Why This Blog?

 Welcome to our HIdden Diversity Blog. It is our vision to engage in a different kind of cultural diversity discussion regarding the gifts and challenges of people who grew up in many types of cross-cultural backgrounds (e.g. traditional Third Culture Kids (TCKS, immigrants, bi-racial/bi-cultural, etc.), as well as the experiences of employees of international corporations, missionary communities, the miliary and and other expatriates to see what is shared among virtually all groups and what is distinct to each type of experience. We envision this as a way to expedite the discussion for all groups while also affirming the distinctiveness of each.

Hidden Diversity defined – a diversity of experience that shapes a person’s life and world view but is not readily apparent on the outside, unlike the usual diversity markers such as race, ethnicity, nationality, etc., Paulette M. Bethel and Ruth E. Van Reken (CIES, 2003).

We invite you to discover the benefits, challenges, and impacts of having grown up in and among many different cultural worlds. Learn about the often unrecognized gifts that can be surfaced though exploring these experiences.

Ruth E. Van Reken and Paulette M. Bethel