Russian | Tatar
I feel like the way I describe my identity to others always depends on the context. But essentially I identify myself by my experiences. Now I know that what I am is called an adult Third Culture Kid or Cross-Culture Kid. I was born in Kazakhstan and my nationality is German. I grew up in Almaty, Kazakhstan; Niš, Serbia; Jakarta, Indonesia; and Busan, South Korea. Now I am based in the Netherlands, and have also lived in Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Madrid, Spain over the course of my studies. So In terms of ethnicity/race/DNA, as far as I know I’m Russian and Tatar. My Mother was born in the USSR (Kazakhstan) and my Father in East Germany. He’s not my biological Father but he’s always been my real Father. Neither the USSR nor East Germany exist anymore. I always knew about my mixed heritage, from as early as I could conceptualize it. Having grown up amongst four countries and matured in another three, yes, it made my heritage non-binary, but rather multifaceted and not pinned to a national culture. In other words, I don’t think I carry any cultural heritage in the way we understand this term. I think my parents tried to take the best from both worlds. Ultimately they divorced, but that was more about personality rather than culture. Being cross-cultural and living in various countries has opened up my worldview A LOT. It also taught me empathy because not I know how different everyone’s experiences can be and how that shapes people. Obviously I can’t imagine having grown up in any other way. Being mixed-race helps me bridge society but I find it hard to bond. I feel connected to a lot of different trends if they somehow relate to a place I live/have lived in. Being TCK/CCK has been the most beneficial in the work aspect. It has taught me to be flexible and empathetic, and international experience and knowledge of languages are valued in the labour market. Of course I have to bridge with colleagues and tell them my story, especially if they are not TCK/CCK, in order to better understand each other. If I had the opportunity to be born again I wouldn’t want to change a thing.
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