Dambari Tamang

Utica, NY

Dambari came to the US a year and half ago as a part of the Bhutanese refugees resettlement program. She is currently studying in high school.

“नेपालबाट निस्किने बेलामा धेरै भन्दा धेरै emergency date भएको भएर साथीहरुलाई जान लागेको पनि राम्रोसंग भन्न पाइन। सार्है याद आउँछ। सुरुमा आउँदा त खाना मन परेन, कुखुरा नि काँचै! राति निद्रा लाग्दैन। अनि फुपुहरु आएपछि, आफ्नै खाना खाएपछि चाहिं बल्ल सास आयो!”

(“When I was leaving from Nepal, because it was such an emergency date, I did not even get to really say goodbye to my friends. I miss them a lot. When I first got here, I did not like the food — the chicken was raw! I cannot sleep at night. Only when my sisters came around and I could eat our food, that I got some life in me!”)

“Underage भएको लाई high school भ्याउनु पर्ने रहेछ। १८ लाग्न लागेँ, so try गर्दैछु। अमेरिका राम्रो छ अहिलेसम्म, study गर्दा चाहिं, अरु त थाहा छैन।
बचपन देखि नै dream थियो मेरो, कि एउटा खतरा doctor हुँ, एउटा घर होस्, एउटा परिवार होस्। Problemहरु थियो, तर aim पनि त्यति नै थियो। अचम्म लाग्छ मलाई त आफ्नो ageको केटीहरु देखेर, cigarette खान्छ, अंगहरु देखाउछ, transparent लुगा लगाउँछ। त्यो अलि ठिक लाग्दैन। नेपालमै पनि आफ्नै age को साथीहरु भन्दा दिदीहरु संग बढी मिल्थें।”

(“People who are underage needed to finish their high school first. I am about to turn 18, so I am trying. America seems good so far, at least for studying, I don’t know about other things. I had a dream since I was a child, that I be an amazing doctor, that I have a house, a family. There were a lot of problems, but my aim was equally intense. I am surprised by girls my age — they smoke cigarettes, they show body parts, wear transparent clothes. I don’t find that quite right. Even in Nepal, I fit better with my sisters than friends my own age.”)

“यहाँ वरिपरि सबै गोरे र कालाहरू छन्। उहाँ सबै नेपाली। घुलमिल गर्न गाह्रो छ। घर बाट बाहिर खासै निस्किदीन। के के सुनिन्छ, ‘उनीहरु jealous हुन्छ रे, नेपालीहरुले राम्रो गर्यो भने’, kidnap हुन्छ, dangerous हुन्छ shoot गर्छ’। तर उनीहरु पनि human being हो। सब equal हो, उनीहरुको condition बुझ्नुपर्यो। अब आधी जिन्दगी त यहीं बिताउनु छ, उनीहरु संगै exist गर्नुछ।”

(“Here everyone around us is white or black. Back home, it was all Nepalis. It is a little hard to mix in. I don’t really get out of the house much. We hear things, “They get jealous if we do well, there are kidnappings, it’s dangerous, they shoot’ etc. But they are also human beings, everyone is equal, we just need to understand their conditions. We have to live here for half our lives, have to exist amongst them after all.”)