Comparative Education Bulletin - Faculty of Education - The ...

camps, so I’m used to being away from my parents. I want to go to
Canada or to the US.
Even Adriana, who has grown up in Hong Kong and mentioned her
difficulties in adapting to new situations, said:
I don’t want to study at university here. No one does. I’ll go back
to America to study. I’ve heard that the education is better in the
States. I asked my mum and she said that I’m going to America.
Ella, a non-TCK commented:
I have some family in London, some aunts and cousins, so I
wouldn’t mind spending time with them when I finish school but
I would want to study here [in Sydney]. It’s where my friends and
family are and I’ve done all my music and sports here so it makes
sense.
Bianca, a non-TCK said:
I love New York. I think it’s the best place on earth, but I wouldn’t
want to study anywhere but here. This is where I go to school and
this is where I would study.
In relation to the second theme, ‘Identity’, interesting points of
convergence and divergence emerged from the findings concerning
participants’ understanding of their sense of ‘personal identity’ and
‘shared identity’. These concepts are highlighted by Pollock and Van
Reken as posing great challenges for TCKs. Participants from both
groups struggled with the notion of ‘personal identity’. When they did
speak about this notion, their responses were generally linked to their
physical surroundings and relationships with others (ie. notions of
‘shared identity’).
Sam, a non-TCK commented:
Who am I? That’s a tough one. We just did this at camp. I’m Sam. I’
m Australian. I have a connection to my culture and to Australia.
This is where I have always lived. There are so many aspects that
make me Australian. I fit in with Australia…when I go travelling, I
love to pull out my Australian passport.
Rebecca, a TCK, spoke of her ‘personal identity’ in terms of her ‘shared
identity’ with sport:
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