Date of Award
Fall 12-2024
Degree Type
Honors Thesis
Major
International Studies
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
International Studies
First Advisor
Brian Dowd-Uribe
Abstract
Third Culture Kids (TCKs), or children who grow up in a country different from their parent’s home country, have a unique identity formation is attributed to their mobile upbringing, and is described as “rootless” due to their sense of identity and belonging going past a geographical place. Due to their upbringing, TCKs often struggle with repatriation distress, finding it difficult to maintain a sense of belonging upon returning to their passport country. While TCKs have garnered significant attention from scholars, most of that has been directed towards TCKs from Western countries, such as the United States. This thesis explores how Filipino Third Culture Kids’ upbringing and repatriation influences their identity and sense of belonging in relation to the Philippines. I interviewed 14 TCKs who have spent significant time in the Philippines, asking questions about identity and belonging, and found that many of them continue to link their identity to their Filipino background, despite feeling as though they aren’t “fully Filipino.” Filipino TCKs struggled less with repatriation distress due to community-based values instilled by Filipino culture, and the large community of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) found around the world, they still struggled with assimilating when they returned home.
Recommended Citation
De Guzman, Zayda, "Unboxing the Balikbayan: Filipino Third Culture Kids' Sense of Identity and Belonging Upon Repatriation" (2024). Undergraduate Honors Theses. 76.
https://repository.usfca.edu/honors/76
