This feeling is exacerbated when the feelings of loss are not acknowledged or when there are no efforts toward reconnection, such as through communication or visits.

5) Itchy feet – The feeling characterized by restlessness and a desire to change locations. Many TCKs have expressed feeling this way after they have settled in one place.

6) Culture shock – An emotional state felt when reacting and adjusting to a new cultural setting. A person who moves to a new city or country may feel this after he or she first arrives.

7) Reverse culture shock – An emotional state felt when adjusting to a previously experienced cultural setting, which is often a person’s “home” culture.

Expatriate (also, Expat) – A person who resides in a place outside his/her usual place of residence or legal residence. A family who is sent on assignment away from its passport country are considered expatriates.

9) Repatriate – A person who returns to his/her usual place of residence or legal residence. A family who returns to its passport country after a foreign assignment are considered repatriates.

10) Global citizen – This is a term used by many TCKs who do not feel any affinity to any particular country or cultural setting, particularly in response to the question, “Where are you from?” Instead of using the citizenship listed in one’s passport, a TCK may just say that they are a global citizen.

Popularity: 29% [?]

Watch the video to check what I do when I’m lonely. lol

I’m just kidding. What are you doing for V-day? Leave a comment
below to share with the community!

(P.S: Are you looking for a date? Add me on Facebook if you want to meet TCK singles of any age. Most of my friends are TCKs. Maybe I can introduce you to someone?)

Are you single and looking for a relationship? According to our surveys, 70% of our members prefer dating TCKs. If you’re a member, check out TCKid Singles to find a date. You can search for singles in your city (of all ages and interests) in 10 minutes. Are you new?

What are your plans for V-day? I want to hear from you. Leave a comment below.

Popularity: 9% [?]

Do you want to update our Facebook Logo picture? The picture of the book is better known and it has been in use on Facebook for a few years, but our friend Ruth Van Reken is updating the TCK book this year …. maybe it’s time for a change for us too? The new logo has pictures of TCK meetup groups from Taiwan to New York of members that would better represent the community.

Old logo on Facebook

New logo on Facebook

(New logo Option #3)

(New logo Option #4)

(New logo Option #5)

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

You decide. Vote or leave your comments.

Do you have suggestions? Want to create a logo? Please feel free to submit pictures and suggestions.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Pop star Michael Jackson has died in Los Angeles, aged 50.

Watch the video and leave your comments here or on Youtube:

Love him or loathe him, Michael Jackson had the power to unite people of different cultures like no other.

Brice

Popularity: 3% [?]

June 17, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

As globalized market forces increasingly lead families to temporarily relocate to other countries, parents should be aware of the challenges facing the youngest family members upon their return home.

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. – Children who live abroad with their parents on extended sojourns may experience a setback to their psychological wellbeing, say researchers in a recent study. But not in the way experts initially thought.

Traditionally in the United States, large companies, Christian missions and the State Department considered regularly repatriating back to the country beneficial for children in helping them retain their national identity and a sense of “home.” Some missionaries are even required to spend a year in the U.S. for every three or four abroad.

However, a recent Smith College study of 170 children of American parents found that multiple repatriations to the U.S. seemed to compromise childrens’ adjustment abilities as adults. Meanwhile, the total number of years the children spent living abroad did not affect their ability to ultimately adjust to life back in the U.S.

The study examined American citizens aged 18 to 25 who had returned to the U.S. For men, researchers found, multiple repatriations earlier in life were related to a less positive psychological wellbeing. For women, multiple repatriations were associated with higher levels of prejudice, lack of introspection and feelings of moral superiority.

“It seems that while periodic return to the U.S. may sound good in theory, in reality it may be something that parents should not take for granted,” said Bill E. Peterson, associate professor of psychology at Smith. “Vacationing in the U.S. is probably fine, but coming back to live in the U.S. for a more extended time between sojourns may be bad for the later adjustment of their kids.”

Peterson co-authored the paper, “Third culture kids and the consequences of international sojourns on authoritarianism, acculturative balance, and positive affect,” with Laila T. Plamondon, a Smith undergraduate at the time. It is available online in the Journal of Research in Personality.

Third culture kids – or TCKs – is a term first coined in the 1950s to designate the numerous cultures these children inhabit – the “first culture” being their country of origin; the “second,” their host country; and “third,” the transient community of expatriates, said Plamondon. Importantly, while a parent makes a conscious decision to go abroad, the children accompany them whether or not they want to.

Instead of transitioning back and forth between the U.S. and foreign assignments, it may be better for children to stay abroad in a larger chunk of continuous time.

“For example, it might be better for someone working in business to take her family to India, Japan, and Korea in succession rather than come back and live in the U.S. between sojourns,” said Peterson. “This, of course, has serious implications for sending agencies and families living abroad.”

More research needs to be done to replicate the findings, according to the researchers. “TCKs provide a fairly unique opportunity for psychologists interested in studying the effects of globalization on culture and identity,” added Peterson.

-30-

Popularity: 12% [?]

