Insight Myanmar
This year, for the very first time, I went to Thailand because many of the people that I wanted to see, as it turns out, have actually fled across the border, and have now sought safety and shelter in places like Mae Sot and Chiang Mai.”
So says Kenneth Wong, and his discussion for the Insight Myanmar podcast centers around what he learned during his recent sojourn to the Land of Smiles. Kenneth, a Burmese language teacher at UC Berkeley who also translates Burmese poetry, makes his second appearance on the podcast (his first discussion focused on the history of Burmese cinema).
An avid language learner, Kenneth threw himself into studying Thai before his trip. He purchased language books, began listening to Thai-oriented podcasts, and tested his comprehension by streaming his favorite Netflix shows, such as The Crown and Stranger Things, with the Thai language dubbed over. Yet he was in for something of a shock when he landed in Mae Sot, and saw official signs in English, Thai… and Burmese! That was my first encounter, and it gave me a hint that Mae Sot was much more Burmese than I expected it to be. When I went around town, it reminded me a lot about some outskirts of Mandalay.” Like so many Burmese now, Kenneth cannot return to his land of origin due to the ongoing conflict. For non-immigrant Burmese, anyway, Mae Sot has become the next best thing; spending time in the local teashops helps satisfy Kenneth’s nostalgia. For Burmese immigrants, however, Kenneth learned it is a different story altogether.
On the language front, Kenneth was a bit surprised that many Thais could converse with him in basic Burmese. On reflection, he realizes it’s like Americans who work with Mexican immigrants along the border, and who pick up conversational Spanish. Conversely, he was dismayed to find that few within the burgeoning Burmese refugee population try to learn Thai. One reason for this, according to Kenneth, is that Burmese young people have less interest in Thai culture as compared to say, Korea’s K-Pop. Perhaps the main reason, however, is that many see Thailand as just a temporary way station on the way to another country (or at least, they hope it is), so there is less perceived need or desire to learn the language. Whatever the reason, Kenneth sees that this has a big downside, though. If you have a large population of refugees who don’t make an effort to learn the language, it could foster resentment
among the local population, looking at that as your lack of desire to integrate and adapt,” he says. You won’t have access to some of the social services, or to establish social bonds with local people who could help you if you don’t speak the language. So that to me is a not-so-comforting dichotomy.” One exception that Kenneth is quick to point out comes in the form of Joy House, a community-based organization in Mae Sot, sponsored by Jeanne Hallacy, that provides Thai language classes to the refugee population, among other services and support.
CATCH THE FULL PODCAST HERE:
