There’s an assumption that youth equals impulsiveness. But starting young taught me responsibility faster than anything else could.
Rising racism abroad is an increasingly pressing concern for Nepali migrants navigating life far from home. Beyond daily experiences of prejudice, it shapes how they see themselves, make long-term decisions, and plan for the future. In this segment, we share insights on the subtle and systemic ways racism impacts Nepalis overseas, and explore what can be done to foster belonging, safety and opportunity in a complex global landscape.
In what ways does racism influence not just the daily lives of Nepali migrants, but also how they see themselves and their place in the society they live in?
Racism does not just shape how we are treated. It shapes how we learn to inhabit ourselves.
Jesselina Rana, International Human Rights Lawyer Social Entrepreneur and Feminist Activist
Jesselina: Often, when we talk about racism, we focus on overt, person-to-person prejudice because it hurts in immediate and visible ways. However, racism is not limited in its expression; in fact, it can be inconspicuous, often silent, and for immigrants living in the US, it can feel embedded within societal fabric in a systemic fashion. Its effects can be long-term, often intergenerational, and most palpable for immigrants building a life in the United States without family or institutional support. While prejudice shows up as individual bias, racism is embedded in structures, including immigration systems, labour markets, housing, and social hierarchies.
Reflecting on some of my own experiences and those of my Nepali colleagues in the US, we have all had to address a fair share of assumptions about our intelligence, our documentation status, or what it takes to get a seat at the table. It should come as no surprise that such experiences can push us to stay within our own communities, where safety and familiarity feel more accessible. What makes systemic racism more nuanced and layered, are the cultural practices around caste, race, and gender hierarchies in Nepal that transfer over and remain embedded within Nepali communities abroad. Even within the broader South Asian diaspora, Nepali immigrants often struggle to find space in conversations dominated by North Indian and Pakistani identities and priorities.
Over time, this positioning can possibly reshape how we see ourselves. Some of us adapt by overperforming to prove legitimacy, some soften cultural identities to fit dominant norms, while others may recoil into narrower spaces to negotiate belonging. Racism does not just shape how we are treated. It shapes how we learn to inhabit ourselves.
Preeti: Racism isn’t one-size-fits-all; it affects Nepali migrants in diverse ways. In many cases, it is subtle and shows up in our daily lives in simple things. The colour of one’s skin, the accent, the food, the cultural practices and how they are different to the norm in the host country, these lead to minor ways in which racism shows up in jokes, cartoons, comments and messages. While subtle racism seems harmless and almost funny, it has a long-lasting effect on how migrants see themselves are how they are seen by others. Migrants can develop a sense of shame and inferiority and adopt drastic ways to hide their identity. They build a mask around themselves and try only to fit in and not stand out. They lose their cultural pride and uniqueness in this endeavor.
More than anything else, Nepali migrants lose a sense of belonging and ownership. When there is a lack of representation in media as well as real life, migrants feel like “second-class citizens” and do not involve themselves in dialogue that changes the status quo. They choose to hide in the shadows because they feel like they don’t have a choice.
Liesel: My own lived experience and the population I work most closely with as the founder of Imera, a tech company that helps high-skilled immigrants navigate visas, life, and long-term planning in the U.S., are high-skilled immigrants, including Nepali students, professionals, and entrepreneurs. In that context, racism is rarely the defining feature of daily life.
Most Nepali immigrants I know feel socially accepted. The deeper challenge is structural. For many, the defining feeling is not being unwelcome but being temporary. Immigration status, visa dependency, and long-term uncertainty quietly influence confidence, risk-taking, and a sense of belonging. They shape how boldly someone plans, how much uncertainty they can tolerate, and how rooted they allow themselves to feel. This is something I see every day through my work at Imera, even among people who are thriving professionally. You can be welcomed in a room and still feel provisional in a system.
Compared to Nepal, where belonging is implicit, but opportunity can be limited, the U.S. offers extraordinary opportunity with conditional permanence. That tension, more than overt discrimination, shapes identity for many high-skilled Nepali immigrants and is exactly why I started Imera.
