Translator: Henny Widjaja Reviewer: Denise RQ
So looking at me now, the first question that may have popped out in your mind
- well, aside from the question, who in the world is this girl speaking English? -
is a question that we so commonly use in social situations.
And that question is, "Hey, where are you from?"
This question can be easily answered if we are talking about people
who belonged, who were born, and possessed the passport of the same country.
However, this question gets a little bit more complicated if we mix it up a bit.
Let me tell you the story of my friend Mathew.
My friend Mathew was born in France.
He later studied in Japan,
and suddenly, he found a loved one in the United Kingdom.
Now, if we were to ask him, "Mathew, where are you from?"
How would he answer?
Is he French because he was born in France?
Is he Japanese because that was where he studied?
Or is he from the United Kingdom
because that was where he felt he belonged?
We can see that with globalization,
the question, "Where are you from?" is not as simple as that anymore.
If you can relate to this or if you know anyone like this,
I would want to welcome you to the world of third culture kids.
Third culture kids are also known as global nomads or global citizens.
These are the kids who were brought up in countries not from their parents'.
I'd like to add also these are the kids
who don't feel a sense of belongingness in their passport countries.
They felt in love with another culture.
These are the kids who traveled before they learn how to walk.
These are the kids who you can't quite pinpoint the accent
because they already grab so much from the cultures that they've been to.
These are the kids who can feel a sense of belongingness everywhere they go.
But at the same time, they feel that they belong nowhere too.
Ladies and gentlemen,
standing in front of you is a product of globalization.
I myself am a third culture kid,
and today I'd like to share my story
so that you'll be able to get a glimpse of how we view the world.
Aside from that and more importantly, is for people who are third culture kids,
but do not know that you are not alone.
My name is Christine Chen. That was how I was introduced.
However, my official name is Shin Pei Chen or Chen Shin Pei.
As you may have hinted, I come from a Chinese descent.
My passport is Taiwanese.
However, no-no! I wasn't brought up in Taiwan.
I was brought up in a whole different country called the Philippines.
I was just two weeks old when my parents strapped me on that airplane,
and ever since then we never stopped traveling and moving around.
You might say that, "Hey, it's an advantage.
You are fortunate enough to be able to travel."
Yes, I admit, it is an advantage.
As third culture kids, we have advantages especially in the work place
because we're able to bridge together cultures.
However, what I want to emphasize today is not the glamorous side of it.
It is a sad side of being a third culture kid.
And that is the feeling of frustration, ruthlessness,
and the feeling that you can't belong anywhere.
As I was growing up, talks of nationalism started coming in,
talks of "You have to be loyal to your country, Christine.
You have to be loyal, you have to serve your country."
However, as a third culture kid, I didn't know where I belonged,
which country do I serve.
Well, I tried; I went back to Taiwan,
a country which I didn't grow up in, but I called home.
I tried. I belonged, but still I didn't.
Why? It can be summarized in a simple story, a basketball competition.
It was between Taiwan and my second home, the Philippines. And, I chose Taiwan.
Now, if everyone is watching a football game or a basketball game,
you would usually be beside your friends, cheering out loud,
but guess who were beside me?
My grandparents' friends, and my father's friends.
How in the world am I still Taiwanese,
if I can't connect with the teenagers, with the people there?
I belonged to Taiwanese culture, but I still didn't belong.
I went back to the Philippines.
I felt accepted there, people called me Philippina.
I represented the country in conventions, in competitions.
However, there was still something missing. I wasn't part of their history.
I have no ancestors, or people from the Philippines.
I had no one there.
I belonged, but still I didn't belong.
And that are the sentiments of third culture kids.
If you ask us today:
"Where do you live?" or "Where are you from?"
the answer is - and it's the most sincere answer we can give you -
we don't know, and we're tired of hearing that.
After years of frustration,
and going through this kind of psychological turmoil on identity,
I came up with a solution.
A solution that would later free me and allow me to expand,
and that is I do not have to pick a country.
Dear third culture kids, if you realize that, you do not have to pick a side.
You do not have to force yourself
into your passport country or your parents' country,
because deep inside,
you know that you're already a beautiful mixed of so many cultures.
You can't force yourself anymore.
Third culture kids, I tell you today that you can be anyone you want to be.
You can shape yourself,
you can shape your own culture,
you can shape your own future.
And, today too I urge the people.
With globalization rising,
I urge we start considering these cultural things.
We can't frustrate our kids anymore. We can't force them into one country.
We can start by asking the right questions.
Instead of asking people, "Where is your home?"
maybe it's time that we start asking, "Where do you feel at home?"
No, I am not talking about countries right here.
I am talking about people.
Do you feel like at home where you're working?
Or when you are with your love ones?
And instead of asking that million-dollar question,
"Hey, where are you from?"
Don't you think it's time we ask,
"Where are you heading to?"
Thank you very much.
(Applause)