Burmese American
Encyclopedia
Burmese Americans are Americans
of Burmese descent. The term encompasses people of all ethnic backgrounds with ancestry in the present-day Myanmar
(formerly Burma). Burmese Americans are a subgroup of Asian Americans. The majority of Burmese Americans are of Chinese descent
.
(now Bucknell University) in Pennsylvania. He graduated with a medical degree
in 1867 and returned the following year.
The first major wave of immigration from Myanmar occurred in the 1960s, after Ne Win
established military rule in 1962, to the late 1970s. Most who immigrated were primarily those with Chinese
origins, who arrived in increasing numbers following the 1967 anti-Chinese riots. The Burmese Chinese were the first major group of Theravada Buddhists to immigrate to the United States and were largely educated professionals, business entrepreneurs and technically skilled workers. A minority were of Anglo-Burmese and Indian
descent. Some of the Burmese immigrated to the United States after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 abolished the previously existing quota on Asian immigrants. A second wave occurred during the 1980s to the early 1990s after the national uprising
in 1988. This wave consisted of many different ethnic groups, including Bamar
s, Karens, and those from other ethnic minorities, particularly in search of better opportunities. Among this wave are political refugees numbering few thousand, who were involved in the 8888 Uprising and are concentrated in Fort Wayne, Indiana
, living as illegal immigrants. From 1977 to 2000, 25,229 Burmese immigrated to the United States, although the figure is inaccurate because it does not include Burmese who immigrated via other channels or through other third countries. A third wave of immigration, from 2006 to date, has been primarily of ethnic minorities in Myanmar, in particular Karen
refugees from the Thai-Burmese border. From October 2006 to August 2007, 12,800 Karen refugees resettled in the United States.
The Burmese in far smaller numbers continue to immigrate to the United States today mainly through family sponsorships and the "green card lottery". Thousands of Burmese each year apply to a Diversity Visa Program (previously known as "OP" and now called "DV"), a lottery-based program that grants random visas to people wishing to reside in the United States.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 16,720 persons of Burmese descent resided in the United States. That number is estimated to have risen to at least 50,000 today because of the large number of Burmese people seeking political asylum. The actual number, however, may be even larger. (Note that a significant number of Burmese Chinese and Burmese Indians who immigrated to the United States for socio-economic factors tend to identify themselves as Chinese
or South Asian rather than Burmese. Additionally, the Anglo-Burmese and Anglo-Indian
s from Burma, mostly now settled in Southern California and Georgia, usually classify themselves as 'other' for racial purposes.)
After the 2010 United States Census, because of increases in the Burmese American population, they are no longer ambiguously categorized as "Other Asian," but in a separate category. Leading up to the Census, a campaign was undertaken by the Burmese Complete Count Committee, led by Burmese American organizations, to convince Burmese Americans to self-identify as "Burmese" on their census forms.
, San Francisco
Bay Area, New York City
, and Washington D.C. Other areas of significance include Fort Wayne, Indiana
, where many Burmese refugees have resided, Chicago
, San Diego and Florida
.
and Rakhine
monasteries serve their respective ethnic populations. Burmese Christian churches consisting mainly of ethnic Karen
, Chin
, Kachin
, and Anglo-Burmese
congregations can also be found in large metropolitan areas.
English
is the primary language for most Burmese Americans, albeit with varying levels of fluency depending on the level of education and the years lived in the country. Burmese
is still widely spoken or understood as most Burmese Americans are recent immigrants or first generation children of those immigrants. Still, the command of spoken Burmese among the American-born Burmese is basic to poor, and that of written Burmese is close to none. Some older Burmese of Chinese origin speak some Chinese (typically, Mandarin
, Minnan, or Cantonese
); likewise some of South-Asian origin speak some Indic language (usually Hindi
/Urdu
).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
of Burmese descent. The term encompasses people of all ethnic backgrounds with ancestry in the present-day Myanmar
Myanmar
Burma , officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar , is a country in Southeast Asia. Burma is bordered by China on the northeast, Laos on the east, Thailand on the southeast, Bangladesh on the west, India on the northwest, the Bay of Bengal to the southwest, and the Andaman Sea on the south....
(formerly Burma). Burmese Americans are a subgroup of Asian Americans. The majority of Burmese Americans are of Chinese descent
Burmese Chinese
The Burmese Chinese or Chinese Burmese are a group of overseas Chinese born or raised in Burma . Although the Chinese officially make up three percent of the population, the actual figure is believed to be much higher...
.
