The Karen People – High School Students Thriving in America
On Monday May 7th I had the privilege of attending the Seniors Recognition Ceremony at Lincoln High School in Lincoln Nebraska. I went to see three of my weekend students from Vietnam be recognized for receiving scholarships. While I was enjoying watching my three young friends walk across the stage to be honored, I had a unexpected wonderful surprise. I noticed that some of my young friends from The Karen People received scholarships for college.
Poe Dee with one of his scholarship certificates
Poe Dee was one of the young Karen people who received scholarships for college. In fact he was awarded four different scholarships. While that is admirable for any young person graduating from high school, it is further magnified by the fact that he has not been in America for very long. The first Karen people came to Lincoln in the summer and fall of 2007. More came in 2008 and more continue to come. I spent a lot of time with the Karen in Lincoln in 2008 and again in the summer of 2009. It is remarkable that for a people group so new to Lincoln, five young people were awarded scholarships for college. It is a testimony to the great teachers at Lincoln High and to the hard work and dedication of the five students of which Poe Dee is an excellent example.
It is fascinating for me to think about how these young people only a few short years ago were living in refugee camps in Thailand with limited resources, then came to a new country in need of learning a new language, and now they will graduate from high school this month. Not only will they graduate, they will also have their college paid for through the scholarships they have earned.
It is also a great example for all of us that just because someone looks different, perhaps very different than anyone we have met before, we need to be careful not to judge based on appearance. Personally I love the colorful traditional clothes the Karen wear. They have given me a robe, a few book bags, and a scarf. I am sure there were times my young friends wore their traditional clothing to school. They may sound different with a different accent. Their culture differs from ours as well. However, their parents have the same desires for them that American parents have which is for them to have a better future than the parents had. For their parents to know that their children will go to college is so meaningful.
I had the opportunity to speak with the mother of one of the young people with the help of my friend He Wah. I was able to share the thought with her, on Mother’s Day, that her daughter has been able to do something many young American people have not, which is to earn a scholarship to college. I can’t help but wonder what thoughts she has after all of her years living in a refugee camp, to now know that her youngest daughter will go to college in America.
Mother’s Day with my Karen Friends
This is a picture of me with my friend Star Ee a loving Karen grandmother. I first met Star Ee in 2008 when I spent a lot of time with a new refugee group in Lincoln called the Karen who are from Burma. I first met a few in some ESL classes that I teach in the early Spring of 2008. I had a few women in my class who talked about their Karen meetings on Sundays. They invited me to come, so I joined them one Sunday afternoon and saw how new the Karen were to America. It was my privilege to spend my Sunday afternoons and many other times with them for several months in 2008. Their Sunday afternoon meetings were held in apartments since they were not yet fully connected with the church they have become a part of now which is First Baptist Church in Lincoln. During my months with them I heard their stories of the hardships they had overcome. Star Ee was one who caught my attention as I heard about how she looked after the children in the refugee camps. In many ways she is a mother and grandmother to many of the Karen people in Lincoln.
In this picture is Pa Saw whose family was one of the first ones to arrive in Lincoln. She was one of the first Karen people that I had the pleasure of meeting. I had three Karen women in my class. They asked me one day if I had children and I told them that I did not. The Friday before Father’s Day in 2008 they came to class and after class finished and the other students left, they each came up to me and placed a lei around my neck. They told me that I was a father for them because I helped them. It was a moment I will never forget.
The Karen people have a special place in my heart, so I wanted to spend my Mother’s Day afternoon watching their Mother’s Day program at First Baptist Church. It was a poignant afternoon as they blessed the grandmothers and three American women who have given of their time and hearts to the Karen people. There were several songs shared and readings shared. It was wonderful to watch as young people escorted the grandmothers to the stage to be seated for their blessings. They were escorted in while a young girl sang in Karen.
Towards the end of a song in Karen by two young men, children came in with leis to place around the necks of the grandmothers.
