Global  citizens  are  constantly  being  moved  to  unfamiliar  places  in  the  grand  

Diaspora  of  modern  human  kind.  They  must  easily  adapt  and  change  their  identities  

to  survive  in  new  places.  They  are  just  like  chameleons.  Chameleon  is  known  for  the  

ability  to  shift  personalities  in  accordance  to  the  surroundings  for  survival.  I  chose  

the  word  ‘Chameleon’  as  my  title  because  it  all  ties  back  into  what  identity  –  cultural  

identity  means.  Cultural  identity  is  the  influence  one  gains  by  belonging  to  a  certain  

culture  or  group  and  having  your  own  sense  of  your  culture.  Does  the  cultural  

identity  will  affect  people  from  changing  the  way  they  think  and  what  is  the  “real”  

identity  and  to  be  accepted  by  the  world  is  it  needed?  

  After  dropping  the  first  thesis  idea,  -­‐  Bone,  metaphorically  speaking  the  title  

not  only  talks  about  becoming  one  but  also  be  in  the  core  –  the  middle.  The  issue  

was  to  break  the  invisible  wall  between  Korean  Americans  and  Koreans  because  

there  has  been  always  a  tension  between  these  generations  and  becoming  a  one  

unified  generations      of  why  there  is  a  “wall”  between  these  two  different  but  same  

cultures  because  of  running  into  a  wrong  directions  that  could  make  me  a  social  

outcast  with  my  ethnicity.  The  mind  map  below  shows  the  cycle  of  tension  between  

Korean  Americans  and  Koreans  with  the  terms  that  are  used  to  describe  three  

generations  –  1st,  1.5,  and  2nd  generations  and  the  racial  terms  that  are  used  within  

each  other.  The  map  resembles  an  eye  because  the  cultures  are  always  there  but  

without  the  eyes  through  a  Korean  or  a  Korean  American  would  not  know  these  

differences  and  the  tension  between  the  generations.  

 

 

 I  decided  to  still  use  the  idea  of  identity  but  go  into  a  different  direction.  I  started  

questioning  myself  of  the  acceptance  of  belongingness.  Belongingness  is  the  human  

emotional  that  need  to  be  an  accepted  member  of  a  group.  Many  people  go  through  

this  phase  of  “belongingness”  through  an  identity  phase  that  wants  to  be  in  a  group  

and  accepted  by  the  peers.  Questioning  the  cultural  identity  of  ourselves  

questioning,  “who  we  are”  and  “where  are  you  from”  has  embraced  us  the  

challenges  of  understanding  of  a  strong  our  own  background  of  the  origin.  The  mind  

map  below  shows  how  the  main  circle,  identity,  goes  off  to  different  directions  that  

form  complicated  views  toward  the  word  “identity.”  

 

 

 

 

 

 

There  are  another  subject  that  I  want  to  cover  about  Third  Culture  Kids/  

Expatriate/  Global  Nomads.  Third  Cultural  Kids  (TCK)  are  people  with  an  

international  lifestyle,  of  multi-­‐national  background  or  living/working  in  more  than  

one  country.  Most  cities  and  companies  are  growing  and  are  becoming  increasingly  

international;  there  are  a  growing  number  of  children  that  are  creating  their  own  

sub-­‐culture  to  fit  themselves  in.  When  a  child  moves  around  from  one  country  from  

another,  they  tend  to  lose  their  self-­‐esteem  of  their  identity  because  of  the  constant  

moving.  The  constant  moving  can  bring  upon  a  negative  or  positive  affect.    The  

negative  characteristics  are  the  difficulty  with  commitment  to  people,  places,  

schools,  uncertainty  of  cultural  identity,  loss  of  community  and  relationships,  feeling  

 

different  from  others,  and  a  crisis  of  identity  –  “Who  am  I?”  The  positive  

characteristics  are  that  they  can  speak  more  than  one  language,  more  mature  in  

their  social  skills,  traveling  is  a  way  of  life,  excellent  observers  of  other  people,  and  

tend  to  live  more  in  the  present  and  live  more  for  the  moment.    

  I  have  strong  personal  interest  toward  to  this  idea  because  of  my  experience  

of  moving  around  and  living  in  three  different  countries  before  settling  in  one  

country  has  somehow  affected  me.  I  realized  I  longed  for  my  life  back  in  the  

Philippians  after  seeing  my  brother  having  close  friends  in  high  school.  I  went  

through  a  hard  and  challenging  time  through  high  school  and  wanted  someone  

sincere  and  the  longing  for  the  past  gave  me  a  huge  desire  to  find  my  friends  from  

back  in  the  Philippians.  I  can  sympathize  with  the  Third  Culture  Kids  because  these  

people  have  experienced  the  same  thing  as  I  have  and  I  have  become  extremely  

sensitive  about  being  culturally  aware  of  the  surrounding.    

