A conversation with Amy Yee
Amy Yee is author of Far from the Rooftop of the World: Travels among Tibetan Refugees on Four Continents with a Foreword by the Dalai Lama (University of North Carolina Press 2023). It will be published in India in 2025 by Sanctum Books/Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers.
Her nonfiction narrative book is the winner of two awards in Foreword's 2023 Book of the Year Awards in both the Political/Social Science and Travel categories and a finalist in the Chicago Writers Association’s 2023 Book of the Year awards.
More about her is at amyyeewrites.com and follow her at @amyyeewrites
1. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, penned the Foreword for the book. How has his influence impacted you?
His Holiness the Dalai Lama appears on the first page of my book in the Prologue. I met him within minutes of my first visit to Dharamsala. This is not surprising considering I went there to report on a press conference he was giving. What was more unusual is the hug he gave me, his comment that Tibet and China “must discuss” the Tibet issue, and then his request for me to tell the world.
Yet I’ve emphasized that my interaction with the Dalai Lama was not why I wrote the book. I wrote the book because I was amazed and intrigued by how Tibetans can express themselves freely in exile in India, and practice their religion and cultural traditions without shackles.
In the Prologue of my book I explain that there are many books about the Dalai Lama and Tibet, but not many about Tibetans in exile, especially ordinary people. But while the book is not about the Dalai Lama, he is present throughout the book in different ways.
I was fortunate to observe him in many settings, from Buddhist teachings with Tibetans, to press conferences with international journalists, to an audience with newly arrived Tibetans who endured harrowing journeys over mountains to reach India.
Even when the Dalai Lama was not in the book in person, he was often still present in some way. Probably every Tibetan home I visited, from Dharamsala to Delhi, from Australia to Belgium, had a photo of him. People carried his picture in marches and rallies. Tibetans have such a strong connection to the Dalai Lama as a spiritual leader. It is a connection that I cannot fully understand or describe, but one that I can see and feel.
As a journalist, I write about the Dalai Lama objectively as I would any world leader. There is a perception of him in the west as a laughing, smiling sage who holds the key to happiness. I see him differently. Of course he is a great spiritual leader believed to be a reincarnation of the Buddha of compassion, so his words resonate with people. He is an unwavering champion of non-violence and a Nobel Peace Laureate. But he is also a visionary and statesman, even though he was just 24 years old when he fled to India and had to lead Tibetans in exile during a tumultuous and difficult time.
I was very impressed with the Dalai Lama’s vision to establish Tibetan schools shortly after exile in 1960. Education was his priority. I was also impressed with his encouragement of early Tibetan settlers in India. In Karnataka state in southern India, he exhorted early settlers to persist even though they were sick with disease and ailments, even though they were terrified in an alien and inhospitable landscape.
Within years Bylkauppe became self-sustaining when Tibetans began to grow corn, a crop they had probably not tasted before. Today the monasteries in Karnataka have more monks than their centuries-old counterparts in Tibet. That is a sad testament to the situation within Tibet. Yet it is also amazing that Tibetan religion and culture has been transplanted to a new land where it can grow and flourish.
The progress and resilience of Tibetans in exile is due in large part to the vision and leadership of the Dalai Lama. But in general, many Tibetans I’ve met are very resilient, as well as kind and warm.
2. Without giving away too much, are there specific themes or messages in “Far from the Rooftop of the World” that you hope readers will take away and reflect upon after finishing the book?
The stories of Tibetans in exile are quite universal. Many people from all walks of life can relate to navigating between different worlds and adapting to new environments. This is especially true because we are living in a world of porous borders, and multiple layers of identity that shift according to environment and situations.
Another theme I have emphasized in the book and in my author talks is how open, warm and welcoming Tibetans were to me. This is especially remarkable given that I am Chinese American. I was born and raised in the U.S., but I am ethnically Chinese (my parents are from Hong Kong).
In the book’s first chapter I mention that I would not have been surprised if Tibetans were hostile, suspicious or fearful of me because of the way I look. Yet Tibetans did not conflate me with the actions of China’s government and the Communist Party. In fact, many Tibetans seemed excited to meet someone Chinese. Sometimes they even seemed disappointed that I am American and were not as interested in talking to me, as I described in the book.
That ability to see people as individuals is a profound example, especially considering how often ordinary people are conflated with governments, conflicts or events they have no control over. A case in point is how vicious anti-Asian racism spiked during the Covid-19 pandemic even though Asians were of course victims of the virus.
I don’t really know why Tibetans were warm and welcoming. But I would think that the Dalai Lama’s steadfast outreach to Chinese people has influenced them. I have seen him give special audiences to ethnically Chinese people from Taiwan and elsewhere. He also welcomed Chinese democracy activists as guests of honor at the 2009 commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan exile in Dharamsala, which was a major milestone in contemporary history.
