Rohingya/Burmese
Name and Language
Language Names
Burmese and Rohingyan are both languages spoken by refugees. While the Rohingya language is spoken by the Rohingya people primarily, Burmese is a more neutral language since it is a common second language for most. Myanmar has over 100 languages spoken, so though Burmese can be seen as a negative by many, it does sometimes aid in understanding. Karen refugees, another ethnic group that is becoming increasingly present in Wisconsin, have their languages based off the Burmese alphabet. Education usually is provided in Burmese.
Learn More: https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-languages-are-spoken-in-myanmar-burma.html
Country Names
Burma vs Myanmar is another terminology question that often causes confusion. It is a nuanced discussion, but in general, Burma is the name used by the US government in official publications, but it is considered antiquated and less inclusive. Myanmar is a newer term and is what the UN/President Obama use. I have decided to use the term Myanmar, however note that much of the data I am drawing from comes from the US government, and thus Burma is utilized.
Another explanation: https://apnews.com/article/myanmar-burma-different-names-explained-8af64e33cf89c565b074eec9cbe22b72
“For generations, the country was called Burma, after the dominant Burman ethnic group. But in 1989, one year after the ruling junta brutally suppressed a pro-democracy uprising, military leaders suddenly changed its name to Myanmar. […] it said it was discarding a name handed down from its colonial past and to foster ethnic unity. The old name, officials said, excluded the country’s many ethnic minorities. At home, though, it changed nothing. In the Burmese language, “Myanmar” is simply the more formal version of “Burma.” The country’s name was changed only in English.
Unlike most of the world, the U.S. government still officially uses “Burma.” But even Washington has mellowed its stance. In 2012, during a visit to the country, then-President Barack Obama used both “Burma” and “Myanmar.” An adviser to Myanmar’s president called that “very positive” and said it was an “acknowledgement of Myanmar’s government.” Washington’s response to the coup seemed designed to highlight old criticisms, with both Secretary of State Antony Blinken and President Joe Biden pointedly avoiding the country’s legal name. […] Most other countries, though, continued to call it Myanmar.”
Another take: https://www.wiscontext.org/burmas-complex-crisis-fuels-refugee-resettlement-wisconsin
“The British called it Burma, and initially treated the country as part of India. It was still called Burma after independence, until the military government changed the country's name to Myanmar in 1989. This regime has argued that the name "Myanmar" is more inclusive of ethnic minorities, an argument The Economist dismissed. It's also an ironic position given the government's many atrocities against ethnic minorities.”
Size and Distribution
Refugees from Myanmar (Burma) made up over 1/3 of refugee admissions to Wisconsin in 2019.
The Milwaukee area is the center of the Rohingya/Karen population in the state. Oshkosh and Sheboygan each are home to ~150-200 themselves.
Note that 2020 is not included here, but due to Covid especially, those numbers were quite low. Despite being the largest refugee group at present coming into the state, most people do not know much about their persecution or reasons for seeking refuge.
Learn Rohingya Words and Phrases!
Uwalaikum asalaam — Hello
Šukria — Thank you
Learn Burmese Words and Phrases!
မင်္ဂလာပါll (ming-gah-lah-bahr) — Hello
ကျေးဇူးတင်ပါတယ် (chay-tzoo-tin-bah-teh) — Thank you
History
These images and stories can be disturbing. Please take this into account before deciding to watch. The video above from BRCW provides a more factual overview that avoids some of the more brutal imagery.
Overview
“Since the nation gained independence from the British Empire in 1948, these divisions have exploded into multiple civil wars and genocidal campaigns under a military junta controlled by the majority ethnic group, known simply as Burmans.”
“In Rakhine State, along the Bay of Bengal, the nation's Buddhist majority is waging a campaign of persecution against a largely Muslim group known as the Rohingya people. Despite the Rohingya's long history in the country, the government treats these people as illegal immigrants and does not include them among the country's recognized ethnic groups. Like the Hmong, they're essentially a stateless people.”
The Karen people are a more recent group of arrivals to Wisconsin. “The Karen people, from an eastern part of the country bordering Thailand, have engaged in armed resistance against the government, which regularly sends military patrols to destroy villages, rape women, kill civilians and conscript people into forced labor. Thousands of Karen live in refugee camps just over the Thai border, and still more are internally displaced within Burma — perpetually on the run from the military and barely surviving in the jungle.”
“The majority of Burmese refugees in Wisconsin are Karen, but some are Rohingya and others belong to another persecuted minority, the Chin people…”
Image Source: https://www.mcw.edu/-/media/MCW/Departments/Office-of-Global-Health/Refugee-Resettlement-Presentation.pdf?la=en
2017
“In August 2017, a deadly crackdown by Myanmar's army on Rohingya Muslims sent hundreds of thousands fleeing across the border into Bangladesh.”
“At least 6,700 Rohingya, including at least 730 children under the age of five, were killed in the month after the violence broke out…” At least 288 villages were destroyed.
“…Burmese living in Milwaukee protested the genocide in their country. “For many of the protesters on Wisconsin Avenue on September 15, it was the first time they have had the opportunity to organize and participate in a rally. A public demonstration of this type in Myanmar would have lead to imprisonment, or even death.”"
Image and Information Source: https://www.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=cb09d24f4caf4a8e921039028329f21c
Present — In Myanmar
Are things getting better or just getting a bandaid? “Observers fear that the reforms Burma has undertaken might change the country enough to attract more foreign investment and tourism — and enrich the powers that be — but not enough to stop the government's ethnically and religiously targeted killing and persecution.”
People think that the 2010 release of an opposition leader will lead to people forgetting about the nation and the people — they will see the leader in and assume everything is fixed. However, “The country's leader Aung San Suu Kyi, once a human rights icon, has repeatedly denied allegations of genocide.”
