Karen Americans Explained

Group:Karen Americans
Native Name:ပှၤကညီဖိလၢကီၢ်အမဲရံကး
Native Name Lang:ksw
Flag:Flag of the Karen National Union.svg75px
Flag Caption:Karen flag
Total:215,000
Total Year:2024
Total Source:estimate
Total Ref:[1]
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Total3 Year:-->
Total3 Source:-->
Total3 Ref:-->
Regions:Minnesota (Minneapolis–Saint Paul)
Indiana (Indianapolis, Fort Wayne)
New York (Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica),
California (San Francisco Bay Area),
Nebraska, (Omaha, Lincoln),
Texas (Austin, Houston, Dallas, Amarillo)
North Carolina (Chapel Hill, New Bern),
Utah (Salt Lake City)
Region33:-->
Pop33:-->
Ref33:-->
Languages:Karen languages (S'gaw Karen, Karenni, Pa'O), English
Religions:Predominantly Christianity (especially Baptist and Seventh-day Adventist;[2] other denominations include Reformed Christian, Catholicism, Anglicanism, and Mormonism); minorities of Buddhism and Animism

Karen Americans (ပှၤကညီဖိလၢကီၢ်အမဲရံကး) are Americans of full or partial Karen ancestry. They are a recent but rapidly growing immigrant population in the United States. Many Karen who emigrate are refugees as a result of violence in their homeland. Many come either from their traditional homeland of Kawthoolei in Myanmar or from refugee camps in Thailand.[2] Minnesota was reported to have had more than 12,000 Karen residents in 2017, making it the state with the largest Karen community.[3] Other states with significant populations are California, Texas, New York, and Indiana.[4]

Karen first started arriving in the United States en masse during the mid-2000s and now form a significant minority in several cities. The growth of Karen Americans is part of the larger growth of Burmese Americans in the United States.[5]

The Karenni, a related subgroup of the Karen, are sometimes included in official statistics of Karen Americans and other times are treated as a separate ethnicity.[6]

History

The first Karen refugees started arriving in the United States in the late 1990s, but only during the mid-2000s did Karen people start emigrating en masse.[7] Resettlement of Burmese refugees peaked in October 2006 to August 2007, when 12,800 Karen refugees were resettled in the United States.[8]

In November 2017, over 9,000 Karen people gathered in Washington, D.C., to both thank the United States government for granting them settlement[9] and at the same time protest the Burmese government's treatment of the Karen and other minorities, especially the ongoing persecution of Rohingya people and the Trump-era policies on immigration.[10] Karen people have protested in the past in Washington, D.C., over the treatment of Karen by the Myanmar government.[11]

Distribution

As of July 2015 there were 64,759 Karen refugees that had been resettled in the United States, with an additional 11,619 of the Karenni ethnicity.[1] However these numbers may be inaccurate as the statistics cover only Karen who came after 2000 and who are counted as refugees.

Minnesota

Believed to be the state with the largest Karen population, most Karen who live in Minnesota reside in the Twin Cities area although the exact population is unclear. As of 2012 there were believed to be 6,500 Karen refugees in the Twin Cities metropolitan area with Saint Paul having the largest and fastest-growing Karen population of any city in the United States. The overall population of Karen in Minnesota could be more than 4,000[12] to 8,000.[13] The majority of Saint Paul's Baptist congregations' members are now Karens.[12] The Karen Organization of Minnesota (KOM), was founded to improve the community's social progress, health, and employment opportunities[13] and is today [when?] the largest Karen social organization in the country.

In 2017 the KOM claimed that there were over 17,000 Karen people in Minnesota (including those who had been resettled as refugees elsewhere and later moved to Minnesota) as well as 2,000 Karenni people.[10]

Ler Htoo was sworn in after graduating from the St. Paul Police Academy in Minnesota in 2014. Htoo is believed to be the first ever police officer of Karen ethnicity in the United States.[14]

The Saint Paul Public Library has commissioned and published two children's books in Karen because of the lack of these resources in the U.S. and the need within the city. The city of Saint Paul has the largest and fastest-growing population of Karen people in the U.S.[15]

New York

Many of the major metropolitan areas of upstate New York have significant Karen populations. Estimates in 2010 put their numbers at 2,500 in Buffalo, 500 in Rochester, 4,000 in Utica and Rome and 1,000 in Albany.[16] However, more recent accounts put the number much higher. In 2015 around 5,000 ware believed to reside in Albany,[17] while as of 2016 5,500 Karen and 1,200 Karenni were believed to live in Buffalo.[18] From 2006 to 2017 a total of around 2,400 Karen refugees settled in Syracuse.[19] A 2024 report said that more than 8,000 Karen lived in Utica.[20]

New York recognizes August as Karen American Heritage Month.[21]

Nebraska

Karen refugees first started arriving in the Omaha area around 2005,[22] and as of 2013 an estimated 5,000 had settled in the area. Nebraska was believed to be the state with the third-highest Karen population after Minnesota and New York.

