Meet the Karen People through the Eyes of SMS Students
by Mu HsiHsi and Say Paw
Have you ever heard about the Karen people (not Korean, but Karen )? No? Well here's your chance to learn a little more about the past and present of the Karens.
The Karen people were part of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel who were traced back to be the Levites, the same tribe Moses and his family. Unlike many of the other tribes, the Levites were not fighters, they were more religious and so they were farmers. They began their journey in Babylon and traveled all the way to Burma, but had many stops along the way. Of course the reason for their journey wasn't because they chose to run; they were forced out of Babylon (present day Iraq) and searched for a place to call home for a long time.
In 721 B.C, the Assyrians attacked and took over Babylon and banished the Jews after many persecutions. Some of these Jews (now known as the Karen People) ended up in Burma and claimed the land as their own.
During World War II, the Karen People fought alongside the Allies against Japan so they could free Japanese/Burmese occupation. In 1945 around June and July, the Karens fought against 50,000 Japanese in their jungles and killed about 12,500. They took down more Japanese than all the Allies put together.
After World War II ended, there was a small victory for The Karen People, but a new problem arrived for them. Because they helped win the war, they were persecuted and slaughtered for over 60 years by the Burmese Military Government. Thousands and thousands of Karen people faced so much pain and horror. The Burmese Military used rape and violence and torture to break them down, and it worked sometimes. It affects the way families lived and what they've done will always haunt us. Thousands of us fled our jungle villages and created 9 refugee camps on the Thailand side of the border between Burma and Thailand. Many of us lived there our whole life, and even in present day, there are still wars between The Karen People and the Burmese Military.
Moo Blue Soe, a soldier who fought in some of the battles against the Burmese Military, shared, "Burmese soldiers burned the Karen villages in Burma so we had to run to the Refugee camps in Thailand. I was a soldier but had to quit because my wife had kids and she wanted them to grow up with a dad. I became a doctor after that. My family and I moved to America in 2009, when I was 32. I like America because it has better education. "
Day Ber was another soldier who fought in some of the battle and his story is a little like Mr. Soe’s. " I was as soldier against my people's enemies, but I was also a farmer to provide for my family. I moved here when I was around 39 years old. We were worried for our children's safety so we moved to America. I feel very angry and I feel a lot of hatred toward the Burmese Soldiers. "
Now, some of the Karens have come to the United state as refugees, about 31 students are enrolled in Smyrna Middle School. We have asked some of the students at SMS about their experiences and some responses are very heartbreaking.
Muhsihsi, a female 7th grade student, has a very strong point of view about her people. “ I lived in Thailand for 5 years. My family and I moved here for freedom, education, and religious reasons. When I think about my people and what they are suffering through, I feel disgusted about the Burmese soldiers and I feel helpless and I hope it gets better. "
Aung, a male 7th grader says, "I moved her when I was 7 years old. We came to America to get away from wars and we needed better education. I feel angry when I think about how bad our people are being treated. "
Mu Eh Htoo also shares similar feelings. "I moved here when I was 8. We came for peace, and I feel angry because I can't help my own people."
But then there are some whose families don't talk about the wars. Asa Bee who is also a 7th grader is one of those. "I came here when I was 6, I don't know why we moved, my mom wanted to come, and I guess it was for education. I don't know about those things in Thailand, my mom never talks about it."
The Karens still celebrate their New Year, showing off their cultures and traditions. There is a traditional Doh Dance and bamboo dances; there are groups songs and a culture show (fashion show). At the end of the day, there are games played for prizes.
People are introduced to each other then someone who was chosen has to say a speech about Karen history. The speaker talks about where the Karens came from and to respect the culture. After the introduction and speech, the shows start.
The song comes first, sometimes sung by a group and sometimes it's solo, next comes the Bamboo dances which goes along with a different traditional song. Afterward there's the culture shows, which shows off the style of traditions of the Karens. Then finally the longest and the last dance is the Doh Dance. They are dressed in matching outfits and dance to a traditional routine. After the show is done, the eating begins.
Throughout history, the Karens have been pushed around, looked down to and killed, but their faith in God got them through. They fight to keep their place in history because their stories are forgotten, and now they're fighting to keep their home in Burma.
There are only a few of the local Karen who talks about what happened and how bad their people were treated. The rest of us keep to ourselves and rather not talk about it because it's too painful to share. What happened will always haunt Karen students; it leaves a mental scar that many ignore but it’s there and that's a fact. Even here in Smyrna, far away from it all, it still lingers. Everything that happened back then affects us. It affects me, a 13 year old who didn't even go through it, because I was only 3 when my family moved. But somehow it still has caught a hold of me, because it affected my family and sometimes I wonder if my family really is happy now. We strive for a better life here and we fight to forget the past; however, it seems to crawl up into our minds. What my people face, the terror and the traumatic things they've seen and experiences isn't something to boast about, but I wrote this article to tell the story of the Karen People and how we survived through it all. We survived through it with God and we are so thankful for it all. – Say Paw
by Mu HsiHsi and Say Paw
Have you ever heard about the Karen people (not Korean, but Karen )? No? Well here's your chance to learn a little more about the past and present of the Karens.
