A Nepali Community Media Outlet Is Using TikTok to Counter Disinformation: The Nepali community in the United States is experiencing remarkable growth. According to the US Census Bureau, between 2010 and 2020 the population of people identifying as Nepali alone increased 295.5 percent—a nearly fourfold climb—while the population of people identifying as Nepali in any combination with other races and ethnicities grew by 269 percent.
These numbers make the US Nepali population the fastest-growing group listing a sole Asian ethnicity among any group with 50,000 or more residents as of 2010. By 2023, census estimates indicated approximately 225,000 people in the United States identified as Nepali.
This growth is driven by political instability in Nepal, including a civil war that ended in 2006; unemployment; low income; lack of quality education; poor quality of life; and increasing climate challenges, such as frequent earthquakes and floods, which have displaced many and prompted emigration.
In 2012, the publication Khasokhas was formed to provide this Nepali community with in-language information; at the time I founded the publication, there were no Nepali language news sources in New York City. It has since grown to become a critical community resource.
Mapping the US Nepali Community
While US Census data indicated that the Nepali community is growing rapidly, this data may understate the rate of growth.
According to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data, for example, over 200,000 Nepalis have obtained green cards, with over 55,000 through the Diversity Visa (DV) lottery and over 50,000 through asylum.
Furthermore, various sources estimate the Nepali-speaking population in the United States is around 500,000, including approximately 85,000 Nepali-speaking Bhutanese who entered the country from Nepal through a refugee program. This broader estimate includes individuals on student visas, asylum seekers entering without visas via Mexico, those on H-1B and other work visas, individuals covered by Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and a number of undocumented individuals who have remained in the United States despite final deportation orders.
Of the over 200,000 Nepali green card holders, nearly 87,000 have already acquired US citizenship, according to DHS data. Including second-generation individuals, the total number of US citizens of Nepali origin is approximately 100,000.
As of February 2025, 16,933 Nepali students were reportedly enrolled in US educational institutions, mostly on F-1 visas. In 2024, there were a record 32,788 active F-1 and M-1 student visa records for Nepali students, making Nepal the seventh-largest source of foreign students in the United States. These students are increasingly anxious due to policies initiated by the administration of President Donald Trump that are targeting international students, including recent visa revocations for over 100 Nepali students.
The Nepali immigrant community in the United States faces challenges in accessing accurate information, particularly regarding immigration law.
There are more layers of complexity. According to a Congressional report, 7,505 Nepalis held TPS, granted after the 2015 earthquake, which was set to expire on June 24, 2025. The Trump administration terminated TPS for Nepal effective August 5, 2025. About 1,500 of these TPS holders had existing deportation orders but had been shielded; however, that protection ended as of August 20, 2025. The termination of TPS now puts them at risk of removal or forces them to seek alternative legal pathways.
During the administration of President Joe Biden, nearly 9,000 Nepalis entered the United States without visas by crossing the US–Mexico border, with about 2,800 entering ICE custody. Additionally, an estimated 10,000 Nepalis live in the United States on other nonimmigrant visas (such as H-1B, J-1, L-1) or as dependents.
Many others lack formal legal status, having overstayed visas or entered without inspection. Some are awaiting family- or employment-based green cards. This diverse group faces heightened fears of mass deportation under the Trump administration.
Bridging the Information Gap
Serving this community is Khasokhas, serving as a vital in-language resource center on topics such as immigration, housing, healthcare, elections, and taxes.
The Nepali immigrant community in the United States faces challenges in accessing accurate information in their native language, particularly regarding immigration law. According to Pew Research data released this year, approximately 40 percent of Nepalis in the United States lack English proficiency. This number marks an improvement from the 49 percent figure that Pew had reported in 2019, but still presents significant challenges for the community.
Given the extremely limited availability of government resources in Nepali and the difficulty even for those with basic English skills to comprehend legal terminology, Khasokhas helps bridge this information gap.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Khasokhas established a coronavirus resource center to provide the Nepali community with vital information on vaccines, unemployment insurance, loans, relief programs, and business resources.
Since then, this center has transformed into a comprehensive resource hub—offering information on immigration, healthcare, housing, and taxes. The resource center’s importance and necessity within the Nepali community have significantly increased due to the rapid changes in immigration policies under the current Trump administration.
Currently, rumors about immigration policies are spreading, causing fear within the Nepali community. Khasokhas is actively working to debunk these rumors through its fact-checking efforts, and readers count on the publication to stay informed.
Republishing Credit:
This article was written by Kishor Panthi, Editor-in-Chief of NepYork, the Showcase of Nepalis in New York, and was originally published by the Nonprofit Quarterly (NPQ).
The article is the second installment in the NPQ series, The New Asian Diaspora Media: Defending Democracy Locally and Globally. The series is co-produced with Kavitha Rajagopalan, who directs a community journalism program at the City University of New York (CUNY).