Indiana

The city of Indianapolis has a significant population of Burmese immigrants which include the roughly 1,000 Karen and 300 Karenni refugees who have been resettled there.[1] Karen are a part of over 10,000 Burmese refugees that have been resettled in Indiana, including Chin and Rohingya.[23]

Other states

Other areas with sizable Karen populations include southern portions of Salt Lake City,[24] the San Francisco Bay Area,[25] and several cities in Texas.[26] An approximate 3,500 Karen are believed to be living in Atlanta, Georgia, and Chapel Hill, North Carolina.[16] The town of New Bern, North Carolina is believed to have around 1,900 Karen and Karenni refugees who came because of the abundance of work and low cost of living in the 1990s. Karen are one of the groups of Burmese refugees that have now been settled in Phoenix, Arizona, along with Chin and Burmese Muslim refugees.[27] Burmese refugees are the largest group being resettled in Iowa since 2008, with the majority being Karen.[28] Many Karen refugees have been settled in Des Moines, Iowa in particular by Adventist charity organizations, as well as in Nashville, Tennessee, and Saint Louis and Kansas City in Missouri.[29] A community of around 700 Karen refugees have settled in Clarksville, Arkansas, since 2005.[30]

Religion

Christianity

Although only around 15–20% of Karen people in Myanmar are Christians,[31] the vast majority of Karen refugees tend to practice Christianity, specifically the Baptist and Seventh-day-Adventist denominations.[32] Many Baptist churches and other religious denominations have separate services for their local Karen population.[33] [34] Besides Baptist and Seventh-day-Adventist communities, there exists a Catholic Karenni community numbering around 4,500[35] in places such as Minnesota,[36] and Arizona.[37] Since the 2010s the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis has included prayers and hymns in the Karen language in their religious services.[38] Most Karen tend to be Baptist while the Karenni tend to be of Catholic and other Christian denominations.[18] In southern Salt Lake City, the Columbus LDS meetinghouse is now geared towards Karen and Karenni refugees who now make up the majority of the congregation.[39] Anglicanism[17] and Reformed Christian[40] [41] are also are present in significant numbers. In 2013 the Karen community of Omaha planned to build the Karen Christian Revival Church costing an estimate 2 million for their worship needs.[42] Karen Christians usually congregate in rented space or borrow other churches' properties. In 2017 the Karen community of Syracuse bought a Polish-American bar and converted it into the Syracuse Karen Baptist church.[19]

Christianity tends to play an important part in many Karen Americans' lives, and church attendance is generally high. Churches tend to be the focal point of the Karen community where many activities and organizations are based, so much so that many Buddhist and other non-Christian Karen sometimes attend church for the sake of participating in community events with their Christian counterparts.[43]

Buddhism

While Buddhists make up a majority of the overall Karen population, they are a minority within the Karen American population. The first Karen Buddhist temple with four monks was opened in 2013 in Minnesota.[44] Karen Buddhist associations exist in Minnesota, Colorado,[45] Iowa,[46] and Utica, New York.[47]

Because most aid directed to Karen refugees is primarily through Christian organizations, Karen Buddhists have complained of pressure to convert to Christianity by Karen Christians, to the extent that some Karen Buddhists would rather live separate from their Christian counterparts. Nonetheless, relationships between Karen Buddhists and Christians are generally good.[48] Most Christian and Buddhist Karen still traditionally celebrate Karen New Year together.[49]

Other religions

Many Karen, especially Buddhist Karen, incorporate Animist traditions and beliefs in their spirituality.[48] The wrist-tying ceremony which is practiced by both Christian and Buddhist Karen has its origins in Karen Animism.[48]

