Since Bhutanese refugees started coming to the United States in the late 1990s, they have made various efforts at different levels to create a platform to represent their interests. In late 2006, an attempt was made to involve ALL the Bhutanese refugees living in the United States in a discussion about the need for a platform to address their needs and interests, especially their culture, tradition, the connection to their homeland, and their integration in the mainstream American community.
The Bhutanese refugees are Lhotshampus: a group of people of Nepalese origin, including some Kirat, Tamang, and Gurung peoples. These refugees registered in camps in eastern Nepal during the 1990s, claiming to Bhutanese citizens forcibly expelled from Bhutan.
As of 2011 over 30,000 Lhotshampus Bhutanese are spread throughout the United States and many are living here in the Oakland area. Himalayan Fair benefits greatly from the Bhutanese community as we are able to enjoy their expressions of cultural music and dance every year at the fair as well as behind the scenes where they work hard helping us organize, decorate and fundraise every year! |
