Sanam Bhandari
My mother was born in Tibet in 1973. She moved to Nepal (which borders Tibet) in 1992. Many Tibetans have moved out of Tibet to relocate mainly to India, Nepal and Bhutan because of the oppression of the Chinese government. Because many Tibetans resist the Chinese rule they are jailed, punished and even exiled. My mother found it very difficult to live in such harsh conditions and decided to migrate to Nepal. With great difficulty and pain she left her family behind and moved to Nepal. She lived in Nepal but was not legally a Tibetan refugee. The Tibetan refugees were also punished when they went on rallies against the Chinese government in Nepal, because of the strong influence of the Chinese government in Nepal. My mother wanted to leave Nepal to feel safe and to provide a better life for me. She went to an agency that helped her come to the US. She reached the New York in January 2010, and was very frightened. She did not know the language, the people and found it very difficult to assimilate. She met a friend through her work, who helped her get adjusted to the fast life of New York City. She was introduced to many Tibetans and Nepalese People and was shocked to find such a large group of Tibetans and Nepalese living here. The language barrier was a big problem for her and the pay is not great, but she is very happy. She does feel safe here and she is content knowing that I will get the opportunities that she never did.
Although I my mother is Tibetan I was born in Nepal, and my father is also Nepalese so, I did not have any problems in my country. However, my mom wanted me to come here so that I could have a better education and make a better life for myself.
I came to New York on February 2012 as a Political Asylee. After my mom was granted political asylum I got the Visa to come to the United States. I was halfway through my senior year when I came here. I was delighted to meet my mother, but was frightened and very nervous at the same time. I knew language was going to be a problem and so was meeting new people, but I met many Nepalese people here that made living in New York much easier. Many of my friends are trying to leave the country to further their studies and the US is their first choice. Coming here has changed my life in many ways. I have had the chance of meeting people from many different countries and learning about them, which I would not have been to in Nepal. Nepal is a small slow paced country where you have power cuts for about 12 hours a day, the street lights are out at 9 pm and the public transportation at 6pm. Having come from such a country to a city that never sleeps was a huge shock to me. It was difficult for me adjust to such a fast lifestyle but it has become much easier now. It is difficult to leave behind the country that you grew up in, but coming here has become such a great advantage for me. Although it is not very easy (financially) to live in New York, it is much better than living in Nepal or Tibet.
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