Llamas, Jezi Christia Mari

2014-90649
SP 138: Intercultural Communication
Prof. T.P. De Luna
Journal
One of the strangest things about a person can be their culture, especially when culture

seems to be influenced by almost anything and everything around you. Most commonly, culture

is associated with nationality; however, the situation is less of a dichotomy, and more of a

complex process. Growing up in the Philippines, yet never getting a full sense of what the

Filipino culture is can be a strange sensation. Even then, I knew that I could not fully identify

with other Filipinos, as even in my own home, I would find that my own collective set of values

and social behaviour did not seem to sit well with my own parents who were raised by traditional

Filipino parents in Manila. In international schools like Brent, where I had grown up, we have a

term for those who are still exposed to the culture of their own countries, but the individual may

struggle to fully grasp it due to the numerous influences and nationalities around them. They are

referred to as “Third-Culture” kids, or those who have a very unique fusion of cultures that

become a different culture on its own. Even though I still had a very strong Filipino background,

I was more of a “Third-Culture” kid, as I still identified more with the mix of cultures, rather

than one solid Filipino culture. Coming into UP, I found myself in shock by how different I truly

was, culture-wise. It was not only in terms of having to adapt to speaking more Filipino, but even

in terms of communicative habits, values, social patterns and so on. It felt strange, and even a

little embarrassing to feel so out of place in your own country. It was only very recently that I

found another Third-Culture kid within the beautifully diverse, yet very Filipino environment of

UP, and learning about her and the culture she grew up with may have helped me to understand,

or at least catch a glimpse of what culture truly means.

Llamas, Jezi Christia Mari
2014-90649
SP 138: Intercultural Communication
Prof. T.P. De Luna
Journal
Culture is said to be the collection of characteristics that can be attributed to groups of

people, expounding on social norms that are found within human society. Although this is the

very basic and vague definition of culture, it is important to understand that there is no one

specific way to define culture. Culture can be seen as a complex collection of social patterns,

behaviours and values that are highly influenced and molded by an array of factors. Many people

still directly associate culture with nationality, and even I personally know that it isn’t always the

case. The behaviour of individuals are associated with their culture based on certain conditions

and symbols that are explicitly and implicitly expressed by the individual and interpreted within

a communicative system. In essence, culture really cannot be directly associated with one’s race

or nationality, as the manner by which we are molded as individuals cannot fully be assigned to

one specific group, although it can have a certain influence on one’s social behaviour.

Individuals are grouped into cultures based on similarities and the underlying assumptions that

determine how a group is perceived (Spencer - Oatey).

Llamas, Jezi Christia Mari
2014-90649
SP 138: Intercultural Communication
Prof. T.P. De Luna
Journal
Having a large number of influences around me while growing up, and a variety of

sources wherein I could adopt certain values and social behaviours, it was honestly difficult for

me to place myself within one set “culture”, which is why I was never fully understood the

instant assumptions that individuals make about another’s culture based on their race or

nationality. Although one’s roots undeniably creates the foundation, but the true determinant of

culture cannot be solely placed on the country where one grows up, or the country where one is

from. One of the most interesting examples for this in my personal life would be my new friend

and respondent, Lea Barcelona. Lea is an Ilocana, a Filipino whose roots can be traced to the

province of Ilocos, and she grew up in the United States of America. Being a Filipina by blood,

and an American by citizenship and identification, Lea understood completely what it was like to

have a completely different culture that cannot be associated with either her race or her

nationality.

I met Lea during a mixer that was thrown by my Speech 138 class in order to further

understand and immerse ourselves in cultural diversity and intercultural communication. She had

approached me after looking for her friend, and she instantly engaged in a conversation with me

when she heard that I had a similar American accent that could easily be compared to hers. When

she asked me why my accent was that way, I had to explain that I grew up in an international

school where we were required to speak in American English. From there, it was fairly simple to

make conversation as that one particular similarity we had became the connection. We began

talking about what it was like to be a Filipina in the Philippines,and not feel like you’re an

“authentic” Filipina. I could only really imagine how much more difficult it was for her because

she grew up in a completely different place.

Llamas, Jezi Christia Mari
2014-90649
SP 138: Intercultural Communication
Prof. T.P. De Luna
Journal
Much like most of the Third-Culture kids I had met in my school, like the Koreans who

had grown up here, yet feel estranged upon returning home to Korea, Lea has shared that she has

not quite adjusted to being back in what was supposed to be her home country. According to her,

even though she is Filipina by blood, by identification, she truly sees herself as an American.

Though she does not prefer one culture over the other, she simply finds that it is easier for her to

identify with the social norms in the United States as compared to the social norms here.