My book starts with the Dalai Lama hugging me because I am ethnically Chinese. He has said that his faith in the Chinese government is “getting thinner and thinner, but he still has faith in Chinese people”. This is such a powerful message of diplomacy, magnanimity and yes, compassion. I quoted the Dalai Lama saying, “I still have faith in Chinese people” and that is the title of one of the chapters in my book.
3. What impact do you hope your book will have, both in raising awareness about the Tibetan refugee situation and fostering empathy and understanding among readers?
I truly hope that the book will be translated into Chinese. Readers in Taiwan, Singapore and elsewhere are interested in Tibet issues and relations between China and Tibet. People in Hong Kong and China are also interested, but given heightened repression from China’s communist party, it seems doubtful that the book will be available there. But I believe the book would reach people from China and Hong Kong who are based overseas or through other means.
Of course, it would be wonderful if the book could be translated into Tibetan, as well as other languages such as Japanese for countries where there are large Buddhist populations. I know there are many people interested in Tibet in the Netherlands, Belgium and Switzerland, so translations in Dutch, French and German would also be fantastic.
I’m happy to share that the book will be published in India by June 2025 by Sanctum Books/Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. This would be a great step as it would reduce the cost of the book for readers in India and make it more accessible to Tibetans, Indians and others who live there. This is very important considering that most of the book is set in India and I wanted the book to be accessible to readers of all levels of English.
I mentioned in the Author’s Note at the beginning of the book that some of its proceeds will be donated to one of the charities I featured that helps Tibetans, Indians and animals in need.
I hope the book will reach a general and wide audience, and not only readers interested in Tibet, China and India. I hope it will be taught in classrooms focusing on anthropology, peace and conflict studies, ethnic and Asian American studies, journalism, narrative nonfiction writing, Asian and South Asian studies, and other subject areas.
Peter Hessler’s books about China were the model for my book. I was struck by how anyone could pick up his books such as River Town and Oracle Bones and be engaged. I could see people reading his books on vacation just for fun. Yet his books are taught in college classrooms alongside academic texts.
Last but certainly not least, in terms of a broader ‘goal’, I wanted to humanize Tibetan people and show their multiple dimensions, while preserving and sharing their stories with a wider audience. I specifically wanted to focus on ordinary Tibetans rather than high-profile leaders, activists and politicians who have a platform. In all my journalism -- whether in South Asia, Africa or the U.S. – I strive to focus on ordinary people on the ground whose voices often don’t get heard, especially in our celebrity-focused society.
Issues about immigrants, refugees and forced migration make headlines every day. How displaced people resettle and preserve their identity while adapting to new cultures is very topical these days since conflicts are raging around the world, unfortunately.
Yet it is hard to go beyond statistics and difficult to get an in-depth look at how people re-settle, re-build and re-invent their lives. When I started this book, I did not realize just how relevant, timely and timeless the stories of Tibetan refugees and exiles would be.
There are also important stories in the book about preserving culture in exile or in a diaspora; non-violent resistance; resilience; and how identity forms, adapts and evolves.
4). Researching and writing about a community facing challenges can be emotionally demanding. How did you navigate the ethical considerations of telling these stories while respecting the privacy and dignity of the individuals you interviewed?
In the Author’s Note at the beginning of my book, I explain that I changed the names of some Tibetan refugees and exiles I featured prominently. I did this to preserve their privacy and also to protect the safety of their relatives who remain in Tibet. For the same reason, I also did not name some Tibetans who interpreted and contributed their insights. However, in my Acknowledgments, I cite their invaluable, if anonymous, help.
There are also non-Tibetans whose insights contributed to the book, such as Chinese democracy activists. I checked with them about using their real names and offered the option of using a pseudonym but they did not mind using their real names.
I interviewed most people in the book in person. If I spoke to them in an official capacity as a journalist, I identified myself as such and they were aware I was taking notes. If I spoke to someone in a personal capacity and mentioned them in the book, I sometimes tried to blur their identity in order to respect their privacy.
This is a good question. But note that I cannot recall this question being asked of a Caucasian journalist or writer even though they write the majority of books and articles.
5). What inspired you to choose the title “Far from the Rooftop of the World” for your book, and how does it encapsulate the essence of the story you wanted to convey?
For 10+ years, the working title of my book was “Beyond Exile”, but ultimately my publisher wanted something different. I ended up choosing “Far From the Rooftop of the World.” It was the title of an essay I wrote for Roads and Kingdoms about my trip to Bylakuppe in Karnataka state in southern India.
