Bhutanese

Organization: Bhutanese Community in Iowa (BCI)

Mission: The mission of the organization is to establish BCI as a common forum for enhancing the quality of life of all the Bhutanese people living in Iowa through empowerment, collaboration and cooperation; and to promote, protect, and preserve our distinctly rich cultural heritage in order to maintain our identity as Bhutanese Americans.

Objectives:

To provide a voice that advocates for necessary support and assistance to the community people.

To preserve, protect, and uplift the cultural and traditional values.

To promote and extend mutual help and cooperation in the community.

To facilitate and empower community members giving them access to different services, jobs and other opportunities.

To facilitate an easier and more comfortable integration for the Bhutanese population in Iowa and the US mainstream society.

History: Bhutan is a small Himalayan country sandwiched between India and China. During the early 1990s the Royal Government of Bhutan evicted one sixth of its population, mainly the Nepali-speaking people. These people took shelter in the United Nation High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) run camps in eastern Nepal. The Nepal Government and the Bhutan government held 15 rounds of bilateral talk to repatriate the refugees to their original homestead. But, the talks failed. Then UNHCR proposed alternative solution of refugee resettlement. In 2006, the USA, Canada, Netherland, Denmark, Norway, New Zealand, and United Kingdom decided to resettle the Bhutanese refugees in their countries on humanitarian ground to share the burden of prolonged refugee crisis. After almost two decades staying in the refugee camps, the Bhutanese community started settling in Iowa since 2008. By now there is a population of 1000+ including those who have moved from other states as secondary migration. The flow of people from the camps in Nepal and from other states continues. Bhutanese Community in Iowa (BCI) is a non-profit organization, established by the Bhutanese community people in 2011.

Contact Information:

Bhutanese Community in Iowa

Mailing Address: 145 Christie Lane, Pleasant Hill, Iowa 50327

E-mail: bci@bhutaniowa.org

Facebook: www.facebook.com/Bhutanese-Community-in-Iowa-126535977491839/timeline/