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2020 David C. Pollock Scholar and international educator Jacob Daniel Huff shares some insights on TCK identity development from some interviews with a multigenerational TCK family.

2020 David C. Pollock Scholar and international educator Jacob Daniel Huff is currently interviewing members of a multigenerational TCK family to look at TCK identity development over generations of a globally mobile family. We asked him about the project and to share with us some initial insights.

Please tell us a bit about your project

I’m looking at a specific group of TCKs — the multigenerational TCK family — through collecting oral histories in a series of case studies. By ‘multigenerational TCK family’, I mean a family in which more than one generation has experienced a globally nomadic life and more than one of these generations fit the TCK definition.

Currently, I’m interviewing a family with French nationality and Asian ethnicity who have been living an internationally mobile life over four generations. Each generation has moved at different ages to different countries, but all have a strong connection to France (with different generations having lived in France at some point in their lives) and carry the French passport proudly.

The interviews have been with the second-generation patriarch (now living in retirement) and his four children. This third generation is now in their prime and live in three different countries, having lived in four to six countries while growing up and in more countries as adults.

I started this project out of personal interest while working on my doctoral degree at the Liberty Graduate School of Education. My plan is to complete the interviews with this family, do supplemental research and analyze the histories, and have a paper for publication ready later this year. Eventually, I would like to repeat this process with four or five more families, but will likely begin in about a year when my doctoral dissertation is complete. 

Why are you looking at multigenerational TCK families?

According to the UN International Migration Report (2019), more families are living internationally than at any other time in history. We can infer that the number of Third Culture Kids (TCKs) are also on the rise. More families are also globally mobile over multiple generations, but so far, we don’t know much about the dynamics of TCK identity development for such families. This is what I hope to shed light on through my project: How do the globally mobile generations of one family develop/maintain their personal and family identities? What does that mean for TCK identity development?

What have you found so far?

While I am still conducting interviews and hope to talk to more families, the members of this family shared some common messages — much of what confirms what David C. Pollock and Ruth Van Reken elaborated in Third Culture Kids: Growing up among Worlds.

>A sense of culture inherited through close family ties

The members I interviewed expressed a deep respect for the family, both as a unit of support and as an inculcator of culture. When talking about how the kids learned their culture and developed a sense of who they were, storytelling played an important role. One sibling shared: “For us, it was that everything came from my parents. All of it. There was no internet, there were no history books; it was just my parents, ...what they told [us], and what they did. That was our culture.” 

Another referred to family activities and the time spent together as a family as sacred. (For more on how family can be a “place” that helps create a sense of stability and of belonging, a “home,” see Anastasia Lijadi and Gertina Van Schalkwyk, “Place Identity Construction of Third Culture Kids: Eliciting Voices of Children with High Mobility Lifestyle”, 2017.) 

They felt the experience of a “third culture life” has ingrained in them a deep appreciation for time together and the enjoyment of one another. They referred to this as one of the great gifts of third culture life. 

>Adaptability

Another element of this family’s experience was that they all spoke of being able to adapt to any situation. As one sibling put it, she had always felt like she was a chameleon, that she could always become the person she needed to be in that situation. This concept of feeling like a chameleon is not uncommon for TCKs (researcher Agnieszka Trąbka talks about the use of the word ‘chameleon’ by TCKs in her 2014 paper “Being Chameleon: The Influence of Multiple Migration in Childhood on Identity Construction”).

The father spoke of the changes in his life and how he was able to adapt, first as an adolescent leaving his homeland and learning new languages to communicate, then in a university settling into a French identity, and finally taking on the international life in what he called the third civilization.

This, I think, is the key to how this family sees the world around them and the relationship they have with it. It is a life of growth and a life of change while always remaining the same person. That is what they say life is “living overseas and in different countries where we adapt, we even adapt our names”.

>The need to move

Mobility is one of the gifts of the TCK life that can sometimes also be a curse. Many TCKs report feeling a “call to move”, perhaps because TCKs often only feel a true sense of stillness when they are on the move (as discussed by David C. Pollock and Ruth Van Reken in Third Culture Kids. I also found interesting Laia Colomer’s 2017 article “Feeling Like at Home in Airports: Experiences, Memories and Affects of Placeness among Third Culture Kids”). This family is no exception to the rule.

One sibling spoke of the joy he feels when he moves to a new place and feels the sense of discovery. Another spoke of the idea of staying in one place as inconceivable, comparing himself to a shark: “if I stop moving, I die”.

However, it was their father that had the most beautiful statement about mobility. He said, “We used to say that we are like a turtle. We carry our home on our back. So the home is where I have my kids and my wife. That is my home”. 

>A desire to share the international experience with the next generation

The final insight that I would like to leave with is that when asked what they hoped for their kids and their grandkids, the dominant theme was an intense desire to make sure that the next generation experiences a continued international life, “this life full of mobility.”

“I hope for my children that I'm able to pass on everything that has been passed on to me, through my grandfather, my parents, my own experiences….I wish that I am a guide for them and [I] want them to take their own journey,” one brother said.

One of the sisters put the entire multigenerational TCK experience together:

“I wanted my children to grow up being open-minded, being able to think out of the box, and being multicultural and multilingual (like I) was....I think that those were the biggest positive points of who I am today. And I wanted my children to have that”.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Jacob is looking for potential participants as he expands his multigenerational TCK study. If you are an adult TCK with one or more parents who were also TCKs and would be interested in participating in a series of interviews about your experiences, please contact Jacob (mrjacobhuff@gmail.com; LinkedIn). Jacob would like to continue this study with TCK families of many different backgrounds. Families with multiple members who would like to participate are most highly preferred.  