Do you think the pain of rejection and not belonging make you stronger or damage you?

Personally, it made me stronger and the challenges became a positive blessing. I explain why below.

Listen to our interview with ABC News on TCKID. Ruth Van Reken, Daniela Tudor and I discuss the benefits and the health challenges of being culturally mixed:

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/lifematters/stories/2009/2583257.htm

Vote here:
Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

The reason I ask is because as you may already know, I struggled to find a sense of belonging.

I thought I was weird and there was something wrong with me.

Several years ago, I got a surprise from the doctor: a diagnosis of a terminal disease. The doctors told me, then I was 19 year old man preparing for university, that there was no cure or explanation.

For several years, I couldn’t write, shower myself, or even hold a glass of water. But worst of all, I was isolated and had no purpose in life.

However, my life was turned around when I discovered that the emotional stress had caused the physical pain.

According to research, emotions can cause years of chronic pain and physical disability.

Did you know that your emotions can weaken your immune system and make it more vulnerable to disease?

One day, after releasing those emotions, I was completely healed. I couldn’t believe it, I was completely healed in one day!

After being healed, I made a promise to myself to relieve people from pain and give them a sense of belonging regardless of their culture, race, or color of their skin.

The pain became a blessing. TCKID wouldn’t exist today if it wasn’t for this challenge.

Maybe your emotional pain didn’t give you a physical illness.

Maybe you have relationship pain, and you’re struggling to connect and belong anywhere. Maybe it’s the pain of restlessness, and you just keep moving or pushing people away. We all have experienced emotional pain, but…

Is it a curse or a blessing?

For me, it was a positive blessing.

What are your thoughts?

Talk soon,
Brice

Barack Obama, who spent his childhood in Indonesia and Hawaii, writes:: “I used drugs and alcohol to push questions of who I was out of my mind.” (…) “What I needed was a community, I realized, a community that cut deeper than the common despair that black friends and I shared when reading the latest crime statistics.” – Barack Obama’s Third Culture Kid Team | List of Famous TCKs

Recommended Reading on Emotions and your health:

How Emotions Affect Your Health- Family Doctor

Emotional Pain Hurts More than Physical Pain - Telegraph

The Mind and Body Connection - Science Daily

Popularity: 7% [?]

TCKID has released its first annual list of the top 10 cities in the world in which TCKs live, ranking them by popularity based on its membership of 21,458 Cross Cultural people. (This is not a poll or a survey. It’s the location of our members based on their I.P addresses as given to us by Facebook.)

The table below lists the largest 20 cities in the world based on population for the year of 2009 of people who identity themselves as “Cross Cultural” and/or “Third Culture”.

The most popular city is New York!

Top 10 Cities

1. New York 474
2. Bangkok 381
3. Singapore 306
4. Hong Kong 290
5. Washington 279
6. London 274
7. Sydney 259
8. Los Angeles 222
9. Makati 213
10. Jakarta 210

Other Cities

Toronto 210
Seoul 204
Dubai 202
Chicago 197
Kuala Lumpur 177
Seattle 166
Melbourne 163
Atlanta 157
Houston 157
Oslo 148

Learn more the TCKID New York City group.

Join a local TCKID group (over 50 cities)

Top Countries

United States 8,549
United Kingdom 1,829
Canada 1,003
Australia 841
China 453
Thailand 387
Germany 348
France 342
Netherlands 313
Japan 311
Philippines 308
Hong Kong 302
Singapore 299
Indonesia 274
India 259
South Korea 221
Norway 218
Malaysia 215
United Arab Emirates 206
Switzerland 202

Where to meet TCKs?

Want to meet TCKs in your area? Join a local group and meet other TCKs from 50 locations.

Popularity: 16% [?]

Hey Canadian TCKs,

Brice here. I just received some important news from my friend Robin Pascoe. If you are Canadian and gave birth or planning to give birth to any of your children while living overseas, please read this and pass the link along to any of your Canadian friends.

The Challenge:

The government have introduced a new law last year, and a new citizenship rule is about to take effect (April 2009).

This law restricts the foreign-born children of Canadians living abroad from passing on the Canadian citizenship.

Please read the following Globe and Mail article

Also, please read: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/citizenship/rules-citizenship.asp

Scroll down to “adoption”, although it mentions adoption, it affects Canadians living abroad giving birth to a child.

“This means that children born in another country after the new law comes into effect will not be Canadian citizens by birth if they were born outside Canada to a Canadian parent who was also born outside Canada to a Canadian parent.”

What You Can Do:

If you are opposed to this rule, please help educate other Canadians by raising awareness and send a letter to your MP, and to Jason Kenney, immigration minister.

Tell other Canadians who have children abroad about this new law.

Contact the Immigration Minister

Use this tool below to write to the Immigration Minister Jason Kenney, right now.

His e-mail address is Minister@cic.gc.ca and the mailing address is The Honourable Jason Kenney, P.C.,M.P, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 1L1.

This law goes into affect on April 17th so write to him now!!

Popularity: 4% [?]