Tibetan Immigrants in Montreal Jane Gardner a Thesis The
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Exile, Transnational Connections, and the Construction of Identity: Tibetan Immigrants in Montreal Jane Gardner A Thesis in The Department of Sociology and Anthropology Presented in Partial Fulfilrnent of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts at Concordia University Montreal, Quebec, Canada November 1999 O Jane Gardner, 1999 National Library Bibliothèque nationale I*I of Canada du Canada Acquisitions and Acquisitions et Bibliographic Services services bibliographiques 395 Wellington Street 395, nie Wellington OtbwaON KIAON4 Ottawa ON KIA ON4 Canada Canada Your hle Vom mterence Our hie Noire reference The author has granted a non- L'auteur a accordé une licence non exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permettant à la National Library of Canada to Bibliothèque nationale du Canada de reproduce, loan, distribute or seil reproduire, prêter, distribuer ou copies of this thesis in microform, vendre des copies de cette thèse sous paper or electronic formats. la forme de rnicrofiche/film, de reproduction sur papier ou sur format électronique. The author retains ownership of the L'auteur conserve la propriété du copyright in this thesis. Neither the droit d'auteur qui protège cette thèse. thesis nor substantial extracts fiom it Ni la thèse ni des extraits substantiels may be printed or otherwise de celle-ci ne doivent être imprimés reproduced without the author's ou autrement reproduits sans son permission. autorisation. Exile, Transnational Connections and the Construction of Identity: Tibetan unmigants in Montreal Jane Gardner This study examines the processes tlirough which a srnall group of Tibetans in Montreal constructs a sense of community identity in exile. I argue that membership in the extended, transnational organization, the Tibet Movement, provides the framework within which these processes take place. The incorporation of non-Tibetans, the role of technology, and the part played by the Tibetan goverment-in-exile and, in particular, that of the Dalai Lama are significant elements in sustaking community identity. The notion of immigrants retaining links with their home country, let alone their previous countries of settlement, contradicts many of our traditional perceptions of immigration, migration and community. To assist me explah what is happening here, 1 look at recent theories cn transnationalkm and diaspora. With its unique history, though, the Tibetan case cannot be encompassed by more recent theoretical models. 1therefore draw on existing approaches but fmd it necessary to move beyond them so as to capture the complexities and dynamics of Tibetan transnational connections. Cette étude examine les processus par lesquels un petit group de Tibétains battit un sens d'identité communautaire en exil à Montreal. Je pretends que le fait d'appartenir a l'organisation transnationale étendue, le mouvement de Tibet, fournit le cadre dans lequel ses processus se développent. L'incorporation de non Tïbétains dans le groupe, le rôle de la technologie et l'action du gouvernement tibétain en ed, et surtout celle du Dalai Lama sont des éléments significatifs pour soutenir l'identité de la communauté. La notion que les Unmigrants retiennent des liens avec leur pays d'origine, sans parler de leur pays d'immigration antérieure, contredit plusieurs de nos perceptions traditionneles sur l'immigration, la migration et la communauté. Pour m'appuyer dans l'expliquation des faits qui se développent ici, j'ai pris connaissance des théories récentes sur le transnationalisme et la diaspora. Avec son histoire unique, cependent. le cas Tibétain ne peut pas être englobé par les modèles théoriques récents. Ainsi, je travaille avec des approches connues mais crois nécessaire d'aller au delà pour capturer les complexités et la dynamique des liens transnationaux Tibétains. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My thanks go to the Tibetan community in Montreal and especially to those who gave me many hours of their time and who continued to answer my questions long after they should have had to! Without thern the thesis could not have been written. 1would also like to thank them, and other members of the community, for always making me welcome at cornmuni@ events and for makmg my research such an enjoyable task. My gratitude also goes to members of the Canada-Tibet Committee and the Tibetan Temple who contributed so much to rny research. 1 also want to thank Vered Arnit, my supervisor, for her guidance in writing this thesis. Her ability to look at whatever I gave her and see clearly what needed to be done, was invaluable. Thanks, too, to John Jackson and Sally Cole, the other members of my Committee, for their comrnents and advice during the research and writing of the thesis. 1 would also like to say many thanks to rny two good &ends, Mary Lee and Elizabeth, for their support which was unstinting to the end. Having been through it themselves, they understood! Finally, my thanks go to my husband, Warwick, who more than anyone has shared the agonies and ecstacies of the whole process with me - and who is as delighted as 1 am to see it completed so that we may now continue with the next phase of our lives. Jane Gardner TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER ONE: METHODOLOGIC AL APPROACH ......................................... 13 The Research Approach .............................................................. Reflexivity ................................................................................... E thcal Considerations ................................................................. Data Collection ............................................................................ Stresses and Strains of Field Research ......................................... Limitations of Study ..................................................................... Summary ...................................................................................... CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ..........................., ................ An Ethnography of Transnationalism ........................................... Theoretical Framework ............................................................... The Refugee Community Today .................................................. Tibetan Nationalism .................................................................... Diaspora Cornmunities ................................................................ De-temtodized Nation-State Building ...................................... Countries of Settlement ............................................................... Incorporation of Non-Tibetans .................................................... Cultural Flow and Identity ........................................................... ..................................................................................... CHAPTER THFLEE: THE DALAI LAMA ................................................................ 58 The Ddai Lama as a Symbol of Tibet ...................................... 59 The Dalai Lama as a Cultural Mediator ....................................... 65 SummaIy ..................................................................................... 74 CHAPTER FOUR: TRANSNATIONAL CONNECTIONS ..................................... 78 Demographic Factors ................................................................ 79 Migration Expenences and Family Connections .......................... 81 Political Connections ................................................................ 87 Cornrnunity Associations ......................................................... 92 Demands of Participation ............................................................ 99 Sm- ........................................................-.........-................. 102 CHAPTER FIVE: SOCIAL PRACTICE AND IDENTITY .................................. 105 Changing Perceptions of Identiîy ............................................... 105 Social Practice O Local ............................................................... 112 Social Practice O National .......................................................... 114 Social Practice = International .................................................... 116 Discussion ................................................................................. 118 Summary ................................................................................... 130 CONCLUSION .................................................................................. 134 APPENDIX ...................................................................................... 143 vii INTRODUCTION Three moments' in the Montreal Tibetan community: April 29, 1997 - Approximately fi@ Tibetan immigrants, mamiy adults, some in Tibetan dress, gather in the basement of a house belonging to one of their members. They are waiting to meet Professor Sarndhong Rinpoche, Chaiman of the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies (the Tibetan govemment-in-exile) who is visiting Montreal as part of a five city tour across Canada. The rninister speaks to them about the importance of spezkuig Tibetan and retaining a sense of Tibetan identity and thanks them for their efforts on behalf of Tibet. He also makes the point that Tibetans in Canada are ambassadors for the Tibetan people and as such he hopes that they will be good, law abiding citizens in theu adopted country as their conduct, good or bad, reflects on the Tibetan Stmggle. Professor Samdhong Rinpoche then brings