Krishna Giri, who came to the Granite State from Nepal in 2003, has a saying about the multicultural experience of living in the United States.
“American is a great garden,” he said.
And this weekend, he’ll help celebrate that diversity. Nepali people living in New Hampshire and elsewhere in the world will gather in Concord this weekend to celebrate the country’s language, culture and food.
Brought together by the International Nepali Literary Society, they’ll meet at the Concord Boys & Girls Club starting Friday through Sunday for the society’s convention.
The event’s coordinator is Giri. He lives in Penacook. A former government worker in Nepal, he now works with the people with developmental disabilities.
“Nepali culture basically talks about helping each other out, being happy, and basically it talks about the importance of the harmony in the community,” he said.
The convention will feature music and performances from Nepali children living across the state. There will also be food, including traditional dishes like goat curry and chicken choila. Nepal is bordered by China to the north and India to the south, and its cuisine is heavily influenced by both.
The organizers have also invited local politicians. Giri said the hope is to promote more cross-cultural exchange and understanding. The INLS wants to celebrate Nepali culture, but Giri, who received his citizenship in 2013, also emphasized the sense of belonging and gratitude he felt in living in the U.S.
“I like to say Nepal is our mother county. But this country is our father country,” Giri said.
For Umesh Koirala, the chapter president of the New Hampshire INLS, the conference is a chance for him to realize his dream of bringing the Nepali community together. Born in the hills of Nepal, he dreamed of coming to America to study engineering after his older brother studied abroad as a Fullbright scholar.
“I have a big dream, and this is the land of opportunity,” he said. “This is the only place where that can happen.”
That opportunity, the Dover resident said, is especially important to him when he thinks of his parents. His mother did not go to school, he said, and his father did social work until both his parents died about 10 years ago in Nepal.
“It’s very important to work hard and contribute hard and give back to the community,” he said. “It allows you to grow more strong and build a better world.”
The Nepali community has changed since Koirala arrived in New Hampshire in 1996. Back then, he estimated there were about 25 other Nepali people living in Manchester. Now, he said he knows easily over a 1,000.
Bringing the conference to New Hampshire was just one goal; Koirala said he’d also like to see a Nepali community center built in the state so the community can share its art and c ulture.
“I don’t care how long that takes,” he said. “I’m going to go all the way.”
(Lola Duffort can be reached at 369-3321 or lduffort@cmonitor.com.)