During one conversation we had over Instagram, Lea mentioned that it was difficult that

she could not fully immerse herself in the local life within the Philippines, enough to adapt into

the social norms. In her blog, she mentioned “​I’m both a tourist and a wannabe local. I want to

blend in.” (Barcelona) The American culture is just very different, and even then, she could not

say she was fully American. She retained some of her Filipino values, such as her continuous use

of simple gestures like doing a ​mano​, a gesture of respect in the Filipino culture. At the same

time, she calls older relatives by their first names, something that is socially acceptable in the

United States, but may come across as offensive in the Filipino culture, where the elderly are

given utmost respect. She sometimes pointed with her lips, which made Americans confused.
Llamas, Jezi Christia Mari
2014-90649
SP 138: Intercultural Communication
Prof. T.P. De Luna
Journal
The more that Lea and I talked over Instagram, the more that I realised that the manner

by which she communicates is also very different because Lea is the very definition of a

Third-Culture kid. As a result of her non-binary culture, she has adapted a very flexible and open

minded perspective towards social norms. Certain studies on interpersonal communication

emphasize this blur, breaking the notion that culture is a dichotomy, and encompasses

boundaries between races and nationalities (Bell-Villada). Like other Third-Culture kids, she has

spent time away from her racial culture, but does not also completely and fully adapt the culture

of her host country.

During a conversation we had about racism within the US, she seemed equally confused

as I used to be when she sees racial harmony being disturbed due to cultural differences, as being

a Third-Culture kid allows for adaptive intercultural communication. Lea’s multicultural

background and ability to adapt to new situations quickly allows her to make friends from

different races, completely encompassing and blurring cultural differences. Moving back to the

Philippines was somewhat of a challenge for her, as she mentioned that she could not quite relate

to the culture of the Philippines’ young adults, having slightly more conservative views in life, as

opposed to the liberal views of the United States. She did, however, feel fortunate that the

Philippines is home to many different nationalities, each bringing a part of their culture and

integrating it into their host country. So far, Lea has found it easier to communicate with other

Third-Culture kids like Niki, another Filipina who had moved back to the Philippines recently

after being in the United States for so long, and me, someone who had very little exposure to

other Filipino people, especially those who were my age when I was growing up.
Llamas, Jezi Christia Mari
2014-90649
SP 138: Intercultural Communication
Prof. T.P. De Luna
Journal
Since Lea speaks English, a language that is also part of the Filipino culture, it was easier

for her to adapt, as opposed to if she had moved to a foreign country that hardly speaks English.

Especially for Third-Culture kids like Lea, it is necessary to develop communicative strategies in

order to be understood and adapted into their host country. Some of these communicative

strategies such as “negotiating disclosure, selectively telling their stories, and explaining the

choice to make culturally unacceptable decisions” (Jung). Interacting with Lea verified this, as I

was able to experience first-hand how another Third-Culture kid interacts within the parameters

of intercultural communication.

Often in every conversation about herself that Lea and I have, I notice that she can be

inconsistent with the way she introduces herself. Most times, she refers to herself as “American”;

however, in certain contexts, such as in the conversation wherein we were talking racism in

America, wherein she once told me that it can be a little daunting because she’s Filipino.

Similarly, in a separate study, it was found that most Third-Culture kids would again adapt even

their introduction based on where they were and what the most appropriate response would be

(Jung). Lea displays this quite often, shifting her identification depending on the topic and the

importance of either cultures to the topic. Lea, like other Third-Culture kids, uses this

communicative strategy in order to better communicate with those around her in a foreign

country.
Llamas, Jezi Christia Mari
2014-90649
SP 138: Intercultural Communication
Prof. T.P. De Luna
Journal
Intercultural Communication is an extremely complex field in which the goal is to

determine the differences and similarities within various cultures in order to effectively

communicate cross-culturally, and to better understand its impact within the realm of

communication. Being able to interact with Lea is somewhat interesting for me, as our field of

experience as Third-Culture kids are quite similar, that it allows us to be able to communicate

with one another without dealing too much with hesitation, which is common in intercultural

communication as a result of apparent cultural differences. As I get to know Lea more and as we

engage in more social interactions, it will be much easier to understand other possible

communicative strategies that she, as a Third-Culture kid, may use in order to adapt into a

country that is both her host, and in a way, her home. If anything, meeting Lea has opened up an

opportunity for me to not only feel comfort in our overlapping fields of experience, but has

allowed me to further understand the dynamics of intercultural communication within the context

of Third-Culture kids.
Llamas, Jezi Christia Mari
2014-90649
SP 138: Intercultural Communication
Prof. T.P. De Luna
Journal
Works Cited

Bell-Villada, G. & Sichel, N. (Eds). (2012). ​Writing out of limbo: International

childhoods, Third Culture Kid and Global Nomads​. Cambridge Scholars.

Jung, A. (2016). ​Communication Strategies Contributing to the Positive Identities of

Third Culture Kids: An Intercultural Communication Perspective on Identity​. Arizona, USA.

Spencer-Oatey, H. (2008)​ Culturally Speaking. Culture, Communication and Politeness

Theory​. 2nd edition. London: Continuum