ALSO: Read more about Jacob Daniel Huff. 

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This post is part of this month’s FIGT focus on TCKs. Please join us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter to access more engaging stories and videos (publically available for the month and then archived to the members’ only section of this website). 

[Edited by Ema Naito; reviewed by Anastasia Lijadi & Danau Tanu]

This month, we focus on Third Culture Kids (TCKs): persons who have “spent a significant part of their developmental years outside the parents’ culture.” Many of FIGT’s members are TCKs or adult TCKs, are parents to TCKs, or work with and support TCKs as educators, counselors, and other professionals.

Where would FIGT be if not for Third Culture Kids (TCKs)? Many of our members are TCKs or adult TCK (ATCKs), are parents to TCKs, or work with and support TCKs as educators, counselors, and other professionals.

And of course, FIGT Founder Ruth Van Reken is co-author, with David C. Pollock, of the “TCK Bible”, Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, which is now in its third edition.

The term “TCK” was originally coined by researchers John and Ruth Useem in the 1950s, and is now typically used to define:

[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 in any. (Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds. David C. Pollock and Ruth E. Van Reken. 1999, 2001, 2009, 2017.)

TCKs often share such characteristics as an expanded worldview, adaptability, language and cross-cultural skills, as well as the not-so-positive restlessness and rootlessness, confused loyalties, and a lack of a true cultural balance.

(FIGT members: log in and get a refresher on TCKs with this FIGT2007 presentation by Ruth Van Reken and Libby Stephens: “Third Culture Kids: The Experience Of Growing Up Among Worlds” or watch “Third Culture Kids 101” with Tanya Crossman.)

Over the next few weeks, we will be exploring some of the issues facing today’s Third Culture Kids (TCKs). This is a vast topic and an area that is the focus of a great deal of exciting and interesting research. 

While we cannot promise to touch on every aspect of TCK life, we hope to touch on topics and themes that will promote further discussion.

To access the content: Please join us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter. Video content will be available for the month and then archived to the members’ only section of this website.

If you would like to add your voice to this conversation, please contact Sarah at social-lead@figt.org. 

There are a vast number of presentations and resources on TCKs on this site and we introduce a few here. You're invited to also explore our Free Articles and Information and TCK/CCK Resources.

(Items with * require FIGT member log-in.) 

From this month's social media

• The Multigenerational TCK Family (Jacob Daniel Huff)
• International Mobility and Interpersonal Relationships among Adolescent TCKs (Iris Hertz)
• Interview videos*
• • Third Culture Kids: Same Values, Different Cultures (Tanya Crossman)
  • Third Culture Kids and Faith (Jessi Vance)
  • Emotional Intelligence and Third Culture Kids (Chris O'Shaughnessy)

From the FIGT archives

• The multi-ethnic Global Nomad: Multiethnic global nomad and 2015 FIGT2015 keynote speaker Teja Arboleda shares how his background influenced his current work, his passions, and his thoughts on diversity and race.

• Interview with Dr. David Pollock: In an interview with Beverly D. Roman, David Pollock talks about TCKs and how to best support children and their families from relocation to repatriation.

• A Safe Passage Through a Sea Change: A Review of Effective Support for TCKs From Childhood Through a Transition to Adulthood,* by Amanda Bate, Ellen Mahoney and Jennie Germann Molz, PhD (webinar)

From FIGT conferences

• “Do TCKs Have Unique Skills? The Childhood Experience of Being Different and Its Impact on Expatriate Living,”* Dr. Anne P. Copeland (Keynote Presentation, FIGT2017)

• “Globally Mobile Children: One Tribe or Many,”* Dr. Ann Baker Cottrell (FIGT2017). A fascinating look into the evolution of many “types” of globally mobile children, including TCKs, CCKs, and others.

• “What Do TCKs REALLY Think about Growing Up Global?”* Nancy Henderson-James (FIGT2010). An analysis of essays by 90 TCKs who grew up in Angola and Congo from the 1930s to the 1980s and parental responses.

• “Exploring Multiculturalism and Identity in Children's Literature,”* Laura Sicola (FIGT2010). A list of books for children, adolescents, and adults that address multiculturalism and identity.

• “Transition Training: Toddlers to Teens,”* Barbara Berthiaume & Jill Kristal (FIGT2005). Research on the skills and strategies to parent TCKs through different stages of development. 

> TCKs and school

• “Teaching Locally, Thinking Globally: Helping School Educators Understand the Third Culture Kid Experience,”* Ruth Van Reken (FIGT 2010). The presentation and handout looks at “why it's important for local educators to be aware of the TCKs among their students and strategies for how each of us can be involved in raising awareness of this important topic for educators everywhere.”

• “The Education Experiences of Third Culture Kids,”* Dr. Anastasia A. Lijadi (FIGT2017). Results from her study on international school experiences (read the abstract of her International Journal of School & Educational Psychology paper).

• “Mobility and social and emotional needs of TCKs,”* Stephen Toole (FIGT2018)

 

> Different groups of TCKs

• “Our Histories Matter: Expanding our Understanding of who TCKs Are through the Lens of History, Heritage and Nationality,”* Erin Singoba (FIGT2017). Findings from her study comparing the experiences of Filipino TCKs with that of Western TCKs.

