What My Mother Risked in Smuggling Me Out of Tibet
I want to remember every detail about that day — the physical surroundings, the weather, our companions, and above all, everything about my late mother — but I can’t. All I remember is that she was holding me by the hand while my baby brother was snuggled inside her chupa, a traditional Tibetan dress. I was eight years old, and we were about to cross into Nepal.
My story is not the same as those of the families being separated at the U.S. border, but the message is the same: Fundamental ideas like “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” are enshrined in important government documents like the Declaration of Independence. Sometimes the pursuit of life and liberty means crossing a border.
Mine also isn’t a unique story. Countless other Tibetan mothers embarked on far more perilous routes for the sake of their children. After China laid claim to Tibet around 1950 and went on to invade and occupy it, there were uprisings and destruction. In annual rankings by Freedom House, a U.S. organization promoting human rights and democracy, Tibet consistently has…
