Burmese refugees that fled genocide in Myanmar struggle to find work,

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
   

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Myanmar refugees who fled military persecution and
settled in America are finding new struggles with limited education
and a stifling language barrier.

They've quietly grown to become one of Kentucky's largest refugee
groups, spread among Louisville, Bowling Green and Owensboro. Many are
concentrated in Louisville's South End, where they've become an
increasingly common presence in local factories, churches and schools.

Over the last four decades, an estimated 1.3 million refugees have
fled Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, to escape persecution at the
hands of the military, according to the United Nations.

For many, their new lives in the U.S. haven't been easy. Most arrive
with limited educations, farming backgrounds and a lack of work
history from years in camps along the Thailand border, The Courier-
Journal reported.

"We are happy to be here, but it's difficult," said 42-year-old Hsar
Say, who fled Myanmar after participating in 1988 democracy protests.
"I hope to go back someday. But I'm not sure where to go back. There
is no home anymore."

Say, who lives in south Louisville, is one of nearly 3,000 refugees
who have been brought to Kentucky since 2006.

Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell has long been an outspoken critic of the
Myanmar regime and staunch advocate of sanctions designed to bring
democratic change there. But he believes that's a distant prospect.

"I've never spent more time on something with fewer results,"
McConnell said. "I can't envision how you bring this regime down."

Refugee Thar Tin recently landed a job at a Louisville meatpacking
plant. He explained that he'd fled his homeland because Army soldiers
were forcing men to labor as porters and human minesweepers. He spent
nine years at the camps before coming to Louisville three years ago.

"There was no good education in Burma or in camp; here they have good
school and good jobs," he said, noting his children are doing well in
school. "And you don't have to sneak out to work."

Yet many refugees have struggled, speaking little or no English and
usually lacking experience with formal schooling and structured jobs.

"They arrive happy to be where they are, and then reality sets in,
they're overwhelmed," said Annette Ellard, a Louisville resident who
became involved with the refugees' plight after a mission trip. "The
reality for many of these refugees is they would like to go back home
and live life in the traditional way, but they don't have that
choice."

The Louisville refugees from Myanmar have established communities at
several churches, and some gather elsewhere to practice their Buddhist
faith. At several South Louisville apartment complexes, groups of
refugees from Burma gather to celebrate births and share traditional
meals along with tips on navigating life in the U.S.

Many of those brought here say they would like to return if things
were to change in Myanmar. For now, however, they remain in apartments
and modest homes, quietly carving out a new life while keeping one eye
on their homeland.

"If there's no peace, I dare not go home," Ka Waw said. "Right now, I
have no hope of going back."