UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS LOWELL
CENTER FOR LOWELL HISTORY
SAYDANAR COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CENTER. OUR JOURNEY TO THE AMERICAN DREAM, 2017
UML 18
EXTENT:1 computer file; 12.4 MB
ABSTRACT:
The SayDaNar, Our Journey to the American Dream collection consists of the PDF version of the book, Our Journey to the American Dream. Published by SayDaNar Community Development Center, the book is a collection of stories retelling Burmese refugee experiences of leaving their homelands and settling in the United States.
Some items in the collection have been digitized: https://umlseada.omeka.net/collections/show/15.
In the early 1960's, Burma (present day Myanmar) underwent military dictatorship became a socialist state under the regime of Ne Win. The military regime disrupted the lives of the Burmese people, and eventually led to the persecution of several ethnic groups in Burma and the Burmese people overall. Facing economic challenges and oppression, Burmese refugees began arriving to the United States in three waves: in the mid 1960s, during the 1980s and lastly, during the mid 2000s. Since 2005, Burmese refugees have constituted as one of the largest refugee groups in the United States.
Due to language and education barriers, Burmese refugees face difficulty in accessing support services as well as challenges for refugee parents to provide academic support to their children. In response to support the Burmese community in Lowell, Massachusetts (where there are approximately 300 Burmese) the SayDaNar Community Development Center was formally established in 2012. The self-supportive center grew out of a network of volunteers previously known as the Burma Volunteer Group (BVG).
SayDaNar aims to support their community by providing advocacy, education, and services to promote self-efficacy and empowerment. Past programming that was offered include: Casework which provides translation services and assistance in daily tasks, the Homework Help Program supporting children with homework and assisting in their transition into the United States education system, and Vocational Training in sewing for community members to acquire new skills for work. SayDaNar also offers Citizenship Class and English lessons. Previously, they hosted the Women’s Weaving Group from Burma which supports refugee women to create and sell traditional handmade woven products. Moreover, SayDaNar strives to promote and preserve their cultural heritage to teach future generation and the greater public about Burmese heritage by initiating the Burmese Food Fair during the Lowell Folk Festival and the Lowell Southeast Asian Water Festival in Lowell.
SayDaNar is run entirely by volunteers and professionals including: President Ardeth Thawnghmung, the current Chair of Political Science at University of Massachusetts Lowell; Apollos Ba; Dara Duong; David Lewis; Susan Tripathy; John Wooding; Deb Casey; Naw Hel Pho; Jim Wilder; Abdulkarim Kasim; Le Say; Ngay Meh; Rachel Bjork; and Tha Taw Moo. Today, SayDaNar continues to be run and supported entirely by community members where 100% of funds come from the organization’s fundraising events.
Sources for more information:
Amy Cooper, Gale Encyclopedia of Multicultural America 3rd Edition Volume 1: Burmese Americans.
Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund, Invisible Newcomers: Refugees from Burma/Myanmar and Bhutan in the United States.
SayDaNar Community Development Center, http://saydanarlowell.org/index.htm.
The SayDaNar, Our Journey to the American Dream collection consists of the PDF version of the book, Our Journey to the American Dream. Published by SayDaNar Community Development Center, the book is a collection of stories retelling Burmese refugee experiences of leaving their homelands and settling in the United States. Each story includes at least one photograph from the writer. The book also includes a section showcasing hand drawn artwork from “the children of Saydanar,” according to the section description.
For a listing of related collections at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and elsewhere, please visit: https://www.uml.edu/Research/SEA-digital-archive/related-collections.aspx.
For more information about the SEADA, please visit our home page at www.uml.edu/seada, or email us at seada@uml.edu.
