To answer your question, the Bhutanese Nepali people have been displaced since the early 1990’s. Bhutanese refugees are descendents of Nepali migrants who came to Bhutan in the late 1890’s. They were granted Bhutanese citizenship, but maintained many Nepali traditions, including dress and language. In the 1980’s, the Bhutanese king was afraid this minority was becoming too strong, so he imposed the “One Bhutan, One People” policy. The Bhutanese-Nepali people were stripped of their citizenship, forced to wear traditional Bhutanese garb, and were no longer allowed to speak Nepali. After demonstrations, the government cracked down. There are widespread reports of arrests, torture, and rape during this time. The Bhutanese government began making Bhutanese-Nepali people sign “voluntary migration” forms. In the early 1990’s, thousands of people began fleeing Bhutan and when the UNHCR created the first camp in Nepal, there were more than 105,000 refugees. In 2007, resettlement became an option for these refugees, and they began coming to the United States.The resettlement process to the United States is a long one. Resettlement to a third country is always the last option for refugees. In general, refugees are resettled to certain cities based on the city’s economic opportunity. Likewise, it is common to try to keep communities together.In terms of helping the family, talking to the daughter is the first step. If you need additional help, please reach out to our Bhutanese-Nepali caseworker, Jhuma Acharya. His email is jacharya@cris-ohio.org. Depending on when they arrived to the United States, they may be receiving assistance from a resettlement agency already there are three in Columbus. It is possible that they are clients of one of these agencies.Regardless, it is also important to have allies in the community who are willing to help these new Americans! Having supportive community members is invaluable to the integration process. Thank you.

via 5 Paul Williams.