Burmese American Collection in the Library of Congress

The influx of Burmese immigrants in America have caught the attention of the American community. The Burmese have tried to establish a standing in the United States, however, there is a lack of information and knowledge of the Burmese American community, and it has created many misunderstandings. With a Burmese collection installed at the Library of Congress, the Burmese in America hope that this collection will offer a view into the Burmese diaspora through research and education.

Follow Up: Nyi Nyi's Arrival to the States

Nyi Nyi Aung arrived to Washington DC on March 19th 2010. Nyi Nyi was captured in Rangoon's airport on September 3rd 2009. He was released on March 18,th 2010. Burma's newspaper, the " New Light of Myanmar" stated that Nyi Nyi was released after after the U.S. State Department requested it. The Burmese junta released him due to
"special consideration to bilateral friendship" with the United States.

Nyi Nyi Aung's Story

Among the 2100 political prisoners in Burma, also known as Myanmar, Nyi Nyi Aung remains distinct. Nyi Nyi Aung is the only US citizen in Burma's prison. What is the US doing to help Nyi Nyi Aung, a US Citizen, trapped and tortured in Burma's prison?









You can read Wa Wa Kyaw's article in the Wall Street Journal here.

For International Women's Day...

The International Tribunal held a mock trial on Crimes against women of Burma. Victims of rape, sexual violence, enslavement, trafficking and imprisonment, spoke up and took a stand for not just themselves but for the future generations of young women in Burma and everywhere else.

The Dalai Lama as a Citizen of the World

The Dalai Lama, named as one of the most influential people in the world, addresses huge auditoriums and has touched many hearts. Although an exile of his homeland, Tibet, the Dalai Lama is ironically a citizen of the world. Loved by many, he is an icon of philosophy and spirituality. The Dalai Lama is a proponent of Burma's movement for democracy and a supporter of a fellow Nobel Laureate, Daw Aung San Su Kyi.

Fundraiser for Haiti

Devastated by the earthquake in Haiti last month, the Burmese community in Washington DC gathered to hold a fundraiser for Haiti's earthquake relief- bringing celebrities from Burma, also known as Myanmar, to sing and help heighten Haiti's spirits through charitable donations.

Burmese Art Exhibit in NYC

The New York Open Center hosted its first Burmese art exhibition, and it was nothing short of a success. The art exhibit was an opportunity for Burmese artists to show the diversity of Burmese culture and the range of Burmese art- from modern to traditional. Through contemporary art, Burmese artists combine modernity and their traditional customs- and use it not just as a form of aesthetic expression, but as spiritual and political forms of commentary as well.

Youtube's impact

Youtube has caught the attention of the international community, and non profit organizations, like the US Campaign for Burma use Youtube to attract people to support the democracy movement in Burma, also known as Myanmar. Celebrities, like Jennifer Aniston, Eva Langoria and Jim Carey participated in this 30 Day Campaign shown on Youtube to help " free Burma".






Watch your favorite celebrities in these mini documentaries - raising their voices for humanity.

Graffiti Chalk Campaign

George Washington University Students held a graffiti chalk campaign to reflect the despair and struggle of Burma's youth. The students chalked on the sidewalks to stay in solidarity with the people of Burma ( also known as Myanmar). The question is," Does this graffiti campaign actually work? Does it raise awareness?" Find out...

Senate Hearing on the Establishment of Democracy in Asia

The establishment of democracy in Asia was the main topic at the East Asian and Pacific Affairs Sub Committe. Assistant Secretary Kurt Campbell and Senator Jim Webb talked about Daw Aung San Su Kyi and the up coming 2010 Elections. In order to have a better relationship with Asian countries, panelists also said the establishment of internet in countries is vital, to open societies and engage with the outside world.

Hait's Earthquake vs. Burma's Cyclone Nargis

They say that hardship seems to come to those, who can least handle it. And, on January 12, 2010 an earthquake, which measured 7.0 on the Richter scale, struck and shook the country- putting the country into further tragedy. On May 2, 2008, Cyclone Nargis hit Burma, also known as Myanmar, and the country was left in ruins by this natural disaster. Watch how these natural disasters affected the two countries and how Haiti and Burma are similar and different.






Find out how you can help Haiti by simply texting. Watch the video to find out.

The Kachin Protest in front of the Burmese embassy

The Burmese military junta demolished the Kachin Manau statue in Bhamo, Burma on December 10, 2009, and the Kachin people united and showed their concern as they protested in front of the Burmese embassy in Washington DC on January 10th.

Education in Myanmar

Doctors from Burma were awarded at a ceremony (of the Myanmar American Medical Education Society) for making the top 1 percentile list on two US doctorate exams. Although statistics show that their native country, Burma, lacks in educational standards, these doctors tell us why they did so well on the medical exams and elsewhere.

The 4 most common words in 2009

1.) Tweet



Oprah joined Twitter in 2009 and wrote, “ "HI TWITTERS . THANK YOU FOR A WARM WELCOME. FEELING REALLY 21st CENTURY.”


Twitter is one of the websites that helped revolutionize the power of social media. People are now able to communicate to their favorite celebrities and to perfect strangers through this online service. So it doesn’t surprise me when one of 2009’s most frequently used words of all time is “ tweet”. CNN covered the Iranian revolution by reading the twitter messages that were written by Iranians during the Green Revolution. Iranians protested against the reelection of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in June, and tweets were sent from Iran describing the heat of the protests and the government’s crackdown on civilians. Iran’s protests were not broadcasted, but it was tweeted.




