Third-culture kids reflect on their education in PH

AS students of a multicultural school, three high schoolers reflect on the uniqueness of their student lives, offering insight into how their third-culture-kid (TCK) experience has helped them be skillful leaders working as student council members.

“Even though I am different from those around me, I always have felt a sense of belonging and ‘home’ in the Philippines,” said Christopher Helwig, a TCK attending Faith Academy, an international school in Manila. He is a senior who has studied in this country for 11 years after moving from the United States.

Donna Lee, a Korean junior in her 12th year at the same school, echoes this sentiment.

“[If] you’re American and you go to Korea, there’s a high chance you will feel left out because there’s not a lot of foreigners. However, in the Philippines, there are a lot of foreigners, and I think that it has made it a lot easier for me, as well as a lot of people, to fit in, find their friend groups, be exposed to other cultures but also have their [own] culture prevalent,” she said.

To put it simply, TCKs have grown up in a culture different from their parents. They are often the children of educators, business people, foreign service officers and missionaries.

“The Philippines offers an extremely welcoming environment for foreigners, and because of the strong use of the English language, it is a very accessible location for [many] students,” Helwig explained.

Expanding TCK population

International School Consultancy predicts that by 2026, compared to the 4.53 million that existed in 2016 across more than 8,257 international schools, there will be at least 10 million K to 12 students taught in English worldwide. The TCK population is expanding, and so is education offered in multicultural settings.

Lee said that in addition to English, teachers at Faith Academy speak Chinese, Korean and Tagalog, among others, creating a space where high schoolers struggling to adjust can seek advice or comfort more easily than in places with great homogeneity.

The classroom is a learning environment where TCKs mature to better understand themselves and those around them. Even non-TCKs and non-traditional TCKs are influenced to reflect on the impact of their multicultural education on them.

“People from different nationalities are able to express themselves in ways they couldn’t if they lived in a place surrounded by people who are only [a part of] their culture,” stated Mara Santos, fellow student council member of Helwig and Lee.

“Growing up in a place where there are an amazing amount of people with different backgrounds helps me to view everyone [in an] unbiased [way],” she shared.

“I think my adaptability stems directly from my being a TCK. I am used to things changing around me; when things do not go as planned or when things are different from what I expect when it comes to student leadership, I think I’m quite flexible,” Helwig responded when asked about the qualities he has gained from being a TCK.

Helwig said other TCK strengths are inclusivity and mindfulness.

Since both her parents are fully Filipino, Santos is hesitant to label herself a TCK, but she does identify with the TCK experience and the all-too-common TCK struggle of having a hard time feeling familiar in one’s home country.

Students such as herself, raised in a blend of customs and languages, may encounter difficulty relating to Filipino culture and speaking the vernacular.

“Being a TCK broadens your viewpoint but also leaves you in the dark with a lot of things you could be knowing, and if you were to hang out with somebody who isn’t a TCK, the cultural difference stands out,” Lee admitted the downside of her TCK childhood.

As a nation comprising 7,641 islands, the Philippines is home to various cultures that are distinct geographically and ethnically. Although one Filipino may differ remarkably from another depending on location, language, religion, class and heritage, the people as a whole are known to share the same spirit of hospitality.

This is one reason foreigners of all backgrounds can enjoy a sense of belonging here. It is in the country’s tradition to welcome guests, and acknowledging this custom is increasingly relevant at a time when international travel is becoming more and more accessible.

With how globalized the world is today, TCKs are on the rise everywhere.

Recognizing this, it is crucial to address ways this fast-paced world can nurture global leaders from TCKs and foster the rich multicultural communities they help create.

The topic of third culture kids also brings to question how the Philippines can work to embrace its rich culture, give a better sense of itself, and celebrate the diversity that already exists within itself, fighting against colonial mentality and the declining fluency in Tagalog.

“As a student leader, I think it’s our responsibility to help those who need adjusting,” Lee explained, hoping everyone could sense for themselves that “I’m not a stranger here, I’m not an alien,” no matter where they are.

Yeram Choi is a Grade 11 student at Faith Academy in Cainta, Rizal. Originally from South Korea, she has spent most of her life living in various countries, growing up in the US, China and the Philippines. She has a passion for writing and advocacy as a third culture kid interested in medicine.