The culture of being everywhere and nowhere
countries that are not their parents’ place of origin. They have the privilege of being exposed to different cultures, but because their experiences tend to be dispersed across these cultures, they may feel as if they never entirely belong to a community.
That said, it is unfair to box Filipino third-culture kids into one category given that they are not granted the universality of experience. While some have struggled to grasp their roots, others did not feel like a stranger to their own culture.
Born and raised in Jeddah, a city in Saudi Arabia, Dominique Hipol viewed the Philippines more as a vacation destination instead of home. Yet even with her unfamiliarity with the Philippines as a country, she felt deeply connected to her Filipino identity because of the strong Filipino community she was surrounded by. “There were Filipino kids in the (village) compound (I grew up in) because there were a lot of OFWs, so we had a Filipino community. Growing up, yung mga memes like I’m amalayer, umaabot ‘yun sa amin, ” she shared.
Being able to study at a Filipino school overseas also played a role in how Hipol experienced Filipino culture. She was surand diverse backgrounds. This was the case for Patrick Rivera, who lived in China for two years and then moved to Thailand until he finished his undergraduate studies.
Studying in an international school with primarily Thai and American students, Rivera’s main experience of being Filipino was at home with his family as well as his annual visits to the Philippines. Even if he has no explicit memory of intentionally being taught Filipino values, his father emphasized the importance culture of the country they were residing in. Hipol had to adjust to the prayer schedules as well as wear the abaya, a loose, robe-like dress that covers the woman’s whole body, to special occasions. Rivera did not just need to but now I’m realizing that I’m a mix of all the cultures I’ve grown up with,” he reflected.
Even with their varying and complex relationship with being Filipino, both Hipol and Rivera feel a deeper sense of appreciation for their Filipino roots. Despite their geographical locations, Filipino culture is never entirely lost in third-culture kids.
“None of the geographic locations I’ve been in took away my identity as a Filipino. In fact, I think it adds to even more diversity in our culture (as Filipinos). I never felt like an impostor. But (what’s important) is also cultivating intentionality to remain connected to it,” Hipol concluded. In a world that is increasingly becoming more diverse, Filipino third-culture kids show another side of what it means to be Filipino even outside the Philippines. After all, culture is created and passed on by people, not places.
Culture is a never-ending process of redefinition. Filipino third-culture kids show that our culture is not being lost in the diaspora; if anything, it just means that these unique, complex experiences add depth and layers to the ever-changing Filipino culture. Thirdculture kids are not isolated from culture; they play a large role in amplifying it.
Being Filipino came naturally — it just so happened that she was experiencing it from another country.