The Utah Tibetan Association (UTA) serves as a resource for anyone interested to learn more about Tibet, Tibetans, language, religion and other aspect of the Tibetan culture. UTA's objective and mission is to preserve their culture, arts, language, and provide guidance to the young generation of Utah Tibetans. UTA is also committed to diversifying the organization by interacting with other culture and communities.
The Utah Tibetan Association, (UTA) a non-profit organization was established in 1992, as a result of the 1990 Immigration Act in which provisions under the section 134 made possible the immigration of 1,000 Tibetans to the United States. The numbers were drawn from two countries; one hundred from Nepal, and nine hundred from India. American volunteers established twenty-one different cities across the United States to welcome and help settle the 1,000 in their new respected communities. Families faced the necessity of adapting to demographic, social, economic and political changes through out this experience. However, the American volunteers have spent countless number of hours to help these individuals with proper housing, employment, immigration, and any other basic needs. Among those cities, Salt Lake City, welcomed and assisted the sixty or so original Tibetans with great warmth and hospitability. Under the divine leadership of his holiness the Dalai Lama, and the assistance of American volunteers, UTA today stands with pride.
Although the Tibetan community in Utah is relatively small compared other settlement towns, nevertheless, the settlement has put Utah on a unique map, making it a great destination for Tibetan refugees, and His Holiness himself in 2001. Over the years, the numbers of Tibetans in Utah gradually began to grow; presently it consists of 157 people. It includes those who walked out of Tibet as an adult, as a child, and those born in the Exile community. It even includes those who has never seen Tibet, or steeped foot, and those who have been tortured, jailed, and beaten by the Chinese.
(Historical information was taken from the
The Utah Tibetan Association records contain bylaws and a list of board members.
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Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Donated by Tsewang Rinzin in 2009.
Processed by Betsey Welland in 2013.