The grandmothers also received flowers and more leis from youth
I can’t even begin to imagine what these wonderful women have experienced and endured in their lives having fled their country to seek refuge in the camps in Thailand. It was a rich moment to see them be blessed by the young people in the church. Then their family members gave them flowers and gift bags. The other mothers seated in the church were also given flowers for Mother’s Day. I appreciate how they honor their elders. I look forward to going to their Father’s Day celebration in June.
How High Do We Want to Reach- One Karen Student Has Overcome Obstacles
This picture is a scene from a trip I took to Ensenada México last summer where we stayed at a Mountain Camp. I have also been in the mountains in Romania and in the Bavarian Mountains in Austria/Germany. Mountains can represent the heights we want to reach in life or obstacles to reaching our goals. Today I had an opportunity to talk with a Karen student who has overcome many obstacles on her path of learning English.
Her family was the first Karen family to be relocated from the refugee camp in Thailand to Lincoln in the summer of 2007. I met her in the Spring of 2008 when I began to do some work with the Karen community. She has provided leadership for their community since she first arrived by helping others with their adjustment to their new country. When I first met her, she spoke perhaps 20 words of English, but she did not let anything deter her from learning.
Along her path of learning the past few years she has had a major surgery, kept busy helping others in the Karen community, and continues to take care of her family. Today I watched her for a moment as she helped other women as they studied from a reading book together. Watching her study with the women showed me how far she has come from speaking few words in English. She is motivated by her desire to help her children and her community. She has overcome obstacles of fleeing her homeland, living in a refugee camp, coming to a new country, and being busy with her own family while helping other families. She probably won’t go to college or trade school, but she has accomplished a lot and reached a level of English she never thought she could
Students like her are a big reason why I pushed forward with my español class in February when I had bronchitis. It would have been easy to drop the class since I was sick and already had a busy schedule of teaching, but I wanted to be able to tell my students that I did not give up. Compared to what my Karen friend has been through one quarter of being sick is not such a big deal.
Frequently Asked Question by my Students- Teacher are you Married?
me in my Karen robe
One of the most frequently asked questions by my students, apart from questions about English, is – Teacher are you married? When I answer no, the next question is- Teacher do you have a girlfriend? Normally when I hear these questions it is because the next thing they want to say is along the lines of; I have a sister, I have a cousin, or I have a friend. Yesterday while I was beginning my class as a substitute to Karen students, some of the women asked me- Teacher are you married? and then Teacher do you have a girlfriend? I thought at first they were going to tell me they had a sister, cousin or friend they wanted me to meet.
I was wearing the Karen robe you see me in in the picture. After they asked me if I was married or had a girlfriend, one of them came up to me to show me I had my Karen robe on inside out and that I needed to fix it 
We had a good laugh and I realized their concern was perhaps that they think I need someone to take care of me.
It was a lighthearted moment that is a good sample of what my times with my Karen friends are like. They are a group that enjoys friendships, appreciate family, and have the ability to laugh at themselves and with each other as they learn more about their new culture. When I spend time with them, we have many humorous moments together, but we also get a lot done. I have been impressed by how motivated and well organized they are for a new refugee group new to Lincoln. Many of them quickly find work at local meat packing plants. I will never forget when I sat in on one of their committee meetings shortly after the first groups arrived. They were concerned about the lack of adequate food and supplies being provided for new arrivals of Karen and Burmese refugees, so they decided to pool their resources and to buy food for new arrivals.
It has been my pleasure to spend time with them again this week. I look forward to going to a Karen wedding this later this week too. I wonder if any of them will ask me the question about whether I am married at the wedding. If they do, I will wonder two things, 1- is my Karen robe on right, and 2- should I feel nervous lol.
Studying :), Shopping?, and Spending Time with my Asian Friends
Saturday was a fun filled day with my Asian friends. The fun began in the morning studying with my friends Phung and Khiet at my church. We also had lunch together with Tram and another friend at Mongolian Grille. Meeting with them is something I look forward to each week.
me with Phung and Khiet
While we were at Mongolian Grille they asked me if I wanted to go to the Mall. My first response was Why? My second response was What for? Malls are perhaps one of the most boring places to me. They said “ice cream”, so I joined them at the Mall for ice cream.