In the Karen traditional heartland there exists a small community of Karen Muslims who are the descendants of Indian and Bengali Muslims who intermarried with Karen people. These people are called "Knyaw Too" or "Black Karen" and have been subject to persecution by Buddhists in Myanmar.[2] [48] Some Knyaw Too have also emigrated to the United States but they often identify as Burmese Muslims and are not counted in the Karen statistics.[48]

In the late 2000s a Hmong American named Vaj Los Tuam (who later changed his name to "Txiv Nraug Cuam Dub" or Hmong for "Black Father") founded the "Huv" or "pure" religion based on traditional Karen beliefs, whom he perceived to be the most original of all Southeast Asian animist traditions. Followers of "Huv" must follow a vegetarian diet and dress in what they perceive to be traditional Karen cloths. While the "Huv" religious movement has around a thousand Hmong American followers there is no indication that it has any large following among Karen Americans.[50] [51]

Health and social issues

Owing to the ongoing conflict and warfare in their homeland as well as the harsh conditions of the refugee camps in Thailand where many come from, a sizable percentage of Karen adults in the United States may have PTSD.[12] Perhaps one of the biggest issues facing the Karen American community is the lack of fluency and literacy in English.[12] A 2013 study found that Karen students were far more likely to miss classes or quit school or sports teams because of lack of fluency. In many cases bullying and feelings of isolation were effects of an inability by Karen youth to speak English.[43] Being unable to speak English was also correlated with unemployment and a lower standard of living.[52]

The issues of English fluency and lack of understanding the justice system were brought to light in 2015 when a mentally disturbed Karen man Eh Lar Doh Htoo attacked a Karenni-speaking family in their home in New Bern, North Carolina, with a machete. Three children (aged 1, 5, and 12) were hacked to death and the mother had to escape by jumping out of the second floor window. Police response to the attack was severely delayed because neither the victims or her neighbors were fluent in English.[53] The case also drew attention because neighbors of Htoo had been aware of his violent nature for some time but had not contacted the police because of language and cultural barriers.[54] [55] [56]

Around 80% of Karen adults either smoke tobacco and/or chew betel nut, both of which are considered serious health hazards.[13] Because many priests, elders, and other respected community members smoke or chew betel nut it is difficult to convince Karen youth not to take up the habit. Karen children are more likely to be exposed to second hand smoke than non-Karen children. In Minnesota Karen organizations have started partnering with health anti-smoking groups in hope of improving the problem.[13]

Gang membership and violence is a recent but serious problem facing the Karen communities. Unlike many other refugees Karen usually come exclusively from rural areas and often have trouble adapting to urban life.[57] A survey in 2015 found that Karen youth were more likely to becoming involved in gang activities than any other refugee group.[57]

In response to the difficulties Karen and other refugee communities face, some cities have opened up special schools exclusively for refugees.[58]

In June 2024, a fatal police police shooting of 13 year old Karen refugee named Nyah Mway In Utica, New York generated significant controversy, and was the first time that a Karen person in the United States was killed by a police officer.[59] [60]

Sports

Soccer is popular among the Karen people, with some youths being recruited to play in college.[61] Many Karen, however, feel alienated when playing for a school's sports team and so generally tend to play the sport among themselves,[43] organizing teams and tournaments.[62] [63] These youths, however, are not able to pay for transportation and related costs of playing on a club team.[49] To combat these issues, some schools and non-profit organizations started soccer programs primarily geared towards Karen and other refugee communities.[64] [65]

Besides soccer, both volleyball and sepak takraw are also popular sports. In 2017, Bishop Maginn High School in Albany, New York, formed a mostly Karen baseball team.[66] [67]