At the time, Bylakuppe was the largest Tibetan settlement in India. This is a completely different environment than Dharamsala in the foothills of the Himalayas, where of course the Dalai Lama lives in exile. For example, elephants used to live in forests that covered Bylakuppe before the 1960s. To me, Karnataka seemed very far from ‘the rooftop of the world’, as Tibet is known because of its high elevation. In this new environment in southern India, there were elephants instead of yaks. Instead of the vast Tibetan plateau, there are cornfields in Bylakuppe today.
I did not know that I would travel to Tibetan communities much further away than Karnataka, such as Melbourne and Sydney. Australia’s largest population of Tibetans is in a beach town north of Sydney called Dee Why. Sandy beaches, surf boards and the azure Pacific Ocean are an even bigger contrast to Tibet’s arid grasslands. So the book’s title hints at the far flung places where Tibetans have settled around the world.
I added the very direct subtitle “Travels among Tibetan Refugees on Four Continents” so readers would know that travel is part of the book. My manuscript had to go through academic peer review by three professors, including a Tibetan, in order to be published by University of North Carolina Press. One of the academic reviewers remarked that it read like a travel book and my response was, “It is a travel book!”. I had always intended for this to be a travel book, the way Peter Hessler’s travel books about China are highly readable and accessible to a general audience, yet have the substance and rigor to be taught in college classrooms.
6). You have written a lot about Tibet and its cultural identity. How do you handle writing about such complex topics while making sure you are accurate and respectful towards different cultural views and sensitivities?
I wanted the book to focus on ordinary people. I also wanted to let their voices be heard as much as possible. There is a lot of dialogue where you hear directly from Tibetan people in my conversations with them. There are a lot of direct quotes where possible.
For my book tour, I decided early on that, if possible, I wanted to have a Tibetan person moderate or speak with me for my panel discussions. I wanted to include Tibetans and their perspectives and voices as much as possible. That goal made things more challenging as I had to find and reach out to Tibetans who were comfortable with public speaking. But I was thrilled to have Tibetans on stage with me for many of the book talks I’ve given since the book was published in October 2023.
This was the case in New York at Asia Society, Tibet House and the Roosevelt Policy Institute at Hunter College; Woodrow Wilson Center in Washington DC; Harvard Coop in Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Odyssey Bookstore in South Hadley, Massachusetts. I am very grateful to the Tibetans who generously gave their time and expertise to speak with me. They include Lobsang Sangay; Tsewang Rigzin; Kalden Lodoe; Tashi Chodron; and Dhardon Sharling.
As I was writing the book, I mostly wanted to be a fly on the wall, an observer, but sometimes I became a fly in the soup. Sometimes I unwittingly became part of the story, like in Chapter Thirteen called “Money Matters” where two Tibetans I met asked me to help them with a case of wage theft. Their call center boss in India never paid them for their work.
I probably have a more empathetic approach because I am the daughter of immigrants as well as a racial minority in the U.S., so I can relate to marginalized people. And by nature I often feel like an outsider.
Many – or even most – travel narratives are written by Caucasian westerners who are observing their subjects as an ‘other’. (Peter Hessler is one exception.)
Some traditional travel narratives that are considered classics actually ridicule people in developing countries. I am very aware of that bias and did not want my book to follow that unfortunate tradition.
I am by nature an empathetic listener. I might be unusual as a journalist in that I tend to listen more than I talk.
7). Your articles often provide in-depth insights into the political, cultural, and social dimensions of Tibet. In your opinion, what are some of the most misunderstood or underreported aspects of the Tibetan situation that you have strived to bring to light through your writing?
In general, I thought that Tibetans in exile, especially ordinary people, and the challenges they face were underreported. Tibetans in exile are very important to the future of Tibet because they can preserve their culture and tradition unfettered. Meanwhile Tibetan culture and identity is threatened and repressed in their homeland.
Media coverage of Tibet and exiled Tibetans tend to focus on politics and the Dalai Lama. But I wanted to delve into the human and economic development of exiled Tibetans, their progress and challenges.
As a journalist I also focus on solutions to social problems. So that’s why I wrote about the Tibetan education system in India for The Christian Science Monitor; work training programs for Tibetan youth and dropouts for New York Times ; how nonviolent resistance is taught and implemented for The Nation; Tibetan monks and nuns learning science for New York Times; and more.
8). Out of all the awards you have received for your reporting, is there a story that means a lot to you? Can you tell us about the journey you took to write that particular Piece?
That’s a tough question because I have so many answers. I’ve been fortunate to write about incredible people and incredible stories, especially from developing countries that need more attention.