• “The Role of Language Teaching in Development of Students’ Identities in Japan,”* Aiko Minematsu (FIGT2019)

• “Korean Cross-Culture Kids: Relations of Acculturation Types, Acculturation Stress, and Cultural Adaptation,”* Kyoung Mi Choi and Sookyoung Lee (FIGT2019)

From the FIGT Bookstore

The FIGT Bookstore features publications written or recommended by FIGT members. Purchasing through the affiliate links below supports the David C. Pollock Scholarship at no extra cost to you. (Descriptions are from Amazon.) 

• Third Culture Kids: Growing up among Worlds (3rd edition), by David C. Pollock, Ruth E. Van Reken, and Michael V. Pollock. “Widely recognized as The TCK Bible[,] it...address[es] the impact of technology, cultural complexity, diversity & inclusion and transitions” on TCKs and gives “advice for parents and others for how to support TCKs as they navigate work, relationships, social settings and their own personal development.” 

• The Worlds Within, an anthology of TCK art and writing: young, global and between cultures, edited by Eva László-Herbert and Jo Parfitt. “[T]he cultural chameleons, the young global nomads, the TCKs — Third Culture Kids — from around the world, telling you their story. They gave us their words and art, so that finally there is a book BY them and not ABOUT them.”

• Expat Teens Talk, Peers, Parents and Professionals offer support, advice and solutions in response to Expat Life challenges as shared by Expat Teens, by Lisa Pittman and Diana Smit. “Expat Teens, worldwide, shared with us their stories, questions, challenges, fears, and experiences…[and] we provided...support, advice, and solutions” from other expat teens, parents, and professionals.

• Misunderstood: The impact of growing up overseas in the 21st century, by Tanya Crossman. Introduces “the Third Culture”, a “safe space of comfort and understanding...through the personal stories of hundreds of individuals.” Get “insights into the international experience, along with practical suggestions for how to offer meaningful care and support.”

• Belonging Everywhere and Nowhere: Insights into Counseling the Globally Mobile, by Lois J. Bushong. “Bushong, a licensed marriage and family therapist, delves into this previously, unexplored world of how to effectively counsel clients raised outside of their parents' home culture.”

• Arrivals, Departures and the Adventures In-Between, by Christopher O'Shaughnessy. “Once, down a dark alleyway, a struggling TCK bumped into a mysterious Zen master, a grinning comedian, and an author of thrillers. That alleyway and those personas reside at O'Shaughnessy's center. Get ready to grab your seat to steady your heart and to avoid falling over with laughter.” — review by Douglas W. Ota, Author

There are many more titles in the FIGT Bookstore — so please do explore!

2020 David C. Pollock Scholar Tracy Oyekanmi is dedicated to helping professionals working abroad. She was scheduled to talk about the growing group of globally mobile African professionals who are contributing to their communities, both in the West and their original local areas.

2020 David C. Pollock Scholar Tracy Oyekanmi is a marketing communications professional who aims to improve the career visibility of foreign professionals and global remote workers through intercultural competency training and coaching. She is also host of Visible At Work podcast, where she and her guests share actionable insights and discuss their experiences of working abroad. 

Tracy was scheduled to talk at FIGT2020 about African professionals embracing differences to unlock opportunities. She shares a bit about herself and the topic.

How did you hear about FIGT and what inspired you to apply for the Scholarship?

I made a new friend, Karin Tischler from Germany, who lives in Canada. We started talking and laughed about similar cultural experiences, as I had worked with a lot of German clients, plus she had moved from the US to Canada, just like me. 

After a few laughs, I mentioned my consulting plans and podcast Visible At Work, about helping foreign professionals with intercultural and workplace communication skills training, to which she immediately advised that I check out FIGT. A few days later, I visited the website, saw the call for Scholar applications, and was motivated to apply.

What are your areas of interest/expertise related to global mobility?

I’m interested in improving the career visibility of foreign professionals and global remote workers through intercultural competency training and coaching, while they deal with the realities of a new work environment/routine.

How did you get into this field? Why are you passionate about it/why is it important to you?

While working in global PR & communications for over 10 years, I helped several senior executives adapt to a new environment, fine-tune their leadership style, and deal with the media. Then I moved to two countries in three years and had a baby while working on my master’s degree. Now, I understand the realities of transitioning! 

I’m passionate about helping others, especially self-funded expats and global remote workers who may not have access to employer-provided training or those who do but need continuous coaching beyond the pre-departure and one-time arrival debrief. Research has revealed that such professionals often face issues of isolation and dismissal of their experience which could affect their confidence, mental health and ultimately their performance and productivity.

Can you tell us a bit more about what you were going to talk about at FIGT?

African foreign professionals are often portrayed in mainstream media in refugee stories. But there’s a new breed of professionals who are using their expertise from their home country to earn more through global mobility and give back to their communities, both in the west and their original local areas.

What do “diversity and inclusion” mean to you?

Diversity and inclusion to me mean different initiatives around recognizing diverse individuals and including them in places/opportunities that they are less likely to access on their own. However, what makes it most meaningful is that such people have through their personal lens a sense of belonging, above all else. 

I believe that it is one thing to be selected for a diverse thought or narrative, but it is another to make meaningful contributions in that space.

Finally: Can you share a random piece of info about yourself please?

I’ll describe myself as a foodie. I am very open-minded about trying new foods from different cultures. This has helped me start up conversations with any foreigner I meet. Once I ask about their food, their eyes light up. I either try it if they have it there or collect the recipe.

ALSO: Read Tracy’s full bio and learn about the other 2020 Scholars.