  I  want  to  voice  out  my  opinion  by  asking  if  cultural  identity  will  affect  people  

from  changing  the  way  they  think  and  what  is  the  real  identity.  Do  people  need  to  

specify  their  “real”  identities  to  become  a  wholesome  person?  Is  it  necessary  to  have  

a  real  identity?  I  need  to  brainstorm  and  make  my  way  toward  a  solution  that  will  

answer  my  questions,  which  is  out  in  the  open.  The  targeted  audiences  are  people  

who  are  going  through  a  phase  of  “who  are  you,”  TCK,  adolescence  from  ages  9  –  16  

years  old  going  through  an  identity  crisis  phase,  and  people  who  are  interested  in  

identities  in  general.  There  aren’t  many  precedents  that  have  captured  my  attention  

but  I  really  like  “Doll  Face.”  An  artist,  Andrew  Huang,  made  it  and  it  is  about  a  

machine  with  a  doll  face  that  mimics  images  on  television  screen  to  become  a  “real”  

 

human.  The  short  animation  clearly  talks  about  identity  and  the  way  we  see  

ourselves  as  well.  When  people  nowadays  see  something  of  celebrities  like  for  

example  boots  they  would  do  anything  to  get  the  same  thing  to  become  one  with  the  

community.    

  I  want  to  make  a  music  video  or  an  animation  with  motion  graphics  and  try  

to  make  it  humorous  so  people  will  take  an  interest  toward  this  serious  subject.  

Making  a  music  video  will  help  people  understand  the  issue  more  clearly  in  a  three  

to  five  minute  range  and  it  would  not  bore  them  unlike  a  lecture  would.  People  

concentrate  if  there  are  visuals  and  music  that  is  amusing  to  them.  The  issue  is  very  

important  because  people  have  been  struggling  to  find  out  what  their  identities  are.  

There  are  so  many  identities  with  different  personalities  and  it  can  be  related  to  

everyone  because  everyone  goes  through  an  identity  phase.  For  me,  I  have  always  

questioned  myself  about  what  my  identity  is.    

  Future  steps  toward  my  Chameleon  project  is  to  execute  further  than  this  

brainstorming  phase  and  make  a  storyboard,  user  scenarios  that  will  give  a  fuller  

understandings  of  what  identity  is.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glossary  

1) Third  Culture  Kids  (TCK):  People  with  an  international  lifestyle,  of  multi-­‐

national  background  or  living/working  in  more  than  one  country  

2) Cultural  Identity:  A  person’s  background  and  also  how  you  can  refer  to  a  

person  

3) Expatriate:  Any  person  living  in  a  different  country  from  where  one  is  a  

citizen  

4) Global  Nomads:    same  as  third  culture  kids  

5) Chameleon:  It  can  shift  personalities  in  accordance  to  the  surroundings  for  

survival  

6) Diaspora:  The  movement,  migration,  or  scattering  of  people  away  from  their  

ancestral  homeland  

7) Stranger:  A  resident  alien;  a  foreigner;  a  person  who  does  not  know,  or  is  not  

know  in,  a  particular  place  or  community  

8) Other:  Different  form  that  or  those  implied  or  specified;  of  a  different  

character  or  quality  

9) Belongingness:  To  fit  into  a  group  naturally;  to  be  a  part  of  something  else  

10)  Culture  Shock:  The  feelings  of  isolation,  rejection  etc  experienced  when  one  

culture  is  brought  into  sudden  contact  with  another  

 

 

 

 

 

Bibliography  

 

1. “Countries  Beginning  with  I,”  last  modified  on  March  19,  2009,  

http://www.beginningwithi.com/comments/2009/03/19/third-­‐culture-­‐

kids-­‐growing-­‐up-­‐everywhere-­‐and-­‐nowhere/  

2. “What  are  Third  Culture  Kids  and  How  Does  Expat  Life  Affect  Them?,”  last  

modified  on  June  24,  2010,  http://mariafoley.suite101.com/what-­‐are-­‐third-­‐

culture-­‐kids-­‐and-­‐how-­‐does-­‐expat-­‐life-­‐affect-­‐them-­‐a253178  

3. “Beyond  Cultural  Identity:  Reflections  on  Multiculturalism.”  Last  modified  on  

November  2002,  http://www.mediate.com/articles/adler3.cfm