གྲོགས་པའི་སྒ་ལའ་སྐད་
Tokpe Gola
Elmhurst +1Community Profile: Encompassing Nepal, northern India, Bhutan, and Tibet, the greater Himalayan region is a nexus of cultural and linguistic diversity. In recent decades, tens of thousands people from various parts of the region have settled in Queens and Brooklyn, making New York into a new microcosm of Himalayan diversity. Central Tibetan or Nepali may serve as a lingua franca, and Himalayan New Yorkers are generally united by their connection to Tibetan culture, written language, tradition, and religion, including for some the Classical Tibetan language, but the diversity of their own languages and cultures is also substantial.
T
he Tibetic language variety Tokpe Gola is spoken in the Taplejung region of eastern Nepal, and was only brought to the U.S. in the past decade as younger generations sought educational opportunities outside of Nepal. Now with a population of over 50 people in the city, the group has formed a Tokpe Gola society (Dhokpya Kyidug Samaj) with cultural programs like the annual Losar (New Year) celerbation and the Lhapsol. Most live in and around Jackson Heights-Elmhurst near other Tibetan/Himalayan communities.
Note that the language above may be used throughout the New York area — this is just one significant site.