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Bhutanese Refugee Community Representative - The Lhotsampa (the current Bhutanese refugees) originally left Nepal for Bhutan in the 1880s. For nearly 100 years, the Lhotsampa lived peacefully in Bhutan; however, the gradual growth of the Lhotsampa group later coincided with an attempt by the Bhutanese government to create a more coherent national identity. Beginning in the 1980s, the Bhutanese king and government forbade the teaching of Nepali in schools and prohibited expression of traditional Lhotsampa culture including dress and festivals. After peaceful protests from the Lhotsampa in 1990 after which the Lhotsampa leaders were arrested, the Bhutanese government strengthened their oppression of the Lhotsampa, using torture in some situations. In 1991, Lhotsampa began leaving in waves for refugees camps in Nepal.
After seventeen years of living in refuge camps, the Lhotsampa, known now simply as the Bhutanese, began being resettled in north Chicago. Since their arrival in 2008, the Bhutanese have faced many challenges including language barriers, finding steady employment in the current economic climate, and adjusting to a new culture. Many of the Bhutanese have participated in the community gardens at Schreiber Park and Chase Park, sponsored by Heartland Alliance�s Refugee Health Programs. Here, the Bhutanese have utilized their impressive gardening skills and began to strengthen ties to their local community.
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