Jill Drew reports in the Washington Post, from Geza:
Tibetans, traditionally nomadic herders and farmers, are increasingly being lured into a commercial world, a place where Chinese and English language skills are prerequisites for success and ethnic identity is something to be marketed to tourists. Many young Tibetans like Jian jump at the chance to escape harsh farm work on mountain plateaus, but the opportunity means leaving behind a way of life that has defined one of the most romanticized cultures in the world.
Tibetan identity is a white-hot global issue after protests in March, the most extensive uprising against Chinese rule of the Himalayan region in nearly 20 years. Tibetans marched for religious freedom, economic opportunity and cultural autonomy before Chinese police crushed the demonstrations and angry Tibetans started a deadly riot. Police arrested hundreds, closing off the monasteries at the heart of the protests from the public and banning foreign journalists from most Tibetan areas.