2.) Friend (used as a verb)



Through social media, the world does seem a little bit smaller, and we don’t seem as distant as the miles that separate us indicate. Facebook is one media website that I am addicted to. Thank God for Mark Zuckerberg and his creation of the site, because I don’t think I would have been able to reconnect with my cousins from London or Asia, if not for facebook. So when I’m on the train, and I hear a girl talk about how a guy in class had “ friended” her on facebook, I can’t help but smile. Because 4 years ago, I was that girl ( and secretly I still am.) I’m still accepting friend requests and using “ friend” as a verb when referring to facebook.




3.) Sexting



Sexting – I learned this next word while watching the Tyra show, and she asked these Middle School girls why they were sexting. I had to turn up the volume and ask, “ what is sexting? Is that the verb form of the S-E-X ? “ Nope. Tyra explains that sexting is when you send naked pictures of yourself to boys or girls via mobile phone. Sexting is also when you write sexually explicit messages through text messages.

Sexting seems to be more popular amongst teenagers. Many teenagers participate in sexting, and it’s a new form of social interaction due to technology. Teenagers are victims to the dangers of sexting- these inappropriate materials are dispersed without the sender’s authority or permission. Sometimes it just doesn’t pertain to pictures- videos are being sent as well.





4.) Palinize


To be Palinized is not a good term. It refers to women who are attacked for being Republican and for having a strong voice. Former Ms. California Carrie Prejean says she was, “ Palinized” by the media for her beliefs on anti-gay marriage.


I think this word may be the most used word of 2008 and 2009, where the media palinized Sarah Palin’s by concentrating more on her looks and personal life rather than listened to her. In November of 2009, Palin accused Newsweek for posting an irrelevant picture of her in running shorts. ( Scroll up- the picture is pasted on the blog.) But who could blame the media? People were easily distracted by Palin- her looks, her accent, her love for Alaska and her remarks. Yes, remarks.


Although I agree that Palin may have been palinized, she mostly palinized herself by fluffing her stories and not stepping up and answering the issues at hand. She went off on tangents, and called Katie Couric, “ the Perky One” then noted Couric as “ the lowest rated news anchor in network television”.


I think Palin is a great woman. She’s a fighter, but she needs to stop victimizing herself and act as the deserving Vice President candidate that McCain had chosen her for in 2008. When she first came on the trail and delivered her speech at the Republican party, she held her own, gave a few political punches and attacked the democrats. She was good. Everyone wanted to know who this Alaskan governor was. She had great drive and she needs to keep going that route without letting herself to be another sexist joke.

Americanized Restaurants

Two Burmese restaurants in New York City cater to the American public. The cuisines attract the American population more so than the Burmese population. Find out why these two Burmese restaurants are going American...

Barack Obama and the Nobel Peace Prize

Barack Obama was given the Nobel Peace Prize, and this honor presented to him confounded people around the world. Within his nine months of sitting in as president, Obama was awarded one of the most prestigious prizes ( if not the most prestigious prize a few can get their hands on to in our lifetimes). The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Obama for his "extraordinary efforts to strengthen international diplomacy and cooperation between peoples." Obama was given the prize for his vision rather than his accomplishments.


The Council in their quote on Obama refers to Obama’s vision on foreign policy. Obama has opened engagement with all countries and tried to put the US in the hearts of countries around the world again- a stark contrast to the previous presidency, where G.W. Bush’s administration used force, sanctioning and confrontation to get their way. One can argue that it is more important to engage with countries of threat and risk, rather than to engage with your allies. Remember that adage, “ Keep your friends close. Keep your enemies closer”? Well Obama’s foreign policy is kind of based on that quote.


Although I am a supporter of his new foreign policy, I can’t help but be suspicious of it as well. Republicans are wary of his policy because as the Obama administration opens talks with dictators of the most dangerous countries in the world, such as Myanmar or Iran, he can lose the trust of the people and even the voices of the people. The US is and has always been a great proponent of the people’s vote –but we may lose their hopes if we get so caught up in the dictators’ voices rather than the people’s.




Should Obama have been given the award? Yes and No. He’s a hard worker. Sure. But usually when the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, it is given to extraordinary people for their lifetime achievement and their bodies of work. Right now we haven’t seen Obama’s vision for peace and diplomacy turn into concrete results. Until we’ve seen some of his goals turn into reality, the Nobel Peace Prize should be on hold.

I was talking to my co-worker on what she thought about Obama being handed this prestigious award- she stated something that I thought was wonderfully put. She said that Obama has already received great recognition - he’s known and lauded internationally. His voice is heard by billions all over the world, and this prize does not add anything more to his fame. Obama is the President of the United States- the most powerful country in the world- he has enough power and distinction to separate himself from the rest. There are others around the world who have done so much for mankind, yet they do not have their voices heard- they don’t have their hopes met. But with the recognition as a Nobel Laureate, they could do so much and help the people that need to be acknowledged.



Nobel Peace Prize recipients also receive a large sum of money. Now does Obama need all that money to top off his fame? I’ll let you be the judge of that one.