Source: The New York Times

On March 6, 2001, The New York Times reported on Tibetan immigrants in America. "Tibetan exiles have argued for decades that Tibetan culture will die if Tibetans scatter across the globe." 9,000 Tibetans live in America in all, scattered over 30 cities, with the largest concentration of about 2,000 people in New York City. The Tibetan leadership sent many of these as ambassadors "to make additional friends for Tibet." Although they serve this role to some degree, they feel themselves torn from "their Buddhist faith and their Tibetan language" by America's materialist culture. The Immigration and Naturalization Service continues to refuse most Tibetans political asylum.