Notable people

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Burmese Refugee Population in the US . January 1, 2024. baci-indy.org . June 28, 2017 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170329163146/http://www.baci-indy.org/resources/burmese-refugee-population-in-the-us . March 29, 2017.
  2. Web site: Karen Refugees from Burma in the US: an Overview for Torture Treatment Programs. Eh Taw Dwe . Tonya Cook . January 22, 2018. healtorture.org. October 3, 2017 . January 8, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180108050552/http://www.syracuse.com/living/index.ssf/2017/10/from_a_bar_to_a_baptist_church_syracuses_klub_polski_is_sold_and_remade.html. live.
  3. https://mnliteracy.org/blogs/2017/12/39235 Refugees from Burma
  4. Web site: Karen - International Institute of Minnesota.
  5. A Little Burma in Fort Wayne . Lalit K Jha . June 1, 2007 . The Irrawaddy . November 27, 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081216071732/http://www.irrawaddy.org/article.php?art_id=7326 . December 16, 2008 . dead .
  6. Web site: Karenni and Kayah: The Nature of Burma's Ethnic Problem over Two Names and the Path to Resolution . Peacebuilding Asia. February 5, 2014. March 31, 2020.
  7. Web site: Utica Karen Baptist Church. 2016. pluralism.org. January 23, 2018. September 24, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160924155631/http://pluralism.org/profile/utica-karen-baptist-church/. live.
  8. Book: Cheah, Joseph . Emerging voices: experiences of underrepresented Asian Americans . Huping Ling. 2008 . Rutgers University Press . 978-0-8135-4342-0 . 199–217.
  9. Web site: Thousands of Karen people gather in DC, simply 'thankful to be here'. SOFREP. Luke. Ryan. Htoo Aye. November 11, 2017. January 23, 2018. December 27, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171227134322/https://sofrep.com/93544/thousands-of-karen-people-gather-in-dc/. live.
  10. Web site: Minnesota's Karen refugees join march on Washington to keep pressure on Myanmar. Mila. Koumpilova. November 7, 2017. January 23, 2018. Star Tribune. January 7, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180107213523/http://www.startribune.com/minnesota-s-karen-refugees-join-march-on-washington-to-keep-pressure-on-myanmar/455631113/#1. live.
  11. Web site: Hundreds of Karen Protest Outside U.S. White House Calling for Continued Sanctions On Burma. Saw Thein Myint. November 15, 2016. January 23, 2018. Star Tribune. January 25, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180125191703/http://karennews.org/2016/11/hundreds-of-karen-protest-outside-u-s-white-house-calling-for-continued-sanctions-on-burma.html/. live.
  12. Web site: 2012. July 30, 2017. Karen People in Minnesota – Common medical issues and cultural concerns of Karen patients. Culture Care Connection. November 10, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161110131854/http://hcbsimprovement.info/sites/default/files/201607/Wellshare%20International%2C%20Poster.pdf. live.
  13. Web site: hcbsimprovement.info. Karen Community Tobacco Prevention. Wellshare International. August 6, 2017. November 10, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161110131854/http://hcbsimprovement.info/sites/default/files/201607/Wellshare%20International%2C%20Poster.pdf. live.
  14. News: Walsh. James. St. Paul swears in nation's first Karen police officer. June 28, 2017. Star Tribune. live . https://web.archive.org/web/20170329163034/http://www.startribune.com/st-paul-swears-in-nation-s-first-karen-police-officer/286310851/. March 29, 2017.
  15. Web site: Children's Books in Karen, Amharic, and Oromo . 2024-01-11 . sppl.org . en-US.
  16. Web site: Building A New Life: Burmese Refugees And Their Resettlement. March 27, 2010. July 31, 2017. Asian Languages BETAC (ALBETAC). City School District of Albany. July 17, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130717083001/http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/scmsAdmin/uploads/005/650/3-27,_Albany%20-%20Presentation.pdf. live.
  17. News: McKibben . Matthew . Albany's Karen community celebrates New Year . . January 12, 2015 . November 23, 2015 . November 24, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151124194021/http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2015/jan/12/karen-new-year/?print . live .
  18. Web site: Tribes from a divided land settle in Buffalo. Zremski. Jerry. October 21, 2016. August 3, 2017. The Buffalo News. July 6, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170706060008/http://buffalonews.com/2016/10/21/tribes-divided-land-settle-buffalo/. live.
  19. Web site: From a bar to a Baptist church: Syracuse's 'Klub Polski' is sold and remade. Eisenstadt. Marnie. October 3, 2017. January 22, 2018. The Post-Standard. January 8, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180108050552/http://www.syracuse.com/living/index.ssf/2017/10/from_a_bar_to_a_baptist_church_syracuses_klub_polski_is_sold_and_remade.html. live.
