Navigating Labels

A Third Culture Kid/Global Nomad as an expat in Turkey and working as a digital entrepreneur.

Introduction

Labels can be both incredibly limiting and extremely necessary. I have no issue with labels when they are self-identified. Labels can be used to project different sides of a person to the world. They give an immediate introduction, especially if everyone is on the same page for what different labels mean. That is where the problem lies. Labels mean different things to different people. There are also a ton of labels that can be applied to the same thing/concept/group. 

I am a mix. Most people when they see me think of only one side of my heritage. They cite my eyes as the sole reason why I should belong to one group and not another. Conversely, when I am surrounded by the other side of my heritage, then I am not enough for this group. I don't speak that language with the correct accent, I look too foreign to really belong. This one drop method drives me insane and it is applicable on both sides. 

To add more fuel to the fire, my ethnic makeup doesn't even begin to broach my upbringing. Taking all of these into account I am part American, part Hong Konger, part mainland Chinese, part Indian (north and south), and part Filipina. 

In order to condense my labels, this is how I identify myself: A mixed American and Hong Konger TCK who has grown up in China, India and the Philippines and currently lives in Turkey.

In the interest of clearing up some traveler labels, I have compiled a list of the most common identifiers for global nomad/wanderlust individuals. Bear in mind, this is how I understand the labels, so if you have a different understanding, please share! I would love to hear different perspectives on how people choose to share themselves with the world. Being able to identify yourself is empowering and it allows you the freedom to choose which side you want other people to see.

Expatriate

An expat is someone from one passport country who has decided to reside in another country. They will either live indefinitely in this other country or will continue to move around. When/If they return to their passport country, they will cease to be expats. They will be people who have lived an expat life. This move can be for work, retirement, or just living in another place. Expats usually live for at least one year in the other country, but usually reside overseas for more. Expats are not looking to give up their passport country as a nationality.

Global Nomad (Kid)

A global nomad (kid) is another term that could be applied to me. They are people who grew up in a country or in multiple countries that were not their passport country. This label gives the impression of upbringing (pre-18) and so would only be applied to minors who have lived overseas. This term can be used for people who have even lived just one year abroad.

Third Culture Kid

I choose to use Third Culture Kid because it conveys more effectively what my upbringing was. Like a global nomad, a Third Culture Kid is someone who grew up in a country or in countries that were not their passport country. This title is used to explain how these children take elements of their passport country, their host country and then create a third culture that encapsulates these quirks. Other aspects that can be included in the third culture are parental cultures as well as the cultures of the various friends that you make through this lifestyle.

For people like me who have lived in more than just one other "foreign" country, this can be a bit of a clumsy label because you almost want to keep adding in on a fourth culture or a fifth, etc. At the same time, this third culture that you will create can continue to grow as you experience new nations.

I would also make the argument that even kids who have gone to an international school in their passport country pick up components of being a third culture kid. They are immersed in an environment where all of their friends are from different countries and they learn how to navigate different spheres of communication that are separate from their own culture. 

Adult Third Culture Kid 

I am technically an Adult Third Culture Kid since I am twenty four years old. I don't choose to use ATCK because I think that it just adds to the confusion of acronyms. If you start tossing around terms like TCK, ATCK, MK (missionary Kid), FCK (first culture kid - basically someone who did not grow up as a TCK and stayed in their passport country during their upbringing), etc., conversations can get quite confusing. Since most military/government agencies LOVE acronyms, I almost feel like we kids adopted that same penchant.

I would much prefer people understand what a TCK is before moving on to other terms. This sort of assumption of knowledge can muddle understanding, in my opinion.

Recovering Third Culture Kid

I actually wrote an entire post about Recovering Third Culture Kids.

Cross Cultural Kid

Cross Cultural Kid is a term that I just recently learned and it has the same meaning as a Third Culture Kid. CCK has the double benefit of potentially meaning a child whose parents are from different cultures. Here is the exact definition as given by Ruth Van Reken (one of the authors of Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds): "A person who is living or has lived in--or meaningfully interacted with--two or more cultural environments for a significant period of time during childhood (up to age 18)."

Immigrant

An immigrant is someone who moves to a new country in the hopes of living there permanently and becoming a citizen in this new country. This is the distinction from an expat since expats are uncertain how long they will be abroad and have no wish to give up their passport.

Migrant

A migrant is someone who moves for seasonal work. My impression, although I really don't have much/any experience with this group, is that they are much more geared towards shifting wherever employment takes them.

Refugee/Asylum Seeker

A refugee/asylum seeker is someone who needs to escape their home/passport country. The cause can be persecution, war, or any number of other atrocities. Refugees flee to other nations in the hopes that they will be allowed to remain.

Digital Nomad/Entrepreneur 

A digital nomad/entrepreneur is someone who chooses to live abroad and funds themselves through online work. I am also technically a digital nomad since I earn money for my work by submitting curriculum to a center in Hong Kong via email. Digital nomads are fairly new. I think that this group will only continue to grow as more and more work shifts online.

Missionary/Business/Teacher/State Department/Military/Peace Corps/Volunteer

This is pretty much a label that describes people who are overseas for their work. In my experience, teachers tend to stay in one play the longest followed by business/missionary and then state department and military. Peace Corps is two years and volunteers range from a couple of months to indefinite. However, there are all sorts of different timelines for people who belong to these different groups.

Conclusion

I hope this helped a little bit in clarifying the different labels that are thrown around for people who travel. Please feel free to add on to this list or to add on to my explanations. Also keep in mind that as much as I am making distinctions, a lot of these blend together and people can ascribe to multiple labels. People may even change their labels as they grow or move or experience new places. The whole process of identity is constantly shifting, fluid and inclusive. It never stops as you accrue new terms over time.