Witnessing the pain and struggles of students who had grown up outside their passport countries upon returning "home" for college or university led me to write "The Global Nomad's Guide to University Transition." The issues of identity and belonging these students face is portrayed so well in Rahul Gandotra's "Road Home." I frequently show the trailer to students, parents and teachers to explain why these children are different - their international living experiences make them very different from most of theirs peers - as well as what it means to be the "hidden immigrant," as Pollock and Van Reken call them in their book, "Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds." They may look and even sound like their home-country peers but because of their broadened world view, they do not think or act like them. This leads to many expectations being placed on those children - ones that go largely unmet.
Gandotra's sensitive messages come out loud and clear. Anyone who has ever struggled with answering the question, "Where are you from?" should see his film. Those seeking to better understand the hidden diversity in cross-cultural children need to ask instead, "How did you get here?" Find out about their journey.
Gandotra's sensitive messages come out loud and clear. Anyone who has ever struggled with answering the question, "Where are you from?" should see his film. Those seeking to better understand the hidden diversity in cross-cultural children need to ask instead, "How did you get here?" Find out about their journey.