The Road Home

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.

As the co-author of Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds, I have previewed The Road Home with many who have also been raised between different cultural worlds as Pico did. They, too,struggle with the same identity issues Pico faces.

Just three weeks ago, I watched as two people watched this with tears of both joy and sadness streamed down their faces. Joy that what they had felt but been unable to articulate for their whole lives was finally given voice. Sadness as they identified so deeply with the pain Pico feels when others assume who he is by outward appearance rather than by his life experiences.

They also understood only too well how the frustration Pico felt of not being known by other as he knows himself to be and how that frustration comes out in a way others see as anger instead of pain.

This film reflects powerfully what is the "new normal" for so many in our world... a "hidden diversity" where others are expecting the person to be a certain stereotype when that person is very different within. Mixed race children/adults, children of immigrants, bi-cultural children and the adults they become all relate powerfully to Pico's struggles in this wonderful film. I've witnessed that first hand.

The scenery and acting are magnificent as well as the story. Best of all, The Road Home reminds us of one of the most fundamental truths for our globalizing world: until we know each person's story, we cannot make judgments of who that person is regardless of skin color or apparent ethnicity. That's why this film is so needed and important.

I would give it 100 our of 10 ifI could!

It rare you find in media something which can resonate with so many people from all over the world with class, style and excellent character development. This short film immediately captured my attention and held it the entire time as I were there, fighting, struggling with those issues. It is powerful and it speaks to those of us who have walked many journeys in many lands. We need someone to tell our tale and Rahul Gandotra is that lucky man. It is not just about writing about being a TCK; it is about expressing being a TCK culturally, and thats a hard thing to capture. Keep going. Keep working. We are hearing/seeing you.