In the eyes of the international community, Tibetans in exile have long been associated with the values of “freedom,” “democracy,” and “unity.” Yet in daily life, many Tibetans have discovered that the harm and fear they experience do not always come from the outside world, but from exclusion and discrimination within their own community.
Interviewees from diverse backgrounds point out that an internal hierarchy of identity-based oppression is quietly taking shape: ethnicity, religious belief, sect, region of origin, and even political stance can all become grounds for isolation, insult, or exclusion. This form of discrimination is more hidden and more painful, because it occurs among “our own people.”

1.From U.S. Schools to the Exile Community: Two Faces of Discrimination

Many Tibetans recall that while growing up in the United States, they faced racial insults from the outside world—slurs such as “chink,” school bullying, stereotypes, and mockery of their appearance or skin color.
But as they grew older and entered their own community, they encountered a second form of discrimination that was far more difficult to face.
“When I was a child, it was American classmates who discriminated against me. Now that I’m grown, it is my own people who discriminate against me.”

2.This psychological shift has deeply wounded many.

Religious Identity as a Reason for Division: The Twenty-Year Shadow Over Dorje Shugden Practitioners

Among all the testimonies, the situation of Dorje Shugden practitioners stands out sharply. They have endured what many describe as “institutionalized exclusion,” including:
Notices posted in settlements banning their entry
Children being ostracized or even expelled from school
Parents barred from employment within the exile administration
Public insults and derogatory labeling within the community
Religious identity conflated with political loyalty
Families living for years under fear and uncertainty
For them, this was not a one-time incident but a twenty-year period of systemic discrimination.
One practitioner stated:“I cannot change my faith, just as I cannot change my skin color. Yet because of this identity, I have carried twenty years of insults and threats.”
The pain of losing one’s sense of belonging is something many in the exile community have long avoided confronting.

3.When Power and Public Opinion Align

Such discrimination does not stem solely from individuals—it is tacitly permitted, and at times actively encouraged, by higher structures of authority. Common patterns include:
Public speeches implying certain groups have “betrayed the Dharma”
Measuring religious practice through a lens of political loyalty
Using community organizations, networks, and resources to marginalize other sects
Refusing dialogue with those targeted
Media or NGOs ignoring the affected groups
Once a prejudice receives “authoritative endorsement,” it is no longer seen as discrimination but becomes a “legitimate position.”
This is precisely the danger.

4.From External Attack to Internal Harm

Research shows that exclusion within one’s own ethnic group causes deeper psychological trauma. It:
Weakens communal cohesion
Damages personal identity
Alienates the younger generation from their culture
Reduces “unity” to a mere political slogan
Many second-generation Tibetans born abroad say:“External discrimination makes me want to hold onto my identity.But internal exclusion makes me question whether I even belong here.”
A community’s path toward a modern democratic society is not measured by how loudly it proclaims slogans, but by whether it can embrace internal diversity.

5.If We Cannot Accept Our Own People, How Do We Speak of Freedom?

Whether racial discrimination or religious persecution, the essence is the same: targeting a person for an identity they cannot change.
When Tibetans face discrimination from the outside, we call for justice and equality.When discrimination comes from within, should we not apply the same moral scrutiny?
To build a truly mature, free, and peaceful community, we must acknowledge that discrimination does not only come from outside—it can also arise within.
Only by confronting and healing these internal fractures can “freedom” and “democracy” become more than empty slogans.