  20. Web site: Mills . Sean I. . Who are the Karen? New Year celebrated at MVCC in Utica . Rome Sentinel . 2024-08-15 . 2024-08-16.
  21. Web site: Karen American Community Recognized Statewide This Month.
  22. Web site: 'Father' of Nebraska's Karen refugees mourned. Omaha World-Herald. Michael. Shoro. November 11, 2014. March 30, 2020. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917134644/https://omaha.com/news/local/father-of-nebraska-s-karen-refugees-mourned/article_6d8ce2bf-d7b1-5691-99eb-8a03fb82c634.html. live.
  23. Web site: A new wave of Burmese find refuge in Indiana. IndyStar. March 18, 2017. August 26, 2019. July 4, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190704090014/https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2017/03/18/new-wave-burmese-find-refuge-indiana/99180550/. live.
  24. News: Myanmar refugees celebrate Karen new year. Falk. Aaron. December 28, 2008. July 29, 2017. Deseret News. September 27, 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180927074330/https://www.deseretnews.com/article/705273477/Myanmar-refugees-celebrate-Karen-new-year.html. live.
  25. News: These Liberian and Myanmar refugees cook up old, and new, Christmas traditions. PRI: The World. Shuka. Kalantari. December 25, 2013. July 29, 2017. January 15, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160115184450/http://www.pri.org/stories/2013-12-25/these-liberian-and-myanmar-refugees-cook-old-and-new-christmas-traditions. live.
  26. News: Refugees find a haven in North Texas. Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Smith. Diane. September 30, 2015. July 30, 2017. August 6, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170806180939/http://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/community/fort-worth/article37128774.html. live.
  27. News: Their stories: Refugees from Burma. 12 News. KPNX Staff. April 17, 2016. August 26, 2019. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917134641/https://www.12news.com/article/news/special-reports/arizona-revealed/their-stories-refugees-from-burma/133317010. live.
  28. Web site: Newcomers from Burma are Iowa's largest refugee group. The Des Moines Register. June 6, 2015. August 27, 2019. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917134641/https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2015/06/07/burmese-largest-refugee-group-iowa/28482141/. live.
  29. Web site: Myanmar Refugee Finds His Pastoral Calling in the U.S.. Adventist Review. Stephen Moe Tha Po. September 4, 2018. August 27, 2019. August 27, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190827161150/https://www.adventistreview.org/myanmar-refugee-finds-his-pastoral-calling-in-the-us. live.
  30. Web site: Karen New Year's celebration held at Jones Center. Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Mike. Jones. January 13, 2019. March 30, 2020. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917134643/https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/jan/13/karen-new-year-s-celebration-held-at-jo/?latest. live.
  31. Book: Gravers, Mikael . 2007 . Conversion and Identity: Religion and the Formation of Karen Ethnic Identity in Burma . Mikael . Gravers . Exploring Ethnic Diversity in Burma . Copenhagen . Nordic Institute of Asian Studies . 228 . 978-87-91114-96-0 . An estimated 15-20 per cent of Pwo and Sgaw Karen are Christian ... historical confrontation of Buddhism and Christianity which was a crucial part of the colonial conquest of Burma. This confrontation, which began with Christian conversion in 1830, created an internal opposition among the Karen..
  32. Web site: Karen Seventh–Day Adventist Church – North America. Karen SDA Church. July 30, 2017. July 20, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170720211905/http://karenadventistchurch.org/index.html. live.
  33. News: East meets west at Baptist church: Congregations join to witness rare ceremony. November 24, 2013. July 29, 2017. Times Union (Albany). Bryan. Fitzgerald. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917134646/https://www.timesunion.com/local/article/East-meets-west-at-Baptist-church-5008589.php. live.
  34. News: Burmese refugees hope for change. February 10, 2012. July 29, 2017. NCPR News. David. Chanatry. North Country Public Radio. May 11, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130511202609/http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/story/19293/20120210/burmese-refugees-hope-for-change. live.
  35. Web site: Karenni People Host Their Inaugural National Catholic Gathering. 2014. Oo Reh Sor. July 29, 2017. ncbac.us.
  36. Web site: St. Bernard to welcome Karenni converts at Easter. Melenie. Soucheray. April 6, 2017. July 30, 2017. The Catholic Spirit. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917134705/https://thecatholicspirit.com/featured/st-bernard-welcome-karenni-converts-easter/. live.
  37. Web site: Young Karenni Catholics, once refugees, hit the road for a retreat. Peter. Tran. National Catholic Reporter. September 28, 2017. October 22, 2017. October 1, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171001074012/https://www.ncronline.org/news/people/young-karenni-catholics-once-refugees-hit-road-retreat. live.