History in the United States
The first Burmese to study in the United States was Maung Shaw Loo, who came in 1858 to study at the University at LewisburgBucknell University
Bucknell University is a private liberal arts university located alongside the West Branch Susquehanna River in the rolling countryside of Central Pennsylvania in the town of Lewisburg, 30 miles southeast of Williamsport and 60 miles north of Harrisburg. The university consists of the College of...
(now Bucknell University) in Pennsylvania. He graduated with a medical degree
Medical degree
A medical degree is, broadly defined, any academic degree which places its holder in a position to engage in the practice of medicine. BBC has reported that Medicine related degree programs such as MBBS, BDS and PharmD are the most difficult degree programs of all the other Bachelor degree programs...
in 1867 and returned the following year.
The first major wave of immigration from Myanmar occurred in the 1960s, after Ne Win
Ne Win
Ne Win was Burmese a politician and military commander. He was Prime Minister of Burma from 1958 to 1960 and 1962 to 1974 and also head of state from 1962 to 1981...
established military rule in 1962, to the late 1970s. Most who immigrated were primarily those with Chinese
Burmese Chinese
The Burmese Chinese or Chinese Burmese are a group of overseas Chinese born or raised in Burma . Although the Chinese officially make up three percent of the population, the actual figure is believed to be much higher...
origins, who arrived in increasing numbers following the 1967 anti-Chinese riots. The Burmese Chinese were the first major group of Theravada Buddhists to immigrate to the United States and were largely educated professionals, business entrepreneurs and technically skilled workers. A minority were of Anglo-Burmese and Indian
Burmese Indians
Burmese Indians are a group of people of Indian subcontinental ethnicity who live in Myanmar . While Indians have lived in Burma for many centuries, most of the ancestors of the current Burmese Indian community emigrated to Burma from the start of British rule in the mid 19th century to the...
descent. Some of the Burmese immigrated to the United States after the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 abolished the previously existing quota on Asian immigrants. A second wave occurred during the 1980s to the early 1990s after the national uprising
8888 Uprising
The 8888 Nationwide Popular Pro-Democracy Protests was a series of marches, demonstrations, protests, and riots in the Socialist Republic of the Union of Burma...
in 1988. This wave consisted of many different ethnic groups, including Bamar
Bamar
The Bamar are the dominant ethnic group of Burma , constituting approximately two-thirds of the population. The Bamar live primarily in the Irrawaddy basin, and speak the Burmese language, which is also the official language of Burma. Bamar customs and identity are closely intertwined with general...
s, Karens, and those from other ethnic minorities, particularly in search of better opportunities. Among this wave are political refugees numbering few thousand, who were involved in the 8888 Uprising and are concentrated in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
, living as illegal immigrants. From 1977 to 2000, 25,229 Burmese immigrated to the United States, although the figure is inaccurate because it does not include Burmese who immigrated via other channels or through other third countries. A third wave of immigration, from 2006 to date, has been primarily of ethnic minorities in Myanmar, in particular Karen
Karen people
The Karen or Kayin people , are a Sino-Tibetan language speaking ethnic group which resides primarily in southern and southeastern Burma . The Karen make up approximately 7 percent of the total Burmese population of approximately 50 million people...
refugees from the Thai-Burmese border. From October 2006 to August 2007, 12,800 Karen refugees resettled in the United States.
The Burmese in far smaller numbers continue to immigrate to the United States today mainly through family sponsorships and the "green card lottery". Thousands of Burmese each year apply to a Diversity Visa Program (previously known as "OP" and now called "DV"), a lottery-based program that grants random visas to people wishing to reside in the United States.
According to the 2000 U.S. Census, 16,720 persons of Burmese descent resided in the United States. That number is estimated to have risen to at least 50,000 today because of the large number of Burmese people seeking political asylum. The actual number, however, may be even larger. (Note that a significant number of Burmese Chinese and Burmese Indians who immigrated to the United States for socio-economic factors tend to identify themselves as Chinese
Han Chinese
Han Chinese are an ethnic group native to China and are the largest single ethnic group in the world.Han Chinese constitute about 92% of the population of the People's Republic of China , 98% of the population of the Republic of China , 78% of the population of Singapore, and about 20% of the...
or South Asian rather than Burmese. Additionally, the Anglo-Burmese and Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indian
Anglo-Indians are people who have mixed Indian and British ancestry, or people of British descent born or living in India, now mainly historical in the latter sense. British residents in India used the term "Eurasians" for people of mixed European and Indian descent...
s from Burma, mostly now settled in Southern California and Georgia, usually classify themselves as 'other' for racial purposes.)