Manzil: For me, racism has mostly shown up in subtle moments rather than anything extreme. I remember being in an office environment where a light-hearted “brown joke” was made, and a few people laughed. It wasn’t deeply offensive but it was one of those moments where you quietly realise you are being seen as a little different. It wasn’t shocking, but it stayed with me. Earlier on, moments like that did make me second-guess things like my accent or how I presented myself.
Over time, though, growing up abroad has thickened my skin. Experiences like these don’t affect me the same way anymore. What has helped me stay grounded is my family and the support system around me. I am fortunate to have my family close by, and having good friends and a strong community has always reminded me of who I am and where I come from. That sense of belonging makes a big difference.
How does the rise in racism abroad affect long-term decisions for Nepali migrants such as career paths, family plans, or whether to settle, move elsewhere, or return to Nepal?
Jesselina: When I speak with friends back home, conversations about marriage, planning for children, or saving to travel or invest in property often feel like natural, sequential steps.
Living abroad, those same decisions feel far more conditional. While there is, in many ways, greater space for women to explore life on their own terms, that freedom is often constrained by visas, job pressures and the constant experience of being othered, rather than by personal readiness or desire alone.
I have seen Nepali immigrants navigate how racial dynamics might affect themselves or their children when deciding where to settle, slowly realising that systems can shape the course of your life almost as much as your own ambition and desires. Belonging plays a crucial role in these decisions. Cities where integration feels easier matter.
There is a reason New York is a favorite among immigrants. It feels genuinely international, a place where identities can coexist and flourish. Still, there are moments when life decisions feel as though they are being made for you, shaped by structural challenges and invisible systems that often replicate racially charged dynamics and narrow what feels possible.
While subtle racism seems harmless and almost funny, it has a long-lasting effect on how migrants see themselves are how they are seen by others. Migrants can develop a sense of shame and inferiority and adopt drastic ways to hide their identity. They build a mask around themselves and try only to fit in and not stand out.
Preeti Pandey Adhikari, Founder at The Great Nepali Diaspora and General Partner Momo VC
Preeti: Home is where the heart is, or we can see our future! The rise in racism abroad strongly influences the long-term decisions Nepali migrants make about their current as well as future plans – which affects career paths, family plans, and choices about where to settle. In terms of career paths, rise of racism can mean higher discrimination or limited access to promotions or professional recognition even when when they have merit. Nepali migrants have to try harder to break through this vicious cycle.
Racism also affects family plans in various ways. Physical safety and mental health play a part in our decisions to settle down somewhere and expand our family. It is harder to raise families in hostile situations with overt racism or where migrant kids might get the same opportunities or behavior.
Where economic opportunities do play a part in settling abroad or returning to Nepal, there are other factors like unsafe and unwelcome environments. Migrants might choose to compromise on the financial aspects and return instead of planting roots in places where they cannot see themselves living for a long time.
For high-skilled Nepali immigrants, long-term decisions are driven less by social hostility and more by predictability, opportunity, and legal pathways. Immigration policy, visa timelines, and the ability to plan years ahead play a much bigger role than social climate alone.
Despite global tensions and political shifts, countries like the U.S. still offer unmatched opportunities to build companies, pursue ambitious careers, and access world-class networks. Many of the most defining companies of our generation are being built around us, and for many immigrants here, we are only one or two degrees removed from some of the most extraordinary people in the world. That said, uncertainty forces pragmatism. Through Imera, I work with Nepali and other immigrants making these tradeoffs in real time, planning careers more conservatively, delaying family decisions, and keeping multiple options open, including potential moves elsewhere or eventual returns to Nepal. It becomes less about where one feels most accepted, and more about where one can realistically build a stable future.
Manzil: When it comes to career growth, racism has never really crossed my mind. I genuinely believe that in most professional environments, what matters is how good you are at your job. If you perform well, you’ll progress regardless of where you are from.
In terms of family and long-term life decisions, I think context matters. Australia, for example, is a great country with a lot to offer, and overall, migrants are treated well. While the current global climate can feel overwhelming at times, I don’t think it’s fair to let a small percentage define an entire country. The majority of people are welcoming, respectful and kind. I haven’t seriously considered moving elsewhere or returning to Nepal. I value both places and feel connected to both in different ways. For me, it’s not about choosing one over the other but appreciating what each offers.