Linh with her ice cream
Tram and Pau Lu
Dat
For some reason which is mysterious to me, they enjoy going to the Mall. It is fun for them. Four of them had taken the ACT test that morning, so we took the afternoon off from reading group to allow for some relaxation. We went to Coldstone for ice cream and walked around a little. They went into stores I have never been in before. My idea of shopping for clothes is to go to Shopko, get what I need quickly, and get out. They enjoy stores that I had not heard of before. The fun for me was to see them enjoy themselves after a long week and a Saturday morning test.
Dat and Khiet
Next Saturday it will back to work with the books. They will have busy weeks at UNL or Lincoln High. We await the results of their ACT tests, so we know what to focus on to help them prepare for the next time. However, it was nice to see them have some fun even if it was at the Mall. The bonus was that I ate ice cream with my friends
Saturday Afternoons with my Friends- ACT Test Prep
The past several Saturday afternoons I have been meeting with some young people from Southeast Asia to help them study English and also go through practice ACT Test questions. Two of them, Linh and Tram, were part of a reading group I had in 2009. They are both from Vietnam. We have been joined by Dat from Vietnam and Pau Lu who is a Karen refugee from Burma. I have enjoyed meeting with them and look forward to meeting with them in the coming weeks and months to help them prepare for college.
Pau Lu and Tram
Dat
It is a blessing for me to be able to help them with their new lives in America. Their parents work hard and are new to America as well, so it is my privilege to help them with steps to take as they prepare for college. We talk about things like Financial Aid, what Freshmen classes are like, and preparing for UNL.We also have some fun and laugh. Sometimes we have some food or snacks to have a brief party before we study.
They are excellent students in high school and their grades would make any American parent proud. I am confident they will all have bright futures here. They parents sacrificed to come here to give them a chance for a better future. I am sure their parents must be proud of them because I know I am. I am proud of them not only for their schoolwork, but also for other things they do.
Tram’s mother is in Vietnam visiting family, so Tram is the family cook now. She cooks and takes care of the apartment. Dat is helping his parents look for a different apartment and is a driver for his parents. Pau Lu is busy helping her family and is active with the Karen church in Lincoln. Linh helps her parents go shopping and to the bank and translates for them.
I look forward to the day when they are all students at UNL and even more to when they graduate UNL. It is a blessing to be a small part of their preparation for that day.
Different Reactions to Seeing Snow for the First Time
We had a little snow here in Lincoln on Sunday and Monday. It was not the biggest snow I have ever experienced, but it was enough to close school for a few days for the children. It was interesting to find out the different reactions my students had to seeing snow for the first time in their lives.
my van before I cleaned it off
On Tuesday evenings I teach an ESL class which is for High Intermediate students. In the class I have a young woman from Vietnam who came here two months ago. I asked her what she thought of the snow and she told me she liked to look at it out the window but that it was too cold. I had a young man from Sudan ask me why we had class when it was so cold. I replied because the streets are clear now and we can wear coats. He was not convinced it was a good idea.
On Wednesday mornings I teach a Family Literacy class for parents with children in elementary school. I have a student from Iraq who when she was relocated as a refugee was brought to Arizona. She saw snow for the first time and when I asked her what she thought she said she likes Arizona weather better, but likes the safety of Lincoln.
On Wednesday evenings I teach a low intermediate class. I have a student from Thailand who said “I stayed inside it is too cold”. That is a normal reaction for many internationals who come from warm climates. One young woman from Brazil loved the snow. In fact she played in the snow by making snow angels and her husband made a video of her making snow angels. Another young woman from Brazil went outside to take pictures of the snow. They were both happy to hear we may have more this weekend. Two young women from Ukraine said it reminded them of home and they loved the snow.
There are numerous things that internationals whether refugees, immigrants or international students, need to adjust to when they come to America. Snow is one of the humorous aspects of their new lives, but there are also issues they do not understand such as dressing children warm to prevent frostbite or dressing in layers to stay warm. I am glad I can share the humorous aspects with them, but even more pleased that I am able to help them in their adjustment to America in small ways.
