Department or Program

Anthropology

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis is to document a largely untold story, and to lend space to the voices of Bhutanese refugees who have been disowned in the name of a nationalist project, who have endured immense suffering as a result, and whose narratives still remains largely neglected in discourses of forced migration and diaspora. Using a postmodern discourse of identity, diaspora, and globalization as a point of entry, I explore questions such as: What does it mean to be Bhutanese in America? How do resettled Bhutanese refugees manage their Bhutanese-ness, and how do they perceive/conceive of Bhutan (as a nation and as a homeland) given their “exclusion from history itself” (Appadurai 2006: 35)? How do they reconcile their lives as refugees with Bhutan’s mono-cultural international image? How do they maintain links with each other, and with homeland, despite dispersion, if at all? How do they manage their multiplex 10 ethno-linguistic, cultural, and national identities from positions of resettlement? Are they happy in America? The thesis draws from ethnographic research conducted with resettled Bhutanese refugees in Concord and Manchester, New Hampshire, as well as research conducted online, at social media and community organization web portals visited by Bhutanese refugees.

Level of Access

Restricted: Embargoed [Open Access After Expiration]

First Advisor

Kemper, Steven

Date of Graduation

5-2016

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Number of Pages

105

Components of Thesis

one .pdf file

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