A new school, new friends and a different culture are some of the things that third culture kids have to deal with.
A third culture kid is a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside their parents’ culture. Being a third culture kid is difficult because is very hard for them to be accepted, not just in their schools, but by the society they are now living with. They feel afraid of doing something wrong or offend somebody of their new culture.
Third Culture kids fall into depression because they can’t feel their home. They can also have a change a personality sometimes because they want the kids from the country they are now living in, to feel that they are not different but they can be the same as them.
Third culture kids are all over the world. Here at Alliance Academy International we have a percentage of 24% of American students, 10% Asian, 1% from Europe and 3% from other Latin America Countries.
These kids also experience loneliness and they fell strange because they are not with the people that does the same things as them as culture. With time, they get used to live in a different country, with different people and finally accept God’s will. Julia Curtis a senior at Alliance Academy International is a great example of this.
She is 18 years old and she shared her story. When she came to Ecuador, the first 6 months of being here were very hard for her, she had to deal with different situations, this was not her home, everything here was very different, a different academic method at Alliance Academy International, and a completely different culture she had to learn to be adapted.
“ I was not mad with God, but I was mad with the situation”. Curtis said.
Third Culture kids fall into depression because they can start to remember everything they’ve live at home and they know they are not part of it anymore. They can also have a change a personality sometimes because they want the kids form the country they are now living in, to feel that they are not different but they can be the same as them.
It’s clear to see that what is more difficult than just fit in is learning the culture. For some kids is more difficult than for others, some just get used to it very fast and they rather enjoy being in a different place.
“ I think learning the culture was difficult because it is very different than the States”. Heather Maloy a Senior at AAI said.
For some kids this changes can be very hard, but for some of them it isn’t, they say they are used to the idea they have to go to different places every time. Even if they live in other countries they still have their home culture specially when they are at home. An example of this is Angel Ma, a junior at AAI. After asking him what has being difficult for him to learn, he also said culture.
“ I felt out of place. I didn’t fit in”. Angel said.
Difficulties are part of a third culture kid’s life, they suffer a lot, but time goes by, they discover the purpose and the responsibility they have with themselves and with the people they have around know.