Death of nine Nepali students in the U.S. is not an epidemic

January 2006

In a recent article on nepalnews.com, a few professionals talked about the safety, and even the economics of death, for young Nepali adults in the U.S. The article was triggered by a series of unfortunate events that claimed the lives of nine Nepali students over a span of 4 weeks, ranging from car accidents to a robbery. All of the consulted professionals—who I respect, but it may have to be pointed out that their experiences of being a young adult in the U.S. are not recent—noted that Nepali students are somewhat reckless in their driving and perhaps not well-adjusted to American traffic rules, while the author noted that the government hasn't taken any notice of what seemed to be an escalation of such incidents. However, what the author fails to realize is that the accidents are no indication of an epidemic, especially not one that has resulted from a changed behavior or disorientation specific to Nepali students. She asks a valid question ("Are Nepali students in the U.S. safe?") but implies the questionable—that the lack of safety is somehow attributable to Nepali students……………………………………….
It has not been very long since the Nepali diaspora in the U.S. established themselves with organized communal networks, and the competition amongst Nepali media for the coverage of issues related to the diaspora and "studying abroad" occurred. It's quite clear that the last 15 years have seen a drastic growth in Nepalis studying, working and living abroad, especially a rise in the ambition amongst parents and students for "further education in the U.S." The socio-political crisis in Nepal has also aided greatly to convince young Nepalis and their parents that leaving the country is, indeed, the most fruitful choice. As the Nepali diaspora in the U.S. grew in the 90s, so did the "virtual" or "online" Nepali communities, most of which were developed and utilized by young Nepalis, particularly those who were abroad at the time.[View Full Article]