Burmese immigrants
Burmese immigrants to the United States represent a diverse group that has predominantly arrived as refugees, particularly since the military coup in Myanmar in 1962 under Ne Win, which sparked significant political turmoil and oppression. This immigrant community is composed of various ethnic groups, including the Burmans, Mon, Rakhine, Shan, Chin, Kachin, Karen, and Wa, each with distinct cultural identities shaped by the country’s complex history. The majority have settled in major urban centers like Minneapolis, Indianapolis, and Chicago, where they often establish tight-knit communities, particularly among the Rohingya, a Muslim minority group from Rakhine State. This group, along with other Burmese, has faced challenges due to limited educational opportunities prior to their arrival, with many refugee children experiencing life in camps before resettlement.
Despite their relatively small numbers—around 322,000 Burmese Americans in 2023—the community has demonstrated a strong work ethic and a desire to integrate into American society. However, they grapple with cultural networking limitations, as few outsiders speak Burmese and resources in the language are scarce. The historical context of colonialism, civil unrest, and recent military control in Myanmar continues to influence the identity and experiences of Burmese immigrants in the U.S., especially as they remain concerned about the ongoing political situation in their homeland following the military coup in 2021.
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Burmese immigrants
SIGNIFICANCE: Burmese immigrants are relatively recent arrivals to the United States (US). Most immigrated after Ne Win seized power in Myanmar in 1962. With eight major ethnic groups, Burmese nationals are diverse in culture, education, and religion. They have suffered under an oppressive government regime, and most of those who have immigrated to the US have come as refugees. During the year 2008, Burmese immigrants made up nearly 30 percent of all refugees who entered the US. From 2010 to 2020, Burmese refugees, officially referred to as refugees from Myanmar, made up 21 percent of all refugees to the US. In 2023, refugees from Myanmar remained among the top three origin groups of refugees arriving in the US. Although the country’s government officially changed the nation’s name to Myanmar from Burma in 1989, the US government continues to use the titles interchangeably, and the name change itself is indicative of the ongoing chaotic political situation in the country.
Burmese have made up only a small portion of the Asians who have immigrated to the US, and an overwhelming majority of them have come as refugees. Their homeland, called Myanmar by some since 1989, is approximately the size of Texas, with the Himalayas along its northern and western borders and the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal to the south. This geography influenced the development of eight major ethnic groups. During the age of European imperialism, Great Britain fought to colonize the region and came to power there in 1885. The British had a significant impact on the Burmese. The groups who lived in the country’s great valley region—Burmans, Mon, Rakhine, and Shan—lived under a British civil system. The ethnic minorities who lived in the mountains—Chin, Kachin, Karen, and Wa—maintained their traditional tribal systems, in which local chieftains retained their authority. This distinction in government systems fostered a gap between the country’s ethnic groups, as the valley peoples had opportunities for modern education and Western customs. In contrast, the mountain peoples had limited educational opportunities and resources. The people in urban centers practiced Theravada Buddhism, while Christian missionaries served in rural areas and converted many Buddhists and animists to Christianity.
During the 1940s, an independence movement arose in colonial Burma under the leadership of Aung San. He wished to unify the ethnic groups but was assassinated in 1947. In January 1948, Burma achieved its independence but remained in civil unrest for many years. In 1962, Ne Win seized power. Ruling by military force, he imposed a socialist government. He destroyed many rural villages and suppressed ethnic minorities.
Many Burmese who opposed the new regime began immigrating to the US. This movement started slowly, with approximately 10,000 Burmese arriving in the US before 1980. Burmese immigration accelerated during the last two decades of the twentieth century. However, after the terrorist attacks on the US on September 11, 2001, the numbers fell as the US government tightened on immigrants from Myanmar, whose government was regarded as a terrorism threat. It was not until 2006 that more immigrants began arriving from the region.
Burmese in the United States
Most Burmese immigrants have come to the US as refugees. Many lived in refugee camps on the border with Thailand for significant periods before moving on to the US. The immigrants have tended to settle in major metropolitan areas such as Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Dallas, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Washington, DC. Milwaukee, Wisconsin contains one of the largest Rohingya refugee communities. The Rohingya are a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority group from Rakhine State in Myanmar, as well as other neighboring nations. Chicago, Illinois, and Fort Wayne and Indianapolis, Indiana also contain large communities of refugees from Myanmar. Many refugee children have arrived in the US with no experience of living anywhere other than in the camps and have limited education. In contrast, members of the older generations have been comparatively well-educated; approximately three-quarters of them at least have the equivalent of high school diplomas. They have a strong work ethic and are eager to gain employment.
According to the Burmese American Community Institute, about 322,000 people of Burmese descent lived in the US in 2023. Because of their relatively small numbers, they have had limited opportunities for cultural networking. Few people outside their group speak Burmese, and the demand for publications in Burmese is limited. Moreover, individual Burmese tend to identify themselves primarily as members of their ethnic group rather than as Burmese or Myanmar nationals. Those of Burmese descent living in the US, however, were united as they watched with concern when a military coup toppled the quasi-democratic government of Myanmar in February 2021. The future of Myanmar remains uncertain as the country has been under the control of a military junta known as the State Administration Council since the coup, with the former government operating in exile as the National Unity Government.
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