KaRen
Background Family Structure /
Relationships Language Health Beliefs
Social Issues / Integration Etiquette When
Working With Elders
Background
The KaRen (pronounced Kariang) is one of many ethnic minority groups of Myanmar (Burma). They are the second largest ethnic group living there. After the KaRen people gained their independence from Burma in 1948, they lived in their own county of Kawthoolei. Just a year later, a war broke out resulting in ongoing fighting in which the Myanmar military raided, persecuted and burned down many homes and villages. Hundreds of thousands of KaRen people fled to the mountains. They lived on the run, moving from place to place and hiding in the jungles. In the 1980's they fled to refugee camps in Thailand where they remained until 2006. It was not until more recently that international communities and their governments realized that there was no change in the near future for Myanmar within the current political regime and the KaRen will need to resettle in other countries. Thousands of KaRen fled to Sweden, Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.
There are estimated to be about 1,200 KaRen people residing in Minnesota. The Office of Refugee and Resettlement estimated that an additional 3,000 KaRen would settle in the United States in 2007, of which five hundred will resettle in Minnesota. Growth in this community is expected to continue in the next two to three years, especially in Ramsey and Hennepin Counties.
Family Structure /
Relationships
The KaRen family dynamic includes the nucleus family members as well as the extended family. Most households consist of the husband, wife and unmarried children. It is not uncommon for married children to live with family members for one or two years before moving out on their own. The roles and structures within the family are based on the patriarchal system, but due to western influences there have been adaptations to and integration within these roles.
The majority of KaRen refugees living in Minnesota practice Christianity. These individuals believe that all members of a KaRen family have equal authority. All members share in household chores and decision making and participate in all daily activities. Women and men participate in mediation and resolve disputes within the extended family and the community. Women and men can freely express their emotions, talk freely and have contact with the opposite gender.
The majority of KaRen still living in Myanmar practice Buddhism and strongly believe in the patriarchal family system where gender roles and duties are clearly defined between men and women, young and old. Family members have differing responsibilities. These individuals believe that no two members of a KaRen family are equal in authority, although family matters are often discussed between the husband and wife. Men or community leaders usually mediate most matters before a decision is reached. Senior generations are superior to junior generations, older people are superior to younger ones, and men are superior to women. The family system is led by the oldest male.
Language
Myanmar was a British colony from 1885 until World War II. Thus, KaRen elders were given the opportunity to learn English in school settings while others learned English from Baptist missionaries. KaRen elders speak English, Burmese and KaRen.
There is still a large group of Karen elders that speak only the KaRen language. These elders may speak one or both of the language's two dialects, Pwo and Sgaw. The Sgaw dialect is dominate and books are often translated into this dialect. Many of the KaRen who speak the Pwo dialect also speak Sgaw. These two dialects are similar, but are not mutually understandable.
Health Beliefs
Religion directly influences KaRen beliefs related to the causes of illness. KaRen religion is animistic-based in nature and the ancestral matrilineage. It is based on beliefs in supernatural powers and specific rituals and ceremonies. It is believed that illness and death are related to the displeasure of ancestral spirits and the forests, lakes, and streams. The healing process involves various rites of propitiation for various natures and ancestral spirits believed to be the cause of the illness. Many KaRen elders rely on herbal and animal-derived medicines to heal illnesses. Christian KaRens believe in western medicine and practices.
Social Issues / Integration
KaRen elders living in the United States typically stay at home to take care of the children and home and cook. Many of these elders experience isolation and loneliness. Isolation can lead to mental illnesses such as depression, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and other physical illnesses. As one elders stated about her situation, "Everything happens so fast in this country. My children are working all the time. The grandchildren are in school and when they get home they watch television and we do not sit down to talk anymore. I feel lost and cannot relate to anyone in the family. I feel stuck and upset because I cannot adjust at the pace they adjust." Other barriers elders encounter on a daily bases are transportation and communication issues.
Etiquette when
working with Karen Elders
While many KaRen elders use western practices of greetings, there are still a few important etiquettes to apply when communicating with the KaRen elders:
- A woman cannot touch the head of a man; a man's head is sacred.
- No one is to sit on a bed pillow.
- When asking some to come here, hand gestures should include the entire hand with all fingers motion inward. The common "come here" hand gesture would invite confrontation.
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