The Karen people were part of the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel who were traced back to be the Levites, the same tribe Moses and his family. Unlike many of the other tribes, the Levites were not fighters, they were more religious and so they were farmers. They began their journey in Babylon and traveled all the way to Burma, but had many stops along the way. Of course the reason for their journey wasn't because they chose to run; they were forced out of Babylon (present day Iraq) and searched for a place to call home for a long time.
In 721 B.C, the Assyrians attacked and took over Babylon and banished the Jews after many persecutions. Some of these Jews (now known as the Karen People) ended up in Burma and claimed the land as their own.
During World War II, the Karen People fought alongside the Allies against Japan so they could free Japanese/Burmese occupation. In 1945 around June and July, the Karens fought against 50,000 Japanese in their jungles and killed about 12,500. They took down more Japanese than all the Allies put together.
After World War II ended, there was a small victory for The Karen People, but a new problem arrived for them. Because they helped win the war, they were persecuted and slaughtered for over 60 years by the Burmese Military Government. Thousands and thousands of Karen people faced so much pain and horror. The Burmese Military used rape and violence and torture to break them down, and it worked sometimes. It affects the way families lived and what they've done will always haunt us. Thousands of us fled our jungle villages and created 9 refugee camps on the Thailand side of the border between Burma and Thailand. Many of us lived there our whole life, and even in present day, there are still wars between The Karen People and the Burmese Military.
Moo Blue Soe, a soldier who fought in some of the battles against the Burmese Military, shared, "Burmese soldiers burned the Karen villages in Burma so we had to run to the Refugee camps in Thailand. I was a soldier but had to quit because my wife had kids and she wanted them to grow up with a dad. I became a doctor after that. My family and I moved to America in 2009, when I was 32. I like America because it has better education. "
Day Ber was another soldier who fought in some of the battle and his story is a little like Mr. Soe’s. " I was as soldier against my people's enemies, but I was also a farmer to provide for my family. I moved here when I was around 39 years old. We were worried for our children's safety so we moved to America. I feel very angry and I feel a lot of hatred toward the Burmese Soldiers. "
Now, some of the Karens have come to the United state as refugees, about 31 students are enrolled in Smyrna Middle School. We have asked some of the students at SMS about their experiences and some responses are very heartbreaking.
Muhsihsi, a female 7th grade student, has a very strong point of view about her people. “ I lived in Thailand for 5 years. My family and I moved here for freedom, education, and religious reasons. When I think about my people and what they are suffering through, I feel disgusted about the Burmese soldiers and I feel helpless and I hope it gets better. "
Aung, a male 7th grader says, "I moved her when I was 7 years old. We came to America to get away from wars and we needed better education. I feel angry when I think about how bad our people are being treated. "
Mu Eh Htoo also shares similar feelings. "I moved here when I was 8. We came for peace, and I feel angry because I can't help my own people."
But then there are some whose families don't talk about the wars. Asa Bee who is also a 7th grader is one of those. "I came here when I was 6, I don't know why we moved, my mom wanted to come, and I guess it was for education. I don't know about those things in Thailand, my mom never talks about it."
The Karens still celebrate their New Year, showing off their cultures and traditions. There is a traditional Doh Dance and bamboo dances; there are groups songs and a culture show (fashion show). At the end of the day, there are games played for prizes.
People are introduced to each other then someone who was chosen has to say a speech about Karen history. The speaker talks about where the Karens came from and to respect the culture. After the introduction and speech, the shows start.
The song comes first, sometimes sung by a group and sometimes it's solo, next comes the Bamboo dances which goes along with a different traditional song. Afterward there's the culture shows, which shows off the style of traditions of the Karens. Then finally the longest and the last dance is the Doh Dance. They are dressed in matching outfits and dance to a traditional routine. After the show is done, the eating begins.
Throughout history, the Karens have been pushed around, looked down to and killed, but their faith in God got them through. They fight to keep their place in history because their stories are forgotten, and now they're fighting to keep their home in Burma.
There are only a few of the local Karen who talks about what happened and how bad their people were treated. The rest of us keep to ourselves and rather not talk about it because it's too painful to share. What happened will always haunt Karen students; it leaves a mental scar that many ignore but it’s there and that's a fact. Even here in Smyrna, far away from it all, it still lingers. Everything that happened back then affects us. It affects me, a 13 year old who didn't even go through it, because I was only 3 when my family moved. But somehow it still has caught a hold of me, because it affected my family and sometimes I wonder if my family really is happy now. We strive for a better life here and we fight to forget the past; however, it seems to crawl up into our minds. What my people face, the terror and the traumatic things they've seen and experiences isn't something to boast about, but I wrote this article to tell the story of the Karen People and how we survived through it all. We survived through it with God and we are so thankful for it all. – Say Paw