After the 2010 United States Census, because of increases in the Burmese American population, they are no longer ambiguously categorized as "Other Asian," but in a separate category. Leading up to the Census, a campaign was undertaken by the Burmese Complete Count Committee, led by Burmese American organizations, to convince Burmese Americans to self-identify as "Burmese" on their census forms.
Communities
Most Burmese Americans live in metropolitan areas with large immigrant populations. The Big Four metropolitan areas with sizable Burmese populations are Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, San Francisco
San Francisco, California
San Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
Bay Area, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, and Washington D.C. Other areas of significance include Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
, where many Burmese refugees have resided, Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, San Diego and Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
- Los AngelesLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
— San Gabriel ValleySan Gabriel ValleyThe San Gabriel Valley is one of the principal valleys of Southern California, United States. It lies to the east of Los Angeles, to the north of the Puente Hills, to the south of the San Gabriel Mountains, and west of the Inland Empire. It derives its name from the San Gabriel River that flows...
, especially San GabrielSan GabrielSan Gabriel may mean:Ecuador*San Gabriel, EcuadorGuatemala*San Gabriel, SuchitepéquezMexico*San Gabriel, Durango*San Gabriel, Guanajuato*San Gabriel, Jalisco*San Gabriel Chilac, Puebla*San Gabriel Mixtepec, OaxacaPhilippines*San Gabriel, La Union...
and Rosemead - Bay Area — Daly CityDaly City, CaliforniaDaly City is the largest city in San Mateo County, California, United States, with a 2010 population of 101,123. Located immediately south of San Francisco, it is named in honor of businessman and landowner John Daly.-History:...
, FremontFremont, CaliforniaFremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...
, San FranciscoSan Francisco, CaliforniaSan Francisco , officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the financial, cultural, and transportation center of the San Francisco Bay Area, a region of 7.15 million people which includes San Jose and Oakland...
, and San JoseSan Jose, CaliforniaSan Jose is the third-largest city in California, the tenth-largest in the U.S., and the county seat of Santa Clara County which is located at the southern end of San Francisco Bay... - New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
— QueensQueensQueens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
, BrooklynBrooklynBrooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, and Northern New Jersey - Washington D.C. — Northern VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
and MarylandMarylandMaryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east... - Fort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne, IndianaFort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
- ChicagoChicagoChicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
Culture
As most Burmese are Buddhists, many Burmese Buddhist monasteries, most of which also serve as community centers, have sprouted across most major cities in the United States. A few ethnic MonMon people
The Mon are an ethnic group from Burma , living mostly in Mon State, Bago Division, the Irrawaddy Delta, and along the southern Thai–Burmese border. One of the earliest peoples to reside in Southeast Asia, the Mon were responsible for the spread of Theravada Buddhism in Burma and Thailand...
and Rakhine
Rakhine people
The Rakhine , is a nationality in Myanmar forming the majority along the coastal region of present day Rakhine State or Arakan State. They possibly constitute 5.53% or more of Myanmar's total population but no accurate census figures exist. Rakhine people also live in the southeastern parts of...
monasteries serve their respective ethnic populations. Burmese Christian churches consisting mainly of ethnic Karen
Karen people
The Karen or Kayin people , are a Sino-Tibetan language speaking ethnic group which resides primarily in southern and southeastern Burma . The Karen make up approximately 7 percent of the total Burmese population of approximately 50 million people...
, Chin
Chin people
The Chin , known as the Kuki in Assam, are one of the ethnic groups in Burma. The Chins are found mainly in western part of Burma and numbered circa 1.5 million. They also live in nearby Indian states of Nagaland, Mizoram and Manipur and Assam. Owing to Mizo influence and Baptist missionaries'...
, Kachin
Kachin people
The Kachin people are a group of ethnic groups who largely inhabit the Kachin Hills in northern Burma's Kachin State and neighbouring areas of China and India. More than half of the Kachin people identify themselves as Christians - while a significant minority follow Buddhism and some also adhere...
, and Anglo-Burmese
Anglo-Burmese
The Anglo-Burmese, also known as the Anglo-Burmans, are a community of Eurasians of Burmese and European descent, and emerged as a distinct community through mixed relations between the British and other European settlers and the indigenous peoples of Burma from 1826 until 1948 when Burma gained...
congregations can also be found in large metropolitan areas.