  38. Web site: Archbishop: Newly-ordained priests called to discern, serve. The Catholic Spirit. Joe. Ruff. May 25, 2019. April 29, 2020. May 29, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190529085058/http://thecatholicspirit.com/news/local-news/archbishop-newly-ordained-priests-called-to-discern-serve/. live.
  39. Web site: About LDS Columbus Meetinghouse. January 20, 2013. July 30, 2017. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917134704/https://ldscolumbusbranch.wordpress.com/about/. live.
  40. Web site: Roxanne. Van Farowe. The women improved our workforce tremendously. Christian Reformed Church. crcna.org. June 21, 2017. August 4, 2017. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917134705/https://www.crcna.org/news-and-views/women-improved-our-workforce-tremendously. live.
  41. Web site: A New Burmese Christian Reformed Church? By Pastor Joel. May 25, 2017. August 18, 2017. Pathway Church. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917134706/https://www.pathwaycrc.org/blogEntry.aspx?viewblogentryguid=1a7172f7-eb2b-4953-b8df-e1f6cefea356&parentnavigationid=40991&viewblogguid=ed0e14f2-60fe-4cf5-8ce8-4b0deebb0dbf. live.
  42. Web site: Christopher. Burbach. Ethnic Karen refugees from Myanmar plan $2M church in north Omaha. Omaha World-Herald. December 20, 2013. August 4, 2017. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917134706/https://omaha.com/news/ethnic-karen-refugees-from-myanmar-plan-m-church-in-north/article_a56d61b9-0a76-58fd-a284-792be8022cef.html. live.
  43. Web site: Margaret A.. Crenshaw. Karen Students' Social and Academic Experiences in Minnesota K-12 Schools. Hamline University. digitalcommons.hamline.edu. Spring 2013. July 29, 2017. October 11, 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20141011034853/http://digitalcommons.hamline.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1001&context=dhp. live.
  44. News: New Karen Buddhist temple open in Minnesota. February 9, 2014. July 30, 2017. David Zander. Ahmad Ya. Twin Cities Daily Planet. Asian American Press. October 16, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20161016175557/http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/new-karen-buddhist-temple-open-minnesota/. live.
  45. Web site: Karen Buddhist Society of Colorado First Time Celebrating. YouTube. February 10, 2016. October 23, 2017. Thay Oo. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917134721/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T5RBpzUP_mk. live.
  46. Web site: Karen Buddhist Association of Iowa. YouTube. July 23, 2017. October 23, 2017. All Karen. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917134721/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruCsVcPuymc. live.
  47. Web site: Nandamala Buddhist Temple. pluralism.org. January 19, 2018. September 24, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160924155443/http://pluralism.org/profile/nandamala-buddhist-temple/. live.
  48. Web site: The Karen people: culture, faith and history. Venerable Abbott Ashin Moonieinda. Karen Buddhist Dhamma Dhutta Foundation. 2010. October 23, 2017. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917134706/https://www.buffaloschools.org/site/handlers/filedownload.ashx?moduleinstanceid=4051&dataid=23891&FileName=karen_people+book.pdf. live.
  49. Web site: Orange County's Karen refugees: "We know where we came from". Chapel Hill News. The News & Observer. January 18, 2016. November 12, 2017. Julia. Sendor. November 16, 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171116193509/http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/community/chapel-hill-news/article55327745.html. live.
  50. Web site: HMONGTALK: Ancient Karen religion is now being practiced by Hmong people. July 15, 2015. January 22, 2018. YouTube. 3 Hmong TV. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917134728/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AjKgpw9jbo. live.
  51. Web site: HMONGTALK: Kaybeej sits down with Txiv Nraug Cuam Dub about HUV Religion from Burma.. January 30, 2016. January 22, 2018. YouTube. 3 Hmong TV. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917134722/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnASwU9SKps. live.
  52. Web site: Children of refugees from Burma thrive in San Diego. Saw Yan Naing. Alfred Friendly Press Partners. 2015. August 6, 2017. September 17, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200917134711/https://presspartners.org/children-of-refugees-from-burma-thrive-in-san-diego/. live.
  53. News: Grisly slayings shock refugee community in North Carolina. Drew. Jonathan. The Oklahoman. Associated Press. March 19, 2015. October 23, 2017. December 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20151223021852/http://newsok.com/article/feed/814033. live.
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