Aging Experiences of Bhutanese Refugee Elders Living in the Twin Cities
More than 100, 000 Nepali speaking southern Bhutanese (Lhotshampas) were rendered refugees in the early 1990s as result of the Royal Government of Bhutan’s ethnic cleansing policy. The displaced people lived in UNHCR managed camps in Eastern Nepal for two decades. Since 2008, more than 70,000 Bhutanese refugees have been resettled in the U.S. alone and Minnesota is home to approximately 1000 Bhutanese. Southeast Asia Resource Center (2011) reported that most of the older Bhutanese refugees are illiterate and they suffer severe social isolation – “so they have become hopeless … they struggle for existence”. Previous research has not examined the aging experiences of Bhutanese refugee elders resettled in the development countries. The current study examines: (1) what are the aging experiences of Bhutanese refugee elders (65 and older) living in the Twin Cities? (2) What are the implications of the aging experiences of Bhutanese refugee elders for theories – vital involvement in aging, successful aging, productive aging – developed in western cultures?
Methods:
The study used ethnography to study the participants’ experiences. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews, field observation, field notes and the first author’s daily lived experiences in the community with the participants. Data was collected in participants’ native language (Nepali) and the audio files were directly coded as timed segments using NVivo features instead of transcribing the interviews. Twenty five Elders living in the Twin Cities were recruited through purposive sampling – 15 men and 10 women- ages ranging from 65- 81 and the length of stay in the U. S. was ranging from 5 months to 5years.
Results:
Consistent with the complex experiences of older adults from other refugee groups aging in the U.S., Bhutanese elders expressed feeling isolated, fear of living separate from children, loss of role as respected elders, and fear of being a burden to the family. Most of the elders talked of the loss of their “Ghar Bari” which literarily means “house” and “land” but connotes a feeling of belonging. The longing for “Ghar Bari” may be best conveyed in the poignant yearning, “Can we ever touch those orange trees?” Participants also expressed a unique fear that their salvation may be at stake – Their children may not get leave from work to conduct elaborate 13 day death rites, or they may simply not perform the rites as they may feel the rites are unimportant or unnecessary. On the positive side elders seemed to rejoice in the success of their children, and appreciate that they don’t have to worry about food, shelter and medicine.
Implication:
Bhutanese refugee elders in the Twin Cites seem to be looking to find their “Ghar Bari”: A safe place where they feel belonging, acceptance, and the ability to freely express themselves. Further research is need to understand what aging well means in Bhutanese culture to develop a suitable model to support aging with dignity and respect among the Bhutanese elders. Implications for theories of aging, developed largely in western cultural context will be discussed.