Bhutanese Refugees

Up until the spring of '09 I little knowledge of what a refugee really was. At Barefoot we were doing Social Justice movie nights over the course of a few months that were opened to the public. To tie into one of the movies our pastor Noah suggested we read a book called "Of Beetles and Angels" written by an Ethiopian refugee Mawi Asgedom. Let me tell you, that book really opened my eyes. The book is a short read but is info packed and I highly suggest reading it if you are interested in understanding more about what it is like to be a refugee in America. Unlike immigrants refugees come to the U.S. and other countries not by choice but due to unjust circumstances out of their control. Refugees are settled by different organizations and careful steps are often taken to ensure their transition is successful. In the early summer of '09, through a series of unexpected events, I was introduced to some Bhutanese refugees here in Lansing. I give thanks to God for that introduction and for the wonderful friendships that have developed.

The story or the Bhutanese refugees is quite unique. In the late 1800's groups of Nepalese were brought into southern Bhutan(a Buddhist country) to work as farmers. They are known as the Lhotshampa people who mainly speak the Nepali language and practice Hinduism. By the late 1980's and early 1990's the southern Bhutanese population had grown to nearly 100,000. This began to be seen as a threat to the "elite" or northern Bhutanese leading to the exile of around 100,000 people to U.N. refugee camps in eastern Nepal. The Bhutanese claim they are illegal and the Nepalese claim their economy can't absorb them. The Lhotshampa people were left in refugee camps with no country to call home from roughly 1992 until 2008 when resettlement finally began. Today over 80,000 remain in the refugee camps awaiting resettlement. For more detailed information on the Bhutanese refugees including testimonies and a camp tour please visit www.bhutaneserefugees.com.

There are over 400 hundred Bhutanese refugees living in Lansing/East Lansing today and more continue to arrive. They have many needs but the most important need is friendship and the love of Christ. The New Americans I know strive to work hard for an education and earn income to provide for their families. They are generous, loving and communal in nature. There is a lot they can learn from us and a lot we can learn from them. I am honored to be part of a community that, after nearly 20 years, can provide a place for them to call home.