Danielle Csaszar Archives

The Tibetan community of Madison, Wisconsin

Photo by Dani Csaszar.

By Dani Csaszar

The Tibetan Community of Madison may be a smaller one, but it thrives through its resources, allowing Tibetan families and individuals to practice their culture and educate themselves and one another.

Kalsang Dolma, a mother of two, has lived with her family in Madison for over seven years Having previously lived in Downtown Madison, the family now lives in Fitchburg, only about a ten-minute drive from the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus.“Me and my husband grew up in India, where it’s very clean, and there’s a lot of trees. That’s why we like to live in nature”, explained Kalsang.

Kalsang was born in Tibet, which went under Chinese repression in 1959. At the young age of six, Kalsang fled her country to India for her education. “I finished high school. Then I went to college, finished college, and then I was a teacher there for 11 years, in India. I taught math and science for Middle High School for nine years,” said Kalsang. She is now a nurse, and her daughter Phurbu is also studying to become a nurse. Kalsang’s parents still live in Tibet, under Chinese rule.

Madison may be considered a small-big city, but it does have a focal Tibetan community that consists of around 500-700 people. In cities likeNew York or Chicago, these Tibetan communities are much larger. “It’s to the point where in like those areas, you can just get away with not even learning like English,” explained Kalsang. Communities in larger cities can exceed thousands of individuals, such as New York City, which holds a Tibetan population of between five and six thousand individuals.

One main resource for the Tibetan community is the Buddhist Deer Park located in Oregon, Wisconsin. It resides just outside of Madison and is the homeplace of Tibetan celebrations and get-togethers. Kalsang emphasized that Deer Park is used for religious ceremonies, practices and teachings. The Deer Park is accessible all day and is welcome to any individual wanting to see it. You can pray, meditate, or talk to the monks.

Geshe Sopa is the founder and emeritus of Deer Park and was a huge inspiration for the Tibetan people in the Madison community. Kalsang talked of him highly. “He gained a lot of support. And he asked his students were a lot of the sponsors. So that’s why there’s especially like a huge community in Madison.” Geshe taught South Asian Studies at UW and was involved with the University for over thirty years.

In 1979, the Dalai Lama visited Madison at the request of Geshe Sopa. Here, the Dalai Lama instilled the first Kalachakra empowerment for world peace in the Western part of the world. This was the Dalai Lama’s first time performing this outside of Tibet or India. He has visited Deer Park an additional eight times since.

Madison also has a community center for children to learn about Tibetan culture and other social events. Kalsang emphasized that the community will celebrate Human Rights Day on Dec. 10, the same day in history thatthe Dalai Lama recieved the Nobel Peace Prize. “We have been celebrating since 1989– it’s a big occasion for us,” Kalsang said.

Kalsang’s husband Dhonpa currently teaches at the community center which is located on the east side. “On Sunday, for three hours, the little kids are taught our culture and the Tibetan language,” explained Kalsang.

Having never been to Tibet, Phurbu still feels a spark from her culture and wants to continue that throughout her life. “I think the biggest thing is me having the urge to learn more about my Buddhist heritage. Every few months I’ll go to the temple or just stuff like that to reignite it,” explained Phurbu.

“If you get involved in community activities or community programs, then you will be able to learn about your culture, and you will be able to retain the rich culture you have. And then, especially if you have kids, you know, the kids will learn from each other. And then you will be talking to the people about what resources there are. It can be really helpful when you have somebody coming from another country,” Phurbu said.

Sponsors or identified individuals of the Madison community helped Tibetan people adapt to Wisconsin. Kalsang emphasized that these first generations survived because of these sponsors, and that’s what truly makes Madison a community. Coming from a completely different part of the world, everything from language to societal norms is an element one must adapt to in order to succeed in their new environment.

Kalsang’s journey here is similar to many others in the Tibetan community: many Tibetan individuals and families were relocated to the United States. Starting as a settlement project for Tibetan refugees in the 1980s, Kalsang had two of her sisters move to Madison. “We have a family here. The eldest sister wanted us to move here in Madison so that we can stay close by and they can help us.”

Phurbu Bhuti, daughter of Kolsang, has utilized her own experience of her Tibetan background. Having moved to Madison at only 8 years old from New York City, this was a huge switch in terms of knowing her culture based on her surrounding environment. “When we first came to Madison, we lived at my aunt’s house, and we lived there. There were a lot of Tibetan kids in that community and we all played together. That was that that was a fun memory for me,” Phurbu said.

Utilizing Madison’s many educational resources allowed Kalsang, Phurbu, and their family to learn English and American customs as well as find jobs and opportunities. Kalsang emphasized that their time at public libraries helped immersive them into American culture. Phurbu and Kalsang highlighted how much they love the educational opportunities that Madison has to offer. This involved not only Deer Park, but of general public services that would provide jobs and opportunities for the family. Some of these involve the Goodman Community Center and Urban League, two public organizations that help with food for the holidays, job opportunities, and more.

Kalsang and her family have hopes of retaining their culture for the following generations. “My goal for the future is like, we always try to teach our children how rich our culture is, especially in terms of trust we have in terms of prayers we do in terms of, you know, how we live our life, living with kindness, helping others, whenever or wherever you can know,”Kalsang said..

