It was my first college interview. I walked in proud of my academic involvements, extracurricular activities, various honor societies, and my 3.9 GPA. I was sure I would wow him with my broad knowledge of math and science, and my specialized knowledge in robotics. I sat down prepared for questions about my recent robotics competition. Instead, my interviewer quickly scanned to the bottom of my senior profile and focused on the tiny footnote section I had entitled "Personal Experience."
"Wow. You've lived in a lot of countries," she said. "Which one was your favorite?"
I was never asked about how I became elected as the vice president of the class government or how I had excelled at school. Instead, she was more interested in how I had grown-up, how I relate to people, my political stance on China-Taiwan issue, and how many languages I speak. I was asked about how my personal background informs who I am. Prior to conducting the autoethnography project, I was lost as to who I am. After I came to college, I constantly tried to find a group of people that I can settle to, but failed to find any. Now that I think of it, I could relate to every group to some extent but not fully. After conducting two interviews, I came to a realization - as a Third Culture Kid, I will never be able to identify myself with just one culture exclusively. I have partial ownership of each culture I was exposed to - Korean, American, Chinese, Taiwanese - and my past experience all combined has moulded my identity. The multiculturalism I have embedded within me is the best gift I could've asked for from my parents. As mentioned in the video "So, Where's Home?" I do recognize that my social skills and open-mindedness is a gift and I strive to use this trait to bridge the gaps between different cultures.
After talking to my friends, I feel incredibly lucky to have loved ones and memories scattered all over the globe. I know better than anyone else that “home” isn’t a place, it’s the people in it and I can’t wait to see where my life adventure takes me next.
"Wow. You've lived in a lot of countries," she said. "Which one was your favorite?"
I was never asked about how I became elected as the vice president of the class government or how I had excelled at school. Instead, she was more interested in how I had grown-up, how I relate to people, my political stance on China-Taiwan issue, and how many languages I speak. I was asked about how my personal background informs who I am. Prior to conducting the autoethnography project, I was lost as to who I am. After I came to college, I constantly tried to find a group of people that I can settle to, but failed to find any. Now that I think of it, I could relate to every group to some extent but not fully. After conducting two interviews, I came to a realization - as a Third Culture Kid, I will never be able to identify myself with just one culture exclusively. I have partial ownership of each culture I was exposed to - Korean, American, Chinese, Taiwanese - and my past experience all combined has moulded my identity. The multiculturalism I have embedded within me is the best gift I could've asked for from my parents. As mentioned in the video "So, Where's Home?" I do recognize that my social skills and open-mindedness is a gift and I strive to use this trait to bridge the gaps between different cultures.
After talking to my friends, I feel incredibly lucky to have loved ones and memories scattered all over the globe. I know better than anyone else that “home” isn’t a place, it’s the people in it and I can’t wait to see where my life adventure takes me next.