Where are You From?

So today I was talking to my grandparents about some stuff, and one of the funny thing my granfather mentioned is how the first question he'll always ask someone is “So where are you from?” Now, that probably sounds like a good question, but see, my response to that is, “Who cares where he's from. He's here now, and that's what matters.” And it hit me again, how much of a TCK I am.

For a quick reference, a TCK is a Third Culture Kid, a person who grew up in a culture that was not the culture of their parents. Grew up is really a nebelous term, a person can live in a mansion in the richest area of Dhaka, Bangladesh all their life and never been a TCK, or a person can spend six months when they're sixteen in an African Village is be a complete TCK. These are extremes, but they do exist, I'd think. TCKs are, for all purposes, a unique cultural group. Mostly we're from the West, but there is a growing number of non-western TCKs, and that number will expand and the world becomes more globalized.

Anyways... so see... TCKs don't like the question “Where are you from?” Now, allow me to give some context: I know how to avoid this question, and I know how it works after a fashion. In Bangladesh, where I grew up, everyone viewed me as a foreigner, and I didn't mind that, for the most part. I wasn't a complete foreigner, I understood the culture and the more I think about it, the more I realize how much of it I have incorporated into my life (no, I don't ever give people money with my left hand. Ever.), but at the same time, I didn't feel weird saying “I'm from America.” I obviously didn't belong and saying that my parents were Americans and thus I had a US passport didn't make me feel weird. However, in America, where everyone is from America, its a bit different. See, in maybe two years I can honestly say “I'm from Austin.” But obviously I just moved here and I wouldn't feel right saying that now. So where am I from? Well... haha... that's complicated. See, first of all, I was born in India, on Indian soil, but yes, I'm a US Citizen, my parents were citizens, you see. Secondly, I grew up in Bangladesh. No I never lived in America, yes, I know that's weird. Okay, now can we talk about something else?

In fact, thinking about it, I don't think I asked anyone where they are from when I met them. I don't do that. I don't care where you are from, its unimportant. Its who you are, what you do, and the fact that we are, for however long, together, that is important. Sure, if I guy from England starts talking I'll probably pick up his accent, but I won't ask where he's from, that's... unimportant.

So yea, I was thinking, when I start talking to a person, I go straight for the important stuff: Do you listen to Heavy Metal? Do you play League of Legends? Role-play? Are you an awesome person in general? Then... maybe then I'll start to care where you are from, but likely I'll have an idea already. I know certain people are from Dallas just because they have mentioned it...

Its one of those weird quirks of the TCK culture, honestly. We're so global, we move around so much, we don't really have this neat and nice picture of “home” like most people do. I lived in the same house for years, unlike a lot of TCKs, but I'm not “From” Bangladesh. I grew up there. My parents are from the US, and so am I, in the sense that I have an American Passport and am well... patriotic enough... I guess, but I'm not really American... I'm just from the US... do you know what I mean?

Honestly, I find it more humorous than anything, it can be frustrating when I introduce myself to other people, but its not something that makes me despise monoculturals (thats you non-TCKs :P) its just... frustrating... when you interact with me.