FIGT social media is focusing on “diversity and inclusion.” Please join us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter to access more engaging stories and videos (publicly available for the month and then archived to the members’ only section of this website).

“Twice-exceptionality” describes students who are experiencing both giftedness and disability, inclusive educator Sue Prior tells us.

Interview with Sue Prior

Note: Sue was scheduled to present at FIGT2020. This article was written before the cancellation of FIGT2020 was announced.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am an Australian-born daughter of British immigrants (a Scottish mother and an English father). A parent, wife, sibling, friend, and published academic author, I originally trained as a primary school teacher but quickly detoured into special education when I became fascinated with the diversity and personalized approach to learning. 

With my husband I spent 20 years in Western Australia where both our children were born. We lived in England for a year, researching our genealogy and spending time with extended family across the UK, Europe, and the US. Through traveling, I connected with family, some of whom I had never met except in the stories of my parents. This yearning to trace family outside of Australia gave me insight into my story and increased my sense of “wander.”

In 2006 we moved to Thailand and spent three years in an international school community in Bangkok. We then moved to yet another state of Australia, where our children eventually finished high school and moved on to further study/work. 

I have a special interest in giftedness and twice-exceptionality, which developed after further Master’s degree study into gifted education.

Currently, I am an executive committee member of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children and a trained parent group facilitator with SENG (Social and Emotional Needs of the Gifted). I worked as a gifted education consultant for 140 schools in Brisbane, and more recently taught in international schools in Hong Kong. 

I am a constant traveler who loves being home, wherever that may be! 

Please tell us more about “twice-exceptionality.”

Twice-exceptionality or “2e” describes a relatively small but very diverse group of students who are experiencing both giftedness and disability. For example, a child might be gifted academically yet have a physical disability or may be gifted in maths yet have a reading disability.

There is no universal definition of giftedness or twice-exceptionality but there is international legislation regarding disability, although definitions may vary. 

In twice-exceptionality, the giftedness and the disability may mask each other in school, particularly if there are no opportunities to display the giftedness, so that a student may appear “average” or only be seen to have difficulties. There are cases where the giftedness is demonstrated but the difficulties are hidden/not identified. It can be a paradox!

If neither exceptionality is identified or only one is identified, leaving the other issue unacknowledged/unaddressed, a student’s learning and wellbeing can be significantly affected. Twice exceptionality can be more intense than either exceptionality alone. 

As international schools grow rapidly across the world and especially in Asia, I am looking at 2e in an international school context and its potential contribution to bridging differences.

What are the challenges specific to an international-school setting?

International schools are independent of the national education system. Their curriculum is different from that in the host country and they do not usually operate within the same government requirements as a local school. 

Students with disabilities in an international school may not receive the same support available or indeed required in a government or local school. Structures, governance, and other teaching guidelines may not apply as they do in local schools.

Why are you interested in twice-exceptionality?

I am interested in the 2e students’ diversity and paradox/possibility of boundary-crossing or shapeshifting. In education, there is a tendency to group students by somewhat arbitrary definitions. The nature of 2e challenges these definitions and borders.

In international schools, students grapple with many layers of identity. So this is a fascinating topic to me, having worked in education most of my life and still learning about diversity in contexts and how to nurture the best in people.

I’d like to make more people aware of the existence of 2e, both its paradoxes and potential, and understand how we can shape environments — curriculum resources, equipment, teacher education, culture and social support — that either support or hinder growth. And that we sometimes find hidden gifts in people.

What do “diversity and inclusion” mean to you? 

Diversity and inclusion to me are about equity. It means valuing differences and nurturing strengths while creating an enriching environment — so that we each can belong and contribute to the greater good.

I learned about diversity, interdependence, learning in context, and valuing student voices (and found my vocation!) in my first job as a social educator in an innovative community residential special-education school program in New South Wales. There, I worked with students aged 15-18 on developing their independent-living and community-access skills. 

In the early 2000s, my husband, our two then-young children, and I took part in a 6-week school pilgrimage through India and Nepal to work as volunteers with some of the most disadvantaged communities and people. This journey was transformative for us and for me professionally.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I am so glad to have found FIGT. It offers a great mix of research, belongingness, diversity, and understanding across the world

We are focusing on “diversity and inclusion” this month. Please join us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter to access more engaging stories and videos (publicly available for the month and then archived to the members’ only section of this website).

Globally mobile accompanying spouses often grapple with self-identity, insecurity of legal status due to visa type, and the search for community. It’s the same for same-sex couples, says World Bank Family Network Regional Champion Scott Cowcher, but it comes with unique challenges as well.

Interview with Scott Cowcher

Note: Scott was scheduled to present at FIGT2020. This article was written before the cancellation of FIGT2020 was announced.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I am an Australian who has lived in my home country for only one year out of the last 20. I didn’t plan this lifestyle — I had seen myself settled in Australia and continuing my work as the manager of a community mental health service in Melbourne.

But in 1998, an opportunity came up for my partner of 30 years and now husband to work on HIV/AIDS in Thailand at the Thai Red Cross. A break seemed to make sense with my goals and further study plans as well...and the rest is history: 20 years, two children, and four relocations — and we are now back in Bangkok. Our son is about to graduate from high school and start university in Australia and our daughter is turning 14 years old. 

It’s been quite a journey, not always smooth-sailing, with frustrations, depression, the surrendering of goals, compromises, new experiences, wonderful friendships, and the continued need to reinvent myself. 

