My Name Is Tenzin, I Am Not Chinese

Book excerpt: Tenzin Phuntsok was brought to India from his homeland, Tibet, at the tender age of nine. He respects this decision of his elders, though he has left his mother back home, and has never been able to meet her again. Growing up in India under the care of his uncle and the school authorities, who stand in for the parents of such refugee children, he is happy enough in India, his foster home. However, being the child of a freedom fighter, he never forgets his roots, and is very conscious of his Tibetan identity. My Name Is Tenzin, I Am Not Chinese is a first person narrative of this young Tibetan’s experiences as a college student in Chennai. Written in an easy conversational style, the story is rich with humor that cloaks the poignancy of an uprooted youth’s life in a place which is poles apart from his Himalayan homeland. The book also provides a well-researched insight into the academic opportunities in Chennai.