Rangzen House helps refugees settle in and start new lives
By Tim Evans
Dorjee Damdoo Nargee trekked through the snow-covered Himalaya Mountains for 20 days in the middle of winter to escape Communist Chinese oppression in his native Tibet.
A dozen years later — after stops in Nepal, India and New York City — Nargee is struggling with a different set of obstacles as he tries to make a new home in Indianapolis with his wife and son.
The family came to Indiana three months ago with the help of the Indianapolis-based International Tibet Independence Movement. They are among a small but growing number of refugees the group has helped through its Rangzen House project.
“I feel relief and relaxed in Indiana,” Nargee said through interpreter and friend Tenzin Namgyal, a 29-year-old refugee who came to the city a year ago through the same project.
“In New York, it was hard to find jobs, and I wanted to raise my son in an environment where we are safe and he can get a good education.”
The International Tibet Independence Movement was established in 1995 by Larry Gerstein, a Ball State University professor, and Thubten Jigme Norbu, a Tibetan who moved to Indiana in the early 1960s to teach at Indiana University.
Its mission is to win the independence of Tibet through nonviolent methods. The 2-year-old Rangzen House project, which takes its name from the Tibetan word for independence, is a part of that mission, Gerstein said.
Gerstein estimates there are fewer than 50 Tibetan refugees in the state. But, he explained, Indiana has some powerful ties to their homeland — including Norbu, the oldest brother of Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama. While he has lived in exile for more than four decades since China occupied Tibet in 1949, the Dalai Lama still is considered the spiritual and political leader of the country.
Gerstein said the friendly atmosphere, low cost of living, job opportunities and access to educational facilities also make the Indianapolis area attractive.
However, many of those new arrivals need help adjusting.
Namgyal, co-chairman of the relocation project, said its goal is to provide a wide range of assistance with everything from housing and jobs to transportation and education. It also helps strengthen ties within the Tibetan community and its supporters, while exposing Hoosiers to the culture and plight of Tibet.
“It is important that the local, national and international communities are made aware of the current status of Tibet and Tibetans, as it is a gross violation of human rights and international law. Our hope is that through education and awareness, people will become active and help force the issue to the surface,” he said.
Kimberly Pearl, 27, Indianapolis, who volunteers to assist Nargee’s family, said it is essential that more people get involved.
“Unless something is done, we are looking at the extinction of a people and their culture.”
Meanwhile, Nargee and his family are adjusting to Indiana. He got a job in housekeeping at Riley Hospital for Children, with Pearl and Namgyal helping to provide transportation and other assistance.
The biggest struggle comes from their limited English skills, something the couple are addressing in evening classes at Broad Ripple High School. Nargee also is working to earn a driver’s license, so he can get a car and become more independent.
Namgyal expects more Tibetans to join them here.
“Many are still in need of stable employment, proper housing and a good environment to raise their children. And we consider Central Indiana as a suitable place.”
International Tibet Independence Movement
• What: An Indiana-based grass-roots organization established in 1995 to work for Tibet’s independence through nonviolent methods. The nonprofit group also helps Tibetans in the United States relocate to Indiana and promotes understanding and appreciation of Tibetan culture.
• Help needed: The organization needs a variety of assistance — from sponsors to provide temporary housing and jobs to bicycles and low-cost cars or monetary donations — to help Tibetan refugees relocating to Indianapolis.
• For more information: Write the group at P.O. Box 592, Fishers, IN 46038 or call President Larry Gerstein at 1-317-579-9015.
• On the Web: www.rangzen.com
Tim Evans can be contacted at tim.evans@indystar.com or 1-317-444-6204.
