By Vanessa Ceceña
Burma is a country in Southeast Asia that has been torn by civil war, unrest and a regime that instills fear in its people. After nearly 50 years of military rule, the country is currently in a process of renovation, but there are still accounts continued human rights violations.
Like in many countries that have experienced unrest and a level of genocide, many in Burma fled their country and entered refugee camps in neighboring Thailand. Here is the story of Eh De Gray.
De Gray identifies as Karen, one of the ethnic groups in Burma. He is the oldest of 5 and at the young age of 11, he decided to leave his home country and family to enter a refugee camp on the Burmese-Thai border. He wanted an education, an opportunity, something that he would not get if he remained in Burma.
He said goodbye to his family and traveled with his aunt and uncle to the refugee camp, never looking back at the country that birthed him, but that stripped him of every opportunity to succeed.
De Gray felt alone in the camp and trapped, like an encaged bird. He explained to me that even though schooling was offered and supplies were provided, those wanting to attend classes were still required to pay a fee.
De Gray did not have a support system that could monetarily contribute to his education. So, he found work so he could attend school. Not being able to afford a lamp (the refugee camp did not have much lighting) he would rush to complete his homework when there was sunlight. At that young age, he knew the value of education and was focused on reaching his personal goals. He would take art classes and eventually began teaching the classes once the art teacher could not return to the camp. Art allowed him to cope with his environment.
After nearly 7 years at the camp, at 17 years old, hope was reignited as he heard his name being called out on the loudspeaker. It was finally his turn to be resettled.
Once again, he would leave his second country and begin a new journey in his third country. He was resettled in City Heights and attended Crawford High School. Although language was a barrier, he excelled in his classes and became the President of the Peace Makers club. This year, he received his high school diploma and enrolled in classes at San Diego City College.
As an active member of the Burmese community, he has assisted in the planning of cultural events. His professional goal is to become an attorney and to eventually help not only his community, but other communities of color.
From the day he left his family in Burma to the day he arrived in San Diego, there has been much instability and fluctuations in his life, but one thing has remained constant: his love for art and education.
De Gray brought copies of some of his art to our interview. It was powerful, some satirical in nature, yet soft and approachable. In one, he depicted his home country with a soldier holding a key, standing on top of a chained book labeled Burma: Human Right. De Gray did not allow me to take a picture of him holding the image since his family remains in Burma.
In January 2016, De Gray will travel back to Burma for the first time in 11 years. He will experience a country being reborn. I am looking forward to hearing about his experience and to seeing it reflected in his art.
Growing up in San Diego in a predominantly Mexican neighborhood, I was unaware about life north of Highway 8 and east of the 15 Highway. There was no reason for me to venture into that part of town. Subsequently I was unknowledgeable about the cultural richness and diversity our county has to offer. San Diego is one of the main refugee resettlement cities in the U.S. Refugees from Iraq, Afghanistan, Burma, Somalia, Eritrea, Ghana, Vietnam, and from many other countries, call our city their new home. Soon we will also welcome many Syrian refugees, and they too will come with hopes and aspirations, yearning for a fresh start.
Don’t let your children or youth in your family grow up in this vivid, cultural hub by limiting their perspective. Teach them, at a young age, not to “other” those that are different from them. Put them in environments where they will meet youth with similar stories like De Gray’s. Show them that there is not a single story for each ethnicity, race or religion.
In an effort to contribute to the stories that shape our perspectives on refugees, I have begun a project to capture and tell stories from our refugee community.