English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
is the primary language for most Burmese Americans, albeit with varying levels of fluency depending on the level of education and the years lived in the country. Burmese
Burmese language
The Burmese language is the official language of Burma. Although the constitution officially recognizes it as the Myanmar language, most English speakers continue to refer to the language as Burmese. Burmese is the native language of the Bamar and related sub-ethnic groups of the Bamar, as well as...
is still widely spoken or understood as most Burmese Americans are recent immigrants or first generation children of those immigrants. Still, the command of spoken Burmese among the American-born Burmese is basic to poor, and that of written Burmese is close to none. Some older Burmese of Chinese origin speak some Chinese (typically, Mandarin
Standard Mandarin
Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Chinese, also known as Mandarin or Putonghua, is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Republic of China , and is one of the four official languages of Singapore....
, Minnan, or Cantonese
Standard Cantonese
Cantonese, or Standard Cantonese, is a language that originated in the vicinity of Canton in southern China, and is often regarded as the prestige dialect of Yue Chinese....
); likewise some of South-Asian origin speak some Indic language (usually Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
/Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
).
Notable Burmese Americans
- Aung San OoAung San OoAung San Oo is the elder brother of Burmese democracy champion and Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi; the two are the only surviving children of Burmese independence leader Aung San. Aung San Oo is an engineer...
: brother of Aung San Suu KyiAung San Suu KyiAung San Suu Kyi, AC is a Burmese opposition politician and the General Secretary of the National League for Democracy. In the 1990 general election, her National League for Democracy party won 59% of the national votes and 81% of the seats in Parliament. She had, however, already been detained... - Michael Aung-Thwin: historian on Burma
- Rich ChoRich ChoRichard "Rich" Cho is the general manager of the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association. Prior to the Bobcats, Cho was the general manager of the Portland Trail Blazers and the assistant general manager of the Oklahoma City Thunder...
: Sports executive - Edward Michael Law-Yone: journalist
- Wendy Law-YoneWendy Law-YoneWendy Law-Yone, , is a critically acclaimed Burmese American author of novels and short stories. Though she did not settle in the United States until she was an adult, she is identified as an Asian American writer. Her novels, The Coffin Tree and Irrawaddy Tango , were critically well received,...
: writer - May SweetMay SweetMay Sweet is a Burmese singer and actress, and considered one of the most commercially successful female singers in the history of Burmese pop music...
: singer - Thant Myint-UThant Myint-UThant Myint-U is an historian and a past Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. He is also the author two bestselling and critically acclaimed books, The River of Lost Footsteps: A Personal History of Burma and Where China Meets India: Burma and the New Crossroads of Asia .He was born in...
: historian - NataliseNataliseRobin Nathalis Chow is an American singer-songwriter known professionally as Natalise. Natalise has been featured on television networks such as the WB, UPN, CBS, ABC, and MTV...
: singer - Jocelyn SeagraveJocelyn SeagraveJocelyn Seagrave is an American film and television actress, best known for playing Julia Camaletti on Guilding Light and Jessica Mitchell on Fox's Pacific Palisades.-Early life:...
: actor - Rebecca ZahauDeath of Rebecca ZahauRebecca Mawii Zahau was a 32-year-old woman discovered dead on July 13, 2011, in a historic mansion in Coronado, California. Initial reports described her as being hanged to death while unclothed, with her hands bound behind her back and feet bound together...
: July 2011 San Diego death case - Julie ChenJulie ChenJulie Suzanne Chen is an American television personality, news anchor, and producer for CBS. She has 16 years of newscasting experience. She is best known for co-anchoring CBS's The Early Show, alongside Harry Smith and Maggie Rodriguez. She has been the host of the U.S. version of Big Brother...
: television personality (mother is Burmese ChineseBurmese ChineseThe Burmese Chinese or Chinese Burmese are a group of overseas Chinese born or raised in Burma . Although the Chinese officially make up three percent of the population, the actual figure is believed to be much higher...
)
External links
- Burmese Myanma Search Engine
- The Immigration and Naturalization Act of 1965
- Burmese American Science and Engineering Society
- Burmese American Professionals Society
- Southern California Burmese Association
- National Information Center for Myanmar Refugees and Asylees
- Burmese Complete Count Committee for US Decennial Census 2010
- Burmese-American's own companies in USA
- Burmese American Democratic Alliance
- Myanmar American Association of San Diego
- US Census 2000 foreign born population by country
- The first Burmese Language News Paper in United States
- The Burmese Come to Houston - Houston PressHouston PressThe Houston Press is an alternative weekly newspaper published in Houston, Texas, United States. It is headquartered in Downtown Houston....