My Karen Friends from Burma- Warm Hearted People Who Have Suffered
I have had the privilege of getting to know several of the Karen people who have come to Lincoln over the past few years. It has been great fun to join them for special celebrations such as a wedding or a birthday party. I have also had the opportunity to hear their stories of life in Burma and in Thailand while living in the refugee camp.
Wah Wah, Htoo Wah and Nay Blu in my car
When I visit my Karen friends it makes me think of visiting the Shire in Lord of the Rings. Many of them are small, but their hearts are big and they are warm and friendly. Most of my Karen friends have a gentle nature about them. It is opposite of what one would expect from a group of people who have suffered as much as they have. The military dictatorship in Myanmar-Burma- has been trying to kill them off. When they lived in the refugee camp in Thailand they were not always safe either. Going outside of the camp meant possibly being harassed, beaten and robbed by the police. As a people group they have know suffering in a way that Americans cannot comprehend.
They are a lot of fun to be around and I always enjoy having them in my classes. Living here their greatest concern at times seems to be winter weather. They are concerned for their loved ones back in the refugee camp and whether they will be able to come here. If they had their wish, it would be to be able to go live in Burma in freedom and peace, but that is not possible, so they make the best out of their situation. When the snow comes, many of them stay in their apartments and come out only for work or shopping. I have one friend who could have been a college student by now, but when it snows she stops coming to English classes.
The only thing I can think of to be careful of when you spend time with the Karen people is the food. It is very spicy. If you do not like spicy food, then perhaps their food is not for you. If you love spicy food, Bon Appetit.
The Karen People- Star Ee a mother for many
Star Ee to the left at a Karen Wedding with 2 of her friends
I found out that as the Karen left their village that she looked out for the children as they crossed through the jungle into Thailand going to the refugee camp. In the camp she worked to make sure the children still received an education. Many of the Karen young adults say she is the mother for all Karen people in Lincoln. In the warm weather months she can be found every evening outside of their apartment buildings watching the children as they play. She also spends considerable time with the young Karen women mentoring them. When a new family comes, there is a good chance one of the first people they will meet is Star Ee.
Star Ee with one of the Karen children and some Karen women
I meet so many people who have been through considerable adversity in their lives. I meet a few along the way who in the face of adverse circumstances reach out to help others even while they themselves go through the same circumstances. Star Ee is one of those people who even though she went through great hardship, she reached out and continues to reach out to others. She reminds me of the saying that if you teach a woman to fish you will feed the entire village or at least all of the children.
Pah Noh Dee Helping His Fellow Karen/Burmese in Lincoln
Pah Noh Dee is a friend of mine that I met in the summer of 2008. He translated for me several times when I visited the Karen Sunday afternoon meetings that summer and early fall. He had a college degree before he came to America and has been putting it to good use to help his fellow Burmese living in Lincoln.
Pah Noh Dee at a recent Karen Wedding
The Burmese living in Lincoln are from diverse groups. The largest group in Lincoln are the Karen people. We also have ethnic Burmese, Tamal, Karenese living in Lincoln. Their religions are Christian, Buddhist and Muslim. The ones living in Lincoln are predominately Christian. Pah Noh Dee can help many of them because he speaks Karen, Burmese and English. He is always busy whether it is translating, taking people to apply for jobs, or meetings.
Pah Noh Dee at a Karen Sunday afternoon worship service
When new Burmese or Karen refugees come to Lincoln from the refugee camp in Thailand, Pah Noh Dee is one the people that helps them with their new life in America. He has taught people how to drive, taken them to get their Social Security Number, to Health and Human Services for assistance and numerous other ways. He lives in the apartment complex where many of his fellow Karen live. His door is open to them most of the time. I appreciate his commitment to his work.
About
I teach English Second Language and have a ministry for internationals at my home church First Evangelical Free church in Lincoln Nebraska. I have had the pleasure of traveling in Austria, Canada, England, France, Germany, Mexico, Romania and Switzerland. My hobby is to learn words and phrases from other languages. I have learned how to greet people in 30 languages.
My blog is about my experiences with international friends, my travels, and people I meet along the way. My international friends’ stories are fascinating to me. Experiencing other cultures makes life rich for me.
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