Here is the article I was refering to earlier: from today's Kathmandu Post:
The other side of the story
DEEPAK BHANDARI
I read Bishnu Sapkotaýs "American Lahure" (July 1) and Laxmi Sharmaýs "American Lahure II" (July 4) with great interest. Sapkota, who is my best friend, and Sharma have done a great job in telling the Nepali version of the story. I believe this story deserves one more version.As the world says, America is the dreamland and the land of opportunities. "This is the country of immigrants," Americans proudly and frequently say. They do not hesitate to admit that their forefathers came from somewhere in Europe. Americans are immigrants and immigrants make Americans. But there are some differences between people - the difference between white and coloured people, and the difference between rich and poor people. This exists everywhere, even in our own doorsteps. Discrimination is more dominant in our own society than anywhere else in the world. Sapkota sent me an e-mail yesterday saying that discrimination in foreign soil has a different political meaning. That might be true. Yet, discrimination is discrimination after all, isnýt it?It just happens that Sapkota, Sharma, and myself are all Brahmins. We can only imagine what it means to be an untouchable in our own society. To be born in an untouchable family (without any fault of oneýs own) and live oneýs whole life as a fourth-class citizen in oneýs own soil must be pretty tough. It must be heartbreaking to be told that a glass of pure water gets contaminated with oneýs single touch. I consider this the height of discrimination. At least, this doesnýt happen in America or in any other caste-less societies.We all know what happens in our hospitals and government offices. A patient stands in a line all day long waiting to see a doctor. When his/her turn comes at 4:45 in the afternoon, a nurseýs brother-in-lawýs friendýs daughter walks in and gets the privilege of seeing the doctor first only because she happens to be distantly related to some nurse who works in that hospital. Our poor patient finds out that the hospital is closed for the day.An old man needs his citizenship card, which he has never heard of, to collect his old age allowance. He walks a whole week and gets to the CDOs office only to find out from a Subba Saheb that he wonýt get it, only because he doesnýt have five hundred rupees for bribe. This is our story - the true story of the second-class citizens of Nepal. This never happens in America. A poor illegal Mexican gets into an accident and needs treatment worth $50,000. No hospital ever asks him in advance if he has $50,000 for the treatment. He gets the necessary treatment first. He pays it in 20 years, if he can.Of course, it is a matter of shame to go to America and forget Nepal forever. But it is perfectly acceptable to earn a good degree from an American university and learn all those good qualities from American people. To work in America and send money back home to support oneýs family is far better than to stay back home unemployed and frustrated, and join some rebel groups.Nepalis, who live in America, are not considered junkies, beggars, or second-class citizens by Americans. Many Nepalis have completed their degrees from reputed American universities with high honours. Many Nepali Lahures, including Kul Chandra Gautam, hold prestigious jobs in America. They have forums and organizations where they meet fellow Lahures. They get together, make momos, and celebrate Dashain, Tihar, and other festivals. They send money back home and support our weak economy - the economy that is being sucked by our own patriot politicians and bureaucrats.
Even though a major portion of our national budget comes from foreign donations (a decent name for begging), I have never seen a single Nepali beggar in America. Like Americans, Nepalis here study and work hard, and earn a decent living.
American history shows that the first-generation Americans (the immigrants themselves) work hard to survive and settle down, the second-generation works hard to establish an identity, and the third-generation becomes an American. It might be true that most of the immigrants live an emotionally empty life when they grow old. But this is true only if someone decides to live here forever.
It is not degrading to go to America and earn a good degree. It is not degrading to learn good qualities of life, find a good job, and earn a decent living in America. It is not immoral to fairly exploit American opportunities, which the whole world is exploiting everyday. Every Nepali who lives and works in America doesnýt necessarily have a so-called Lahure mentality.Most important of all, our history is filled with the beautiful stories of "Lahures." Being a Lahure is not a disgrace. Lahure is not an untouchable word. Lahures may be living in America, but their heartbeats can be felt from Nepal.
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