The Essence of an American Tibetan

ADYgroup1
ADYgroup1
Aug 9, 2017 · 4 min read

A Tibetan man in a Tibetan shop in Berkeley, California; a personification of eastern meets western culture, and the challenges of being a small business owner in the Bay Area.

Sonam, owner of Essence of Tbet, a Tibetan American (Credit to Astrid Marie Kathom Knudsen)

America have through centuries been known as the land of freedom and opportunity. Millions have migrated to this great nation from all over the world; some in hope of pursuing the American dream whilst others have traveled from foreign skies as refugees hoping for asylum. The owner of the shop Essence of Tibet, Sonam, traveled from Tibet to the U.S. over twenty years ago, where he was granted political asylum. He now longs to go back to the country he was born in and see his parents, who still live in the place now under Chinese rule.

Sonam and his family immigrated to the U.S. in 1996 where they settled in the Bay Area.

The reason why I chose to stay in the bay area is because there are a lot of people here who are aware of Tibetan issues and being Tibetan. So, I feel more comfortable here because of the awareness of Tibetan issues in this area.

Here in Berkeley they started the family business when they open the shop Essence of Tibet, which is located on College Avenue. They opened the shop back in 2000 not just to make a living but because they wanted to share a part of the Tibetan culture with their new countrymen in America. Sonam’s brother chose the name of the shop so people would recognize that this was a Tibetan store. Here they sell gift items such as clothing, shawls, scarves, jewelry and more from the vast lands of Tibet, Thailand, India, and China; bringing a part of their native culture to their new homeland and celebrating the concept of east meets west.

Essence of Tibet is a family owned shop located at College Avenue in Berkeley, California (Credit to Junhui Yao)

However, being a small business owner in Berkeley is not always easy. Sonam and his family, like some many others, where challenged by the recession which was hard on the small business because people were reluctant to spend money. But though business is not always the best Sonam and his family manage.

Business is not the best. It is okay. We don’t expect more. So, it is okay. You know, it is paying the bills and taking care of our needs.

When Sonam and his family faces challenges in their life they turn to Buddhism which they see as a way of curing problems. Tibetan culture in general is highly influenced by Buddhism and Sonam describes the religion as a form of cure.

Our culture is kind of like our religions perspective of Buddhism. Buddhism is kind of like a medicine. When you turn to Buddhism it is like taking a medicine to help you eliminate the suffering and pain.

So maybe he and his family will turn to their religion and hope that their wishes will come true so that they can eventually go back and visit their native country again, hopefully in time to visit Sonam’s parents. But because they are still Tibetan it is difficult obtaining a visa from the Chinese Embassy. Even though they are American citizen, it will take a long time getting a visa. But for now Sonam has one prayer:

So what I hope is that the majority of Chinese people know the obstacles that Tibetans have. It is not that we are against Chinese government at all. It is just I wish they could understand our situation.

Gem stone and rings (Credit to Yihan Dong)
Decorates and traditional Tibetan food (Credit to Astrid Marie Katholm Knudsen)

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