The People of Tibet

Today Tibet has around forty-one different races including, Tibetan, Menpa, Luopa, Han Chinese, Hui, Sherpa, and Deng. The Southern and eastern areas of Tibet are the most largely populated regions. Tibetan people and Chinese people do not consider themselves as part of the same race; they share no common identity with each other. There are no common laws or literature and no common understanding of history or of language between the two separate identities.

Tibetans, while suppressed by Chinese government have been able to rebuild and resist Chinese domination over Tibetan beliefs and practices. The unyielding persistence of Tibetan culture is chiefly due to the Tibetan people and their dedication to their national identity.

Tibetan national identity is very strong among the people of Tibet. The national identity revolves around Buddhism; Tibet's primary belief system. Unlike the people of other cultures, Tibetan people find the most meaning of their life through religious (Buddhist) practices.

While learning about the the peole of Tibet I have come to realize how important a national identity is for people to have. Tibetans do not have a stable/widely acknowledged geogrpahical location to claim as their own and thus the relationships Tibetans have among themselves is one of the only things that keeps their cluture alive. For me this was a major turning point for my understanding of this culture. The Tibetan people have relied on their communication and connections to both strengthen their culture and ensure that their culture is not forgotten.