Originally, I went to art school and majored in hot glass and ceramics, having exhibited in Europe, China, and Australia. For the sake of a more balanced lifestyle and living wage, however, I decided to pursue a career in mental health and education. I now have degrees in adult education, psychiatric nursing, and psychology, as well as master’s degrees in public health and health management.

My journey to FIGT commenced with my recent role as Regional Champion of South East Asia and Pacific for the World Bank Family Network. My role is to develop support networks for members and their families, and to support our dedicated country-based Connectors and Champions. 

How many times have you been to an FIGT conference? 

I attended the 2019 FIGT conference and immediately felt a sense of affinity with other spouses who have had to compromise their own careers and to reinvent themselves again and again. The conference was inspirational in the sharing of how families, children, and particularly spouses adapt to the challenges of living a more transient life across changing cultures. 

Is this the first time you’ll be presenting?

This is the first time I will present. I’ve identified with and shared many of the experiences spoken about by those who’ve accompanied their spouses in the pursuit of their career. I understand the experience of losing one’s professional and human identity and virtually becoming an accessory to your spouse. I felt that as a same-sex spouse with children, some of these issues presented different challenges, equally as difficult, with the added concerns of acceptance and acknowledgment of my family. 

Please tell us a little of what you’ll be talking about at FIGT2020.

Following your partner overseas presents unexpected challenges, which can be magnified if the relationship is considered “unconventional”. LGBTQ accompanying spouses experience many of the same struggles as all accompanying spouses: career sacrifice, loss of identity, loss of community, and fragmenting of family ties. 

However, when you are relocating internationally as an LGBTQ family with children, the challenges and anxieties can be amplified. Different legal and social acceptance in different geographical locations can swing the experiential pendulum from positive to negative. 

My session reflects my experiences over four relocations in three different countries with my partner/husband of 30 years. My journey began with our first relocation to Bangkok 20 years ago and the loss of professional status, identity, and friendships whilst being under a vague visa that stated I was “invaluable to my partner’s research”. 

The journey continued in Cambodia, with our then-14-month-old son; then another child joined us as we moved to Washington DC. Washington was a rollercoaster ride: I was on a tourist visa for the first five years, unable to work, renewing my visa every six months, and trying to build a new identity and community without the legal standing to even register my children in school. But Washington also gave me deep and enduring friendships, a rich community in which to raise my children, and a satisfying new challenge. 

The latest leg of the journey was a return to Bangkok, 20 years later, with a 16-year-old and a 12-year-old. The challenges remain similar: lack of legal status, connecting with a new community, and my changing professional goals and personal reflections as I move through midlife.

Why are you interested in this topic?

The topic is a story of my life — from my perspective as a same-sex spouse who chose to accompany his spouse. The unique challenges of gaining acceptance of your family, coming out in each relocation, seeking an identity as a male caregiver, dealing with a sense of failure, finding a professional role (if possible) all lead to a reflection of whether I’ve achieved my goals and am satisfied with my choices. It’s an opportunity to reflect on these issues, put a voice to my feelings, and receive feedback/validation.

What is a message that you hope to convey in your talk?

All globally mobile families experience the challenges differently and adapt in different ways. My experience is no more or less difficult than other families – it’s just (as the Thais like to say) “Same, Same but Different!”

What does “diversity and inclusion” mean to you? 

Diversity to me is about highlighting the differences between individuals and groups of people — whether it be gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or any other parameters used in our world. It’s about appreciating these differences as adding a positive value to our life experience. 

As Families in Global Transition, this means that we focus on embracing the experience and learning from the diversity that surrounds us, which I believe — although not always easy at the time — leads to personal growth and enrichment. 

Inclusion is the natural extension of diversity. It’s taking action to create environments where people feel respected, valued, and are encouraged to reach their potential. We achieve this through embracing difference, listening carefully to each individual’s experience, not judging or evaluating experience on a scale, and being agents of change — by seeking to understand experiences from an alternate perspective.

Equality is often enmeshed in these concepts because it’s important to strive for equal opportunities to participate in our world, whether it be through legal recognition, social acceptance, or the embracing of cultural differences. Striving for equality ensures that everybody is treated the same and social, cultural, sexual, or religious differences are not discriminated against.

After you present at FIGT, what’s next? Any plans?

We have just extended our contract and plan to stay in Bangkok for a further two years. This will see our son into his second year of university and our daughter into the start of her junior year of high school. I plan to further deepen my relationships across the East Asia and Pacific region with the World Bank Family Network.

Anything else you’d like to share?

The life of a family in global transition is like an endless roller coaster — fear, excitement, thrills, sharp turns, ups and downs, and shared experiences that make you cling to one another — but you’re never quite sure if you’ve enjoyed it completely! 

Each time you get on the roller coaster you’re terrified. But at the end of the ride, you realize you are braver than you thought you were and you’re happy that you’ve had that experience as a family.

We are focusing on “diversity and inclusion” this month. Please join us on Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter to access more engaging stories and videos (publically available for the month and then archived to the members’ only section of this website).

Our third FIGT2020 keynote speaker is Ragil Ratnam, a strategic leadership advisor and executive coach, who uses his experiences of living and working across multiple cultures to help leaders guide their organizations to thrive in the new industrial age.

Ragil Ratnam is a strategic leadership advisor and executive coach based in Bangkok, Thailand. Born in Sri Lanka, Ragil grew up in Zambia and is now a South African citizen. Through his career, he has lived in the US, the UK, and Singapore, and is now based in Thailand.