Do you feel more or less welcome abroad today compared to when you first arrived? Why?
Jesselina: Current socio-political conditions have heightened a sense of hypervigilance among all of us, yet prejudice and systemic racism have long existed. On the very day I arrived in Boston in 2021, an authority figure suggested that my place at Harvard was only to come and steal jobs. I have had a few instances where I was told to “go back to my country.” Moments like these do not fade. They accumulate and remain etched in your memory, shaping how you move through the world.
My move to New York, however, has allowed my sense of belonging to grow exponentially. I am still learning how to explain that shift. Is it because I moved out of the role of a student in Boston and into full-time work in New York, or is it because the city genuinely embraces people from all corners of the globe, offering spaces where identities can coexist and flourish? And if it is the latter, what would my experience have been elsewhere? Navigating this openness is not straightforward, and the questions do not end. Visa challenges, the high cost of living, job pressures, and housing barriers constantly remind you that belonging is never seamlessly guaranteed.
Preeti: I have lived abroad in Singapore, Canada and the US and haven’t personally felt less welcome. However, over the last year we have seen racism increase all over the world, including the US, Europe and Australia.
For many, the defining feeling is not being unwelcome but being temporary. Immigration status, visa dependency, and long-term uncertainty quietly influence confidence, risk-taking, and a sense of belonging. They shape how boldly someone plans, how much uncertainty they can tolerate, and how rooted they allow themselves to feel.
Liesel Vaidya, Co-Founder and CEO, Imera
Liesel: I arrived in the U.S. about 11 years ago to pursue higher education. If I were arriving for the first time today, I think I would feel less welcome, largely because the immigration landscape feels more complex and more fragile than it did back then. Policies now shift so frequently that people don’t have the space to explore different pathways, take thoughtful risks, or course-correct in time. This is a pattern I see repeatedly through Imera, where talented people feel rushed into decisions because the ground keeps moving beneath their feet.
In Nepal, the challenge is often limited opportunity. In the U.S. today, the challenge is limited time. You may have access to world-class education, work, and networks but not enough stability to plan calmly or strategically.
Manzil: My experience is a little different because I arrived abroad at a very young age, around six or seven years old. At that time, everything felt exciting and new. I was more curious than cautious, and I didn’t fully understand the complexities that come with migration. Today, I feel confident, even if the environment feels more layered. I believe a big part of integration is mutual respect. Just as we expect visitors to Nepal to respect our culture and way of life, I think migrants also have a responsibility to learn and respect the culture of the country they move to. It goes both ways.
What’s changed is both the world and me. There are more people like me now which creates a sense of familiarity, and I have also grown into someone who understands that identity doesn’t have to be one-dimensional. I feel equally grounded in my Nepali roots and respectful of the culture I grew up in.
How do these experiences influence your hopes or plans for the future?
Jesselina: While experiences may at times be tainted with uncertainty, I am hopeful about the life I want to build for myself. Living with instability has made me resilient, adaptable and shown me the importance of community. Much of my hope comes from learning from young Nepalis in New York and across the wider diaspora who are navigating similar challenges to create a life and pursue their biggest dreams. Their courage reminds me that to be an immigrant is not only about survival but about imagining the life you want to lead and the impact you hope to make. Although the future can feel unpredictable, I remain committed to building work and relationships rooted in purpose rather than permanence.
My work toward more equitable legal systems, international law, and policymaking has always been grounded in a deep commitment to human rights, particularly women’s rights, and to building a more just world within the systems we inhabit. At the same time, I continue to imagine a future where mobility as an immigrant does not come at the cost of dignity or mental health, and where existing in a place does not require the constant need to prove one’s value simply to belong.
Preeti: I started an organization called the Great Nepali Diaspora for global professionals with roots in Nepal. Over the last year, we have heard of incidents to racism increasing all over the world. These isolated and/or connected events have led a lot of people to rethink their life choices.
