‘No future' in Nepal

Neopeney, who has become a community leader of sorts, is a volunteer for The Alliance for Multicultural Community Services, a resettlement agency. He serves as a translator and helps refugees enroll their children in schools.

Neopeney said he likes living in the U.S. because it means his children have an opportunity for a better life. “They have no future or identity in Nepal,” he said.

Food supplies are scarce in the camps, and the refugees spend most of their days doing nothing, he said.

In March 2008, Bhutan's monarchy changed to a democracy.

Chamlagai said family members who still live there can now wear their cultural dress in and around their house, but they still must follow the dominant Buddhist culture.

Chamlagai said he would return even though things have not changed much.

“Our parents and our grandparents, our forefathers were born there,” he said. “They built the roads and buildings and died there. We were also born there. The motherland is lovelier than heaven.”