With more than 25 years of global, multi-cultural corporate and academic experience on four continents, Ragil runs an independent leadership advisory practice and is an orchestrator with Duke Corporate Education.

[Ragil tells us how being an ‘outsider’ is an advantage to be embraced.]

He coaches executives to achieve high performance, working across Asia with recent projects in Bhutan, Indonesia, China, India, Vietnam, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Ragil also works with leadership teams on specific challenges such as developing and implementing strategy, managing organizational change, innovating, and leading across cultures.

Ragil is a qualified clinical psychologist with training in neuro-linguistic programming, hypnotherapy, and a variety of assessment tools. Using his personal experiences of living and working across multiple cultures, he has developed tools and processes based on empathy and sense-making that help leaders guide their organizations through digital transformation, allowing them to survive and thrive in the new industrial age.

Ragil’s list of clients span a range of industries: tech (Capgemini, Agoda, Pomelo), banking (Credit Suisse, JP Morgan), insurance (Prudential Corporation Asia), fast-moving consumer goods (Unilever), energy (Petronas, Bangchak), and manufacturing (Robert Bosch Automotive), as well as the government and international sectors (UNICEF, the World Bank Group, the Royal Thai Navy).

ALSO: See our full lineup of FIGT2020 Keynote Speakers.

Ragil plans to talk about how feeling like an outsider can be a huge advantage to be embraced. Join us at FIGT2020 to hear him in person!

Families in Global Transition is thrilled that our Anonymous Donor has chosen Summertime Publishing as our Platinum Sponsor. 

Summertime Publishing was created by longtime FIGT member and supporter Jo Parfitt in 1997 as a way to get books by and for expatriates to print; this included her own Career in Your Suitcase, one of the earliest books about portable careers. 

Today Summertime specializes in books “by and for people living abroad, with a particular emphasis on Third Culture Kids (TCKs) and issues affecting the global family.” Its sister imprint, Springtime Books, started in 2015, is run by expat author and Summertime Publishing business manager Jack Scott, focusing on books on travel, cross-cultural life, and other genres. 

While authoring 30+ additional books, Jo has taught writing to many, helping over 300 authors get into print. These days she also runs a popular online writing program The Life Story Jar, born out of her FIGT Keynote speech about telling your life stories at last year’s conference, as well as writing “Me-treats” — short writing holidays for wordaholics — in exotic places around the globe.

Jo has been an integral part of FIGT’s 22-year history. “I’m proud of what being part of the FIGT family has given me on a personal and professional level. I’ve attended the FIGT annual conference more than 15 times and am always keen to give back — as a presenter, forum leader, mentor to new writers, and keynote — to the tribe that has made me. This is where I am my best self and energized, and definitely where the magic happens.” 

Jo is equally enthusiastic about the conference theme of FIGT2020 in Bangkok March 13-15: Embracing and Bridging Differences. 

“This is exactly what FIGT is all about, isn’t it? Attendees always learn so much, both personally and professionally, about breaking down barriers, softening boundaries, and making real human connections despite differences. It’s the reunion of strangers, the meeting of minds, the people, and the relationships above all.”

FIGT is honored to welcome Jo and Summertime Publishing/Springtime Books as our Platinum sponsor and look forward to seeing her in March at FIGT2020!

FIGT is grateful to have incredible sponsors who understand the experiences and needs of the globally mobile community. For more information about sponsorship opportunities, please visit our sponsorship page.

Meet Maddie White, a 2020 Pollock Scholar and archivist who aspires to document and preserve the histories of underrepresented TCKs—the non-white, disabled, LGBTQIA+, non-Western, and others. “We are far more diverse than the stories told about us.”

Maddie White is an adult TCK who was born in the US and grew up in Fiji, Australia, Thailand, and South Africa, before returning to the US as a teen. She currently works at Smith College Special Collections as their Processing Archivist.

Maddie is particularly interested in documenting and preserving the histories of TCKs who are non-white, disabled, LGBTQIA+, and/or non-Western. She believes community archiving could help foster a sense of belonging in the TCK community, through storytelling and a connection to our history. 

How did you hear about FIGT and what inspired you to apply for the Scholarship?

I'm pretty cut off from the expat world where I live in Massachusetts, so a few months ago, I was looking for a gathering or conference for TCKS/ATCKs. Of course I found FIGT in my search. When I was reading through the conference website, I found the Pollock Scholarship.

I had been thinking for a long time about how hard it is to get at the history of TCKs and how great it would be to have a community archive, so I decided to apply. I didn’t think I’d get the scholarship since I have ideas but no concrete project yet. But it sounded like such a great opportunity to meet people, to develop my ideas, and to listen to other folks’ ideas, I decided to apply anyway. I feel so lucky that I get the chance to come to the conference!

What are your areas of interest/expertise related to global mobility? 

Right now, I am gathering information for a TCK history project. Ultimately, I'd like to collect and document the history of TCKs to create an archive. The history of TCK childhoods and adulthoods can give us a clearer understanding of who we are, our similarities and differences, and the changes to our community over time. It brings forward issues like mental health, lack of support from schools and colleges, racism, homophobia, and sexism. 

Telling our history exactly as it happened and telling how we saw the world reveals the strengths and failures of our community and of our support, and allows underrepresented people a voice in the narrative. 

By listening to marginalized TCKs and amplifying their voices, we can show marginalized and underrepresented A/TCKs that there are others like them who have come before, and who have survived, struggled, and succeeded. Listening to each other and sharing our histories can help build a sense of belonging that embraces our struggles, failures, successes and differences.

