I learned about my late father's escape from Tibet through the writings he left behind
Tsering Dorjee Wangkhang was one of Canada’s first Tibetan refugees
Originally published on April 17, 2017.
My father, Tsering Dorjee Wangkhang, was one of the first two Tibetan refugees to come to Canada in 1970. His long journey from Tibet to Canada was full of hardship, suffering and hope.
He was only 13 years old when his entire family uprooted their lives and fled from Tibet in 1958 to escape the Chinese occupation led by Communist leader Mao Zedong.
I was only 10 years old when my father passed away due to lung cancer. I couldn't truly remember my father and his struggle. The only time I heard stories of the family's escape was through random anecdotes and vague recollections from family members.
Before his passing in 2000, my father left an unfinished memoir detailing the family's dramatic escape through the Himalayan mountains into Bhutan and India. Only after 17 years was I finally able to muster the courage to pick up the memoir my father handed over to my eldest cousin.
In the memoir, I was transported to Tibet. I read my father's thoughts as the family wrestled with the decision to leave everything they knew behind.
I witnessed the immense pain and sorrow of a harrowing voyage through knee deep snow and howling winds. Carrying babies on their backs with empty stomachs in the biting cold, the family was somehow able to navigate through the mountains to freedom.
But fleeing the Chinese would not be the only difficulty. Life in India would prove to be an immense adjustment. The food was foreign and the climate was unbearably hot. Many Tibetans died from starvation, malnutrition and disease.
Although my father was young, he was not able to attend school for quite some time. He had to work in construction and manage shops while other children his age learned English.
Then one day while he was working as a letter carrier and houseboy, he served tea to an English teacher who was bewildered that my father was not in school. The teacher later accepted him into his school and my father was able to receive an education by chance.
My father was later handpicked to be one of the first Tibetans to settle in Canada. He became known as a humble leader in the community who was always willing to selflessly help everyone around him.
He spearheaded the creation of the Canadian Tibetan Association of Ontario, the organization responsible for building Canada's first and only Tibetan Canadian Cultural Centre. He also organized the first ever North American Tibetan youth conference in Belleville.
He later went on to open one of the first Tibetan restaurants in Canada, The Oriental Wok & Himalayan Cuisine, which is still located in Belleville, Ont. There are now over 4,600 Tibetans living in Canada, most of whom reside in Parkdale, Toronto.
Reading my pala's memoir and recalling memories of him has been a healing journey. I feel a burden lifted from my shoulders. The black spot in my memory has been replaced by vivid recollections of his journey and his impact. His resiliency has had a profound effect. I'm grateful for this life. And I'm proud to be his son.
Music in the documentary is by Tenzin Choegyal.
The Chyssem Project: A record of the first Tibetans in Canada
Rignam Wangkhang's documentary, embedded in the top of this story, spurred an oral history project called The Chyssem Project, in which a group of volunteers started gathering the oral histories of the first Tibetans who came to Canada. "Chyssem" is a Tibetan term used to describe the quality of caring about the collective welfare, a person who is community-minded.
About the producer
This documentary was edited by Alison Cook. It was made through the CBC Doc Mentorship program.