Global nomads typically share similar responses to the benefits and challenges of a childhood abroad.

“As we have seen, global nomads make up a population whose developmental years are marked by frequent geographic transitions and multiple cultural influences. At the heart of this experience is the social-psychological construct of “liminality.” From the Greek limnos, meaning “threshold,” liminality describes an in-between time when what was, is no longer, and what will be, is not yet. It is a time rich with ambiguity, uncertainty, and the possibility of creative fomentation. How does liminality serve as a connecting thread in the global nomad experience, weaving its way through each of the four central themes? And what particular advantages does living in liminality offer?”

Dr. Makoto Uchiyama, a 2004 graduate of Lewis & Clark, has been volunteering in Miyagi, Japan with victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Caldwell speaks about NAFSA Region XI conference about Lewis & Clark’s TCK program. Participants described the L&C program as “the gold standard.”

“For returning expatriates, reentry typically is associated with a great deal of emotion. Sadness, excitement, and trepidation are mixed together. Expectations of a smooth resettlement often lead the way— all, a transferee thinks, “I’m just going back to where I came from, and I know the ropes there.”

Intercultural practitioners often associate reentry with frustration. Although a complex and multifaceted component of the expatriate cycle, reentry typically is allocated little time or financial resources. Both experience and research has taught those of us who work in the field that reentry into one’s culture of origin is more stressful with more unexpected consequences than a transition into the unfamiliar.”

In New York Times Article, H.K. Choi shares her experience as a TCK.

Update on Prachi Jha

Claudia Ramirez wins the Tony Ridenour Memorial Award.