I’ve won three awards from the United Nations Correspondents Association. One of them was for a long narrative article about solutions to climate change in Bangladesh published in 2015. That was before ‘climate change solutions’ became a common term in mainstream news outlets in the past few years.
I traveled across the country for a 5,000 word article for Roads and Kingdoms and the reporting was very in-depth. It was actually a composite of several articles I wrote, including for the New York Times. I also took photos. The lead photo was of a young man in rural Bangladesh who had a scar across his face from a tiger attack.
For another long article, I wrote about reforming Bangladesh’s garment factories in the aftermath of the collapse of Rana Plaza. It was the world’s worst industrial disaster that killed more than 1,100 people. I wove together reporting I did for eight other articles, including for the Washington Post, The Nation, NPR and Voice of America. I did that as full-time-plus freelance journalist, so getting each article published was a big feat whose journey was full of uncertainty. Both of these long articles were Notable Essays in the Best American Essays anthology.
I wrote another article from Bangladesh about how the country dramatically reduced maternal and child mortality and met the Millennium Development Goal in those categories. Again, I traveled across Bangladesh to report that article in 2015. That was one of the hardest but most rewarding articles I have worked on. I wrote it for GlobalPost but the article is now at The World though without photos, unfortunately.
One of the most amazing moments was in a Bangladeshi village interviewing a community health worker. She had been trained on clearing mucus from the throats and mouths of newborns babies so they wouldn’t asphyxiate. Using those methods, she saved a baby’s life six months before.
She told me about this, then asked if I wanted to meet the infant and her mother. “Now she loves me very much,” said the health worker. We walked across a rice field to reach a nearby village. I met the mother and her baby, who coincidentally had the same birthday as me. It was moving to meet this tiny birthday-mate in Bangladesh and awe-inspiring that she could live her life because of the health worker and her training.
Some of the long narrative pieces I did in Africa also stand out.
From southern Kenya I wrote an article for the New York Times about a community organization near Tsavo National Park that literally transformed the environment from barren to thriving. The area was a place where wildlife such as elephants and giraffe were being killed by poachers trying to eke out a living. The forest was rapidly being decimated by people cutting trees for cooking fuel.
But through carbon credits and working closely with locals, the organization brought income and jobs to the area and literally transformed the environment. I was in the field for more than a month so ended up writing a second piece – a 7,000 word narrative for an online magazine at Massachusetts Institute of Technology called Undark.
From Kenya’s southern coast I wrote an 1,800 word article for the New York Times about an environmental organization dedicated to saving endangered sea turtles. Again, I was with the organization for more than a month and had so much incredible material and reporting that couldn’t fit in that article. So I wrote a very long narrative piece of about 10,000 words for an online magazine called Terrain. Both articles include photos that I took.
I also accidentally and unexpectedly spent three months in the Democratic Republic of Congo based in Goma, which is a conflict zone. On the fly, I wrote three articles from there, including a 3,500 article that was on the front of the New York Times’ Sunday Business section. That article was about the potential of run-of-the-river hydropower plants to create jobs and income to help save wildlife and forests. I was very happy to include the voices of Congolese people I met there.
Doing that kind of freelance journalism for low pay and virtually no budget, especially in challenging developing countries where there can be physical risks, is some of the most difficult work a journalist can do. I worked on a shoestring budget and stayed in $7 hotels that even my Bangladeshi contacts were anxious about. However, that journalism was the most rewarding and impactful of my career. And I had incredible adventures and met and made amazing friends.
9). In your opinion, what role does international journalism play in highlighting on Tibet’s challenges, aspirations, and the preservation of its unique cultural heritage?
International journalism casts a very bright spotlight on the Tibet issue, or any issue for that matter. I understand the importance of big-name outlets and the credibility they lend.
However, the world should not consider an issue important only if the international media covers it. International media is often late to report on issues that local or ‘ethnic’ media is already covering. In addition, coverage and reporting by international media is also getting more limited as outlets cut their budgets and there are fewer reporters on the ground.
For someone who really wants to know about news from Tibet and exile communities, outlets such as Radio Free Asia, Voice of America, Phayul, Tibet Post and others serve Tibetan audiences. They cover news about Tibet issues regularly and fully, not just when there is a crisis. They have news in Tibetan language and often in English too, as well as correspondents who speak Tibetan and are closer to the ground.
Sometimes these outlets will report news first. For example, Radio Free Asia’s Ugyhur service was the first media outlet to report on the imprisonment of Uyghers in camps in Xinjiang in western China.
I recommend a mix of media outlets and not only reliance on international media – which usually means western outlets in the U.S. and Europe. A more well-rounded mix would give better perspective.