The Tibetan Community of Madison may be small, but it is a strong one. The one factor that can be highlighted for the Tibetan community of Madison is the people that make up it up. Individuals have the opportunity to relearn and educate themselves on a beautiful culture. One thing Kalsang wants all readers to take away is that anyone can find trouble in holding their identity close to them. It can be easy to avoid the responsibilities of who an individual may be, but Kalsang emphasizes that we all have the potential to hold on to ourselves.

Cannabis on the rise, impact on adolescents and farmers in Wisconsin

Photo Courtesy Jay Selthofner.

By Dani Csaszar and Alison Stecker

Individuals across Wisconsin have been experimenting with delta products for several years now, and new hemp-derived products and marijuana alternatives are becoming popular across the state.

An anonymous student from UW-Milwaukee explained that Delta 8 has come as a good alternative for those seeking a non-THC product.

“I’ve seen many take it as a legal option to enjoy marijuana but without the risk that comes with legitimate THC. Weed smokers, in general, are pretty stoked about Delta 8 products from what I’ve seen,” they explained.

When buying said delta product, the individual explained that they have been more careful with it, considering they are synthetic cannabinoids that do not hold as much research as normal THC products. The UW-Milwaukee student said he’s exprienced concerns over regulation and scamming, but has become more comfortable over time with knowing what works for them as opposed

“When deciding on a brand I usually buy from influencers in the weed scene who produce their own Delta 8 products,” the student said. “Since a lot of these products aren’t federally tested yet, it’s a lot safer to base your purchase off of a personality you trust.”

Experts have expressed concern over the rise of these THC products.

According to Dr. Cecilia Hillard, the director of the Neuroscience Research Center at Wisconsin Medical College and a cannabis researcher, THC has a lot of alcohol-like characteristics that help people relax and feel more sociable. For 85% of people, that kind of cannabis does not cause problems, but another 10-15% of people develop cannabis use disorder, she said.

“That’s one of the big issues with any drugs like alcohol or cannabis. This potential idea that using cannabis early can really mess up brain development, particularly causing psychiatric disorders that are devastating and long-term consequences,” Dr. Hillard said. “There is some evidence in human literature that children who use a lot of high THC content and cannabis or start using it at a young age increase their risk of developing schizophrenia or bipolar disorder.”

Dr. Hillard also brought up a counterargument, saying that there may be some other genetics that causes an individual to use cannabis when they are young and develop psychosis.

“It’s so hard to do studies in humans because you have the chicken and the egg problem,” she said. “More and more I’m beginning to wonder if it’s not so much a causative relationship. Yes, maybe high-dose cannabis use in adolescence is associated or correlated with psychosis but I’m not sure we can say it causes it.”

While the rise of delta products in Wisconsin leaves some experts concerned, it has left small-business Hemp farmers thriving. Luke Heidt, the owner of Wisconsin Hemp Flower in Eau Claire, said he’s in support of legalizing hemp, but doesn’t expect regulations to change anytime soon.

“Marijuana will not be medically legalized for at least another two years with the people currently in office. It would be great for Wisconsin.” said Heidt.

In November, 82% of Dane Country residents indicated on their ballots that marijuana should be legalized. Dr. Hillard echoes this sentiment.

“In my opinion, we are better off developing those molecules and putting them under FDA regulation and selling them under use and drugs rather than people using whatever cannabis regulation they can buy to treat various conditions,” she said. “I think we should legalize and tax just like we do alcohol and fund research.”

Democrat Gov. Tony Evers plans to incorporate marijuana legalization into his 2023-2025 budget, but for Heidt, the future of cannabis companies remains very foggy.

“Hemp companies are small companies that have built themselves up. A certain amount of hemp stores would close, but every two years cannabis changes and there are new trends,” Heidt said. “Whenever a bill is proposed in Wisconsin, it’s usually not a good bill.”

Although this may be true, Heidt’s business is thriving and plans to continue to do so.

“I’m glad to see small businesses succeed, but I can’t see legalization being good for small businesses. Hemp people are always seeing how things change and are trying to stay in business,” he said.

Heidt also said he thinks Delta 8 products will diminish over time. He explained that the marijuana industry changes about every two years. Just like trends, marijuana products fluctuate.

“No matter what happens, Delta 8 products will disappear, and if it does become legal, they will be available online,” he said. “I think there is still a market for it if people need it for those who take a drug test.”

“Everyone that stated in hemp claimed to have some interest in the cannabis or interested in making money. These are helping keep a lot of businesses in business. Without Delta 8, a lot of places would have gone out of business,” Heidt said.

Although Delta 8 products have kept businesses afloat, it’s not viable for the long haul.

“My initial concerns were that Delta 8 wouldn’t be as regulated, therefore allowing for more scamming to take place. But after frequent uses of Delta 8, I find it to be a less intense version of THC,” the UW-Milwaukee student added.

“Hemp had low-cost production because I was using space that already excites me. I had an extended knowledge base about cannabis. The only thing I had to learn was how to run a business,” said Heidt.

Regulations have not changed much on CBD and delta products, which has opened opportunities for both farmers and small businesses. Both of these products have turned into a profitable alternative to medical marijuana.