Liesel: They have made me intentional and pragmatic. I plan carefully, think in parallel paths, and avoid assuming permanence without understanding the system behind it. Immigration teaches you to plan in layers, not straight lines. They have also shaped how and why I am building Imera. My goal is to help skilled immigrants move out of survival mode and into long-term thinking, so they can build lives, careers, and companies with more confidence. Personally, I am choosing places and projects where I can invest over time, where the rules allow ambition to compound rather than constantly reset.
I believe a big part of integration is mutual respect. Just as we expect visitors to Nepal to respect our culture and way of life, I think migrants also have a responsibility to learn and respect the culture of the country they move to. It goes both ways.
Manzil Lam, YouTuber, Minorty Report
Manzil: These experiences have definitely shaped the way I engage with my community. When we started Minorty Report, the intention wasn’t specifically to target a Nepali audience. But over time, we realised how many people shared similar backgrounds. Nepali by culture but raised abroad. That realisation showed us we weren’t alone, and it naturally pushed us to build and grow that space. Creating content became less about visibility and more about connection and representation. I don’t necessarily feel a responsibility to use my platform, but I strongly believe in right and wrong. When serious events unfolded in Nepal, concerns like monetisation or audience growth didn’t matter to us. Helping people in need felt like the only right choice. That mindset continues to shape how I approach the future.
What do you think needs to change for Nepali migrants to feel safer and more respected abroad?
Jesselina: For Nepali immigrants to feel safer and more respected abroad, change must begin at home and extend outward. For students, the journey often starts with consultancy systems that charge exorbitant fees while steering them toward universities based on institutional tie-ups rather than genuine opportunity. The absence of adequate scholarships and student loan support from the Government of Nepal compounds this vulnerability.
Many, myself included, carry significant student debt in the United States, a burden that feels almost impossible to reconcile with the reality of earning a salary in Nepal. For Nepali migrant workers in the Middle East, the risks are far more severe. Many are forced to pay exorbitant recruitment fees, work in dangerous conditions, and survive on low wages while enduring prolonged human rights abuses.
The Government of Nepal must take greater responsibility by monitoring and regulating recruitment agencies, sanctioning illegal practices, and actively negotiating safer working conditions and accountability for its citizens abroad.
For those pursuing professional careers in the United States, diplomatic support beyond working conditions is also critical. Taxation frameworks, for instance, could be strengthened through Double Taxation Avoidance Agreements. Nepal currently has such agreements with only a limited number of countries, and not with the United States, leaving many Nepalis vulnerable to complex and overlapping tax obligations.
Community structures matter as well. Stronger mentorship between older and younger Nepalis can help newcomers navigate life abroad with greater confidence, and policies that allow citizens to vote from outside the country can help immigrants remain connected to nation-building. For me, creating respect and safety for Nepali immigrants requires a combination of structural reform, diplomatic engagement, community support, and recognition of our rights and dignity wherever we are in the world.
Preeti: Having a community of Nepalis abroad like the Great Nepali Diaspora helps folks maintain their cultural identity while retaining their professional aspect. Such a community can help people adapt to new places, find jobs and get mentors; which uplifts the network in general. Also, the narrative needs to change in terms of migrant workers and their contribution to their host countries.
Liesel: From my own experience, I generally feel socially safe and respected as a Nepali immigrant in the U.S. But safety isn’t just about how people treat you. It’s also about whether the system you live under allows you to plan a life. Even when you are doing everything right, legal pathways can shift quickly. Policies change, timelines move, and the rules don’t always feel predictable.
At Imera, we see how this instability affects immigrants across different stages of their journeys, even those who are established and contributing. What needs to change is how immigration systems treat contribution. Clearer, more stable pathways allow immigrants to build with confidence and invest more deeply in the places they call home, which ultimately benefits everyone.
Manzil: I think every day behaviour matters more than policies. Policies will always change, but daily interactions are what truly shapes someone’s experience. Small acts of respect, repeated consistently, add up over time. For new Nepali migrants, I would encourage them to stay connected to their roots while also learning the culture of the country they move to. Don’t stay in a box. Learn how people live, what they value, what they celebrate, and what they take seriously. That understanding helps build mutual respect.
At the end of the day, it comes down to basic morals. When people treat each other with curiosity, empathy and respect, everyone feels safer and more welcome.
Text: Kreenjala Pyakurel
