‘Where are you from?’

The term “third culture kids” was coined by the American sociologist Ruth Hill Useem in the 1950s who used it largely to describe the children of American citizens living and working abroad. Today the term usually refers to adults who spent a significant portion of their developmental years outside of their parent’s culture.
It applies to those who have a tendency to mix their birth culture with the culture of the society in which they live, causing individuals to be confused about their own identity.
“Where are you from?” is often the question that TCKs find the most difficult to answer. According to numerous testimonies from TCKs they often simplify their response or omit parts of it, partly to avoid instigating confusion, but also because they may not be entirely sure themselves.
The number of people who identify as TCKs has increased exponentially in recent decades, riding the wave of globalization. What used to be a term normally reserved for the children of military and diplomatic personnel serving abroad, has now expanded to the children of business expatriates, teachers in international schools, and others who have simply followed employment opportunities or a better standard of living elsewhere.