How did you get into this field? Why are you passionate about it/why is it important to you?

I am an archivist (someone who takes care of historical documents) at Smith College Special Collections. 

When I was getting my master’s in library science, I focused on outreach to under-served communities. I asked: How do we collect and preserve the history of communities who have been largely ignored by archives in the past, and how do we make archives that continue to have a life in the community? 

I created a project to document the history of LGBTQ2IA+ rural Wyoming by going out into rural communities to interview LGBT people about what they would want from an archive, what important parts of their history should be documented, and their concerns about donating their personal records to a public archive. 

I would like to do a similar project for TCK history, but push it past information gathering and planning into actual collecting of historical material. 

The project is important to me on a personal level, since I wish I knew an older generations of ATCKs who could tell me the history of our community. The history of TCKs is difficult to find at all, and when it does appear, it is often told by our parents, psychologists, and educators. 

I want more than that. I want to know stories of our successes and failures in adulthood. I want to know stories similar to mine, and ones that go against my expectations. I want a history that includes more than the British Empire and US expansion. I want to learn from TCKs who are non-white, or disabled, or LGBTQIA+, or non-Western, or a combination of these identities. 

We are far more diverse than the stories told about us.

 

What do you look forward to at FIGT2020 in Bangkok?

I'm really excited to be in a space dedicated to talking about the issues facing expats. 

I'm also really hoping to connect to anyone who is already looking at the history and stories of TCKs/ATCKs, and to listen to the community about what they would want in an archives project. I am interested in doing an oral history project to collect the stories of TCKs, but I want to listen to the people and their needs/dreams first. 

I know any archival project would need to be very accessible online so it could be reached anywhere in the world, would need to take the privacy and safety of current minor TCKs into account, and would need to include our schools/clubs/caretakers. 

However, TCKs know what their own community needs better than anyone, so I also want to hear other concerns and ideas. I am especially interested in hearing ideas on how to have an archive reflect our true diversity and go out of its way to expand our understanding of what it looks like to be a TCK.

Besides the actual conference, I'm also very excited to explore my old neighborhood and school, since ISB was where I went to middle school. 

Can you share a random piece of info about yourself please? 

The most embarrassing TCK mistake I ever made was when I moved back to the US (my passport country) as a teen. I asked my teacher for a rubber (i.e., an eraser), but I didn't know that in the US a “rubber” is slang for a condom. 

My teacher looked at me horrified, and I just rephrased the sentence and moved on with my day. It wasn't until a year later when I found out what rubber meant that it clicked and I finally realized why she had looked so horrified.

ALSO: Read Maddie’s full bio and learn about the other 2020 Scholars.

Every year, the David C. Pollock Scholarship brings new voices to the FIGT conference and it's kept alive with your support. If you will be at FIGT2020, we hope many of you will participate in the 2020 Lucky Draw!

We are also happily accepting donations such as books, coaching sessions, and workshops. The Lucky Draw provides a great platform for people to hear about your services and raises funds to continue the Pollock Scholar Legacy. Please contact Matilda Criel-Ewoldt, Scholarship Chair, for further information at scholarship@figt.org.

What's it like to be at an FIGT conference for the first time? We asked FIGT Member Florence to share her experiences as a first-timer attendee, presenter, and David C. Pollock Scholar at FIGT2019.

By Florence Chabert d’Hieres 

Sometimes if something seems impossible, it is worth taking the chance as you never know what will be the outcome! 

I’m Florence Chabert d’Hieres, social media volunteer for the FIGT communications team. Yes, FIGT2019 in Bangkok was my first time at an FIGT conference. Through social media, I wanted to give everyone who couldn’t make it there a glimpse of what the conference looks like—but I quickly understood that FIGT conferences are simply not explainable on social media! 

You have to be there to experience the spirit, the atmosphere, the conversations with people you’ve never met before. The things you learn by listening to great presenters and sharing experiences with so many people just like you! Because yes, as TCKs, we are not alone! 

This amazing experience would not have been possible without my dearest friend Trisha Carter—she saw in me a value that would fit with the FIGT DNA. She said, “why don’t you apply to be a presenter?” Huh, are you sure? 

Trisha kindly took the time to guide me through my proposal journey and also to apply to be one of the David C. Pollock Scholars. 

I wasn’t sure what my experience as an intercultural coach could bring to the table. Little by little, I realized that third culture kids (TCK) and, more specifically, international adoptees were out there and that they gathered once a year at the FIGT conference.

Here I was, chosen to be a David C. Scholar among wonderful women. We forged close relationships and got to know each other before the conference. I especially became good friends with Matilda Criel-Ewoldt—who is now Scholarship Chair following the tremendously helpful Jody Tangredi. When we met, it was as if we had known each other forever. 

The 2019 David C Pollock Scholars

Even though I kind of virtually knew a few people before arriving at the conference, I was full of mixed emotions. I felt overwhelmed and excited to leave my family and go on my own to meet my other ‘family’ at FIGT and to present a poster on my burger metaphor,* as well as on how it was to be an international adoptee...and of course wondering how I was to help our Social Media Manager, Sarah Black! 

FIGT is a great community created by Ruth Van Reken—and Ruth is unique and so friendly! It was a dream come true to speak with her about my book—a fabulous opportunity made possible because I took my strength and energy and went to the conference on my own. 

