I didn't think it would be paradise, but I thought it would be better than India. This is part of Tibetan culture, and, to us, nothing is more important than our culture. The Chinese our culture in Tibet, and the Tibetans living in India have been Indianized. The United States is the only place left that encourages our culture, and Minneapolis may be our best hope. Welcome to the Tibetan cultural mecca of the Western Hemisphere.
Buddhist monasteries continue to form the nucleus of Tibet's simmering independence movement.
They then had the option of returning to India or Nepal. But none did. By the end of this year, there could be 4,000 to 5,000 Tibetans in the United States, as those living in India and Nepal join family members here. The highest concentrated area of Tibetans is the Twin Cities with 400. The Twin Cities have been the exception.