“…fears that the international community is letting the Burmese government off easy. The United States has eased sanctions on Burma, as has the European Union, and NGOs have been losing funding for refugee camps inside the Thai border.”
“…the Rohingya "has never been a radicalised population, and the majority of the community, its elders and religious leaders have previously eschewed violence as counterproductive. The fact that more people are now embracing violence reflects deep policy failures over many years rather than any sort of inevitability."' Many say the government has reached full-blown genocide.
“President Joe Biden said he was ordering new sanctions against Myanmar's military regime and that more measures were to come. He said the sanctions would prevent Myanmar's generals from accessing $1 billion in Burmese funds being held in the U.S.”
“Kutupalong, the largest refugee settlement in the world according to UNHCR, is home to more than 600,000 refugees alone.”
Information Source: https://www.wiscontext.org/burmas-complex-crisis-fuels-refugee-resettlement-wisconsin
Image Credit: https://www.myanmar-now.org/en/news/myanmar-yesterday-today-and-a-new-tomorrow
Present — In Wisconsin
“On Feb. 6 [2021], more than 100 people, many of them Burmese refugees, lined the sidewalk on the western edge of Mitchell Park in Milwaukee. They chanted "Burma, Burma, free, free" and held signs with Suu Kyi’s picture saying, "We stand with our leader."
“Does that mean Milwaukee has the largest Rohingya community in the U.S.? The answer is, most likely, yes. A State Department official did not provide exact numbers but told WUWM that of about 8,000 Rohingya refugees settled in the US since 2005 — the highest number were placed in Milwaukee.”
Groups within the community working to provide aid include:
Image Credit: https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/2021/02/13/myanmar-refugees-milwaukee-fear-safety-their-loved-ones/4441153001/
Education
Prior to the United States
“Tens of thousands of Karen refugees have been living in refugee camps long-term, and some of those camps have existed for more than 30 years. The camps are just across Burma's border with Thailand, where these refugees can't safely go home but also can't legally get jobs. Some Karen people were born, grew up, and started families of their own in the camps, so they have a particularly hard time starting new lives in America, because they've had so little chance to get an education, gain work experience or access proper health care.”
In Wisconsin
Difficulty speaking English is consistenly cited as the most difficult barrier to overcome for refugees. And, it is the students that are learning faster than the adults, meaning they are often put in positions of being translators. “…many Rohingya refugees need more support than they receive when they are resettled here. He [Andrew Trumball] says the language barrier prevents the immigrants from taking full advantage of the opportunities in Milwaukee.”
“Parent engagement can be especially difficult. Refugee parents often speak little or no English and struggle to navigate the American educational system. That can be particularly challenging for the Rohingya, who have no written language. MPS teachers and administrators use a language translation service to communicate with parents. The district translates notices to parents into multiple languages, even for the Rohingya using a phonetic-based script developed by a refugee in England known as "Rohingyalish." "But I've not met a single Rohingya parent who can read it," said Sedivy, UWM lecturer.”’
MPS Burmese-Language Page: https://mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/my/
MPS Karen-Language Page: https://mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/ka/
Burmese Immersion Project
“SEA Literacy began when Bob, a landlord, noticed his refugee tenants were largely isolated from the larger Milwaukee community, the children’s school grades were woefully inadequate, and their English proficiency was not progressing. Captivated by the Burmese families’ humble, grateful nature and their indomitable spirit, Bob was compelled to help.
We primarily focus on assisting students with homework, ESL (English as a second language) activities, and developing social skills.
We began as a handful of individuals helping a group of 10 refugee kids with their homework and giving impromptu English lessons. Today, SEA Literacy serves around 80 active students with homework help, advanced tutoring, and whole-language based ESL projects.”
Image Credit: https://www.sealmke.org/about
Read More:
https://urbanmilwaukee.com/2015/03/27/we-serve-burmese-immigrants/
https://milwaukeenns.org/2015/03/25/burmese-immersion-project-makes-new-home-at-neighborhood-house/
https://mediamilwaukee.com/culture/new-land-new-life-burma-refugees-settle-milwaukee
International Newcomer Center - MPS
“Milwaukee Public Schools offers a newcomer program designed for recent refugee and immigrant students with limited English-language proficiency. The program provides instruction to students in grades 5–8.”
“Housed inside MPS' Milwaukee Academy of Chinese Language, or MACL, the program marries subject content material — math, reading, science — with English as a second language in small classes taught by teachers certified in both.”
“Today, there are about 9,400 English language learners in the district, about 1,800 of them refugees who have been in the country less than five years.”
Learn More: https://mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/en/Programs/International-Newcomer-Center.htm
Additional Sources and Further Reading
Refugee Resettlement in Wisconsin, By the Numbers
Changes needed to help refugees in Wisconsin access higher education
https://dcf.wisconsin.gov/refugee/statistics-population
http://www.culturalorientation.net/learning/populations/burmese
Federal Policy, Pandemic Intensify a Slowdown of Refugee Resettlement in Wisconsin
https://mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us/my/
How Rohingya Refugee Children Are Torn Between Languages
A novel approach to reach Rohingya refugees: Speak Rohingya
Local Rohingya Refugees Struggle During Coronavirus Ramadan
Local Rohingya Muslims Plead for Help to Stop Myanmar Genocide
Myanmar Rohingya: What you need to know about the crisis
A New Land, New Life: Burma Refugees Settle in Milwaukee
Milwaukeee Likely Has Largest Rohingya Population in the US
Myanmar refugees in Milwaukee demand action to reverse military coup, fear for loved ones
HOW TWO MIDWEST CITIES ARE HANDLING ROHINGYA RESETTLEMENT
https://uwm.edu/news/invisible-newcomers-revealed-in-research-on-refugees/