How soccer brings a Bhutanese community together in Harrisburg, Pa.
A community of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, uses soccer as a tool for social cohesion and mental health. The sport serves as a bridge between their past experiences in refugee camps and their new lives in the United States.
Why it matters
It highlights the role of community-led sports programs in helping displaced populations process trauma and integrate into new societies.
HARRISBURG, Pa. — At a park in the hills of central Pennsylvania, children in jerseys shout in a mix of English and Nepali, chasing a ball across the grass while their parents watch from the sidelines. A mother cheers on her son. For this community of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees, the field is more than a field. It's where they've rebuilt a homeland that no longer exists.
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