I met so many wonderful people from different backgrounds, but the beauty of the conference is that each and every one of them immediately understands who you are. You are just like “Wahoo! I’m fitting in, I am at the right place with the right people and at the right moment!”

Sadly, I won’t be at the conference this year. The decision was a difficult one, but I know what it feels like after the FIGT conference—it’s like a hangover, thanks to all the emotions you feel in those short three days!—and I need to be ready for a conference on international adoptees in the UK with a fellow FIGT member whom I met last year in Bangkok.

FIGT gives you wings to fly and now I want to help other international adoptees who are adult TCKs. And of course, TCKs know that they can find a third family at FIGT.

Be prepared for a rainbow emotion ride! And welcome to the FIGT family, enjoy FIGT2020. I count on my friend Katia Barthelemy to tell me all about it—another beauty of FIGT when a virtual friendship becomes real!

ALSO SEE:

• An Ode to Attending FIGT with My Daughter (FIGT2019)
• Why I Am Coming to FIGT2019 - A Counselor's Perspective
• What FIGT Members Thought of the 2018 Conference
• Part One: The People Who Make up Our Tribe or Why I Go to the FIGT Conference (FIGT2017)
• Part Two: The People Who Make up Our Tribe or Why I Go to the FIGT Conference (FIGT2017)
• PPWR Reflections 2017: FIGT First Impressions By Sarah Stoner
• PPWR Series: Asking Questions – First Impressions Families in Global Transition 2016

* Members can log in to access this resource.

The FIGT annual conference brings together a diverse group of globally mobile individuals, families, and those working with them from around the world. Called ‘the reunion of strangers’ by some, it is a unique space that aims to support the growth, success, and well-being of people crossing cultures around the world. Join us!

Meet Karla Fraser, a 2020 Pollock Scholar: An ATCK, global educator, and entrepreneur, Karla is committed to promoting awareness of the increasingly globally mobile diaspora of black and brown people and supporting international students transition to universities abroad.

Karla A. Fraser is an adult TCK, expat, global educator, international higher education professional, educational consultant, expat career coach, and entrepreneur. Karla has lived in six countries (USA, Jamaica, United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Commonwealth of Dominica, and Singapore) and has traveled to 45+ others.

In 2019, she founded Roseapple Global, LLC, which provides expat coaching and student administration consulting services. Inspired by her life experiences as a TCK, global work experiences and travels, Karla wants to help others achieve their goals of expat living.

How did you hear about FIGT and what inspired you to apply for the Scholarship?

I learned about FIGT from a former Board Member and colleague in the higher education field. 

I submitted a program session proposal for FIGT2020 and applied for the scholarship at the same time. I recently started my own business. As I am still getting my feet under me, I thought the scholarship would provide me the support I needed to attend and present at the conference, thereby allowing me to access and build a new network in the global mobility sphere.

What are your areas of interest/expertise related to global mobility? 

I want to promote awareness of the global mobility growth within the diaspora of black and brown people. I seek to connect and educate colleagues about the need for greater inclusion in study/education aboard, as well as to prepare and guide those with the desire to become expats so they have an enjoyable journey.

I am a university administrator with expertise in student development and services. I enjoy working both with students and in handling the administrative and operational aspects of student life. I also assist higher education professionals seeking to transition into international higher education through expat career coaching. 

How did you get into this field? Why are you passionate about it/why is it important to you?

As a graduate student, I had a graduate assistantship in student housing, which introduced me to the field of student affairs and student services. Twenty years later and with work experience in five countries, I am driven by the tangible and intangible opportunities—via conversation, programs, or classroom teaching. My purpose is to shape the next generation of leaders in all fields. 

Being an educator transformed my life. Education, especially of young women, can impact the prosperity of the family, community, and even a country. As a woman and an educator, I want to do what I can, even in a small capacity, to change how we innovate for the future.

What does inclusion and diversity mean to you? Why is it important?

It means taking the needed steps to understand your prejudices, bias, privilege, and gaps.  Once one attains this level of personal awareness, then it means being conscientious about not projecting one’s prejudices or bias on others, particularly in the context of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, and age. 

It also means that, if you are in a place/position of privilege, being cognizant of who is not at the table or does not have a voice in the conversation. Who or what perspective is missing in decision-making discussions? 

In addition, it means: do not presume that one person can speak for an entire diaspora on any diversity or inclusive topic. The individual brings their experience and viewpoint to the table and, in some cases, can also present trends or research. This is important because knowledge can improve understanding, which can hopefully lead to increased humanity and respect for all.

Please give us a sneak preview of what you’ll be talking about at FIGT2020.

During my segment of the Pollock Scholars’ Morning Forum, I will talk about the need for international higher education professionals.

What do you look forward to at FIGT2020 in Bangkok?

I look forward to insightful dialogue around TCK and ATCKs topics while networking with like-minded colleagues across sectors.

Finally: Can you share a random piece of info about yourself please?

I have a passion for travel, especially combining the beach with historical sites. My goal is to have the number of countries I visit match or exceed my present age.

ALSO: Read Karla’s full bio and learn about the other 2020 Scholars

Every year, the David C. Pollock Scholarship brings new voices to the FIGT conference and it's kept alive with your support. If you will be at FIGT2020, we hope many of you will participate in the 2020 Lucky Draw!

We are also happily accepting donations such as books, coaching sessions, and workshops. The Lucky Draw provides a great platform for people to hear about your services and raises funds to continue the Pollock Scholar Legacy. Please contact Matilda Criel-Ewoldt, Scholarship Chair, for further information at scholarship@figt.org.