When I first met Par, a student at Lewisville High School-Harmon Campus in 2013, her English was not strong enough to complete a sentence or to even start a conversation. Just two years later, Par and I have meaningful conversations and communicate much better in English. We even laugh at the funny things we say.
When I ask Par what she wants Americans to know about the Chin population, an ethnic minority refugee group from Burma that has built a large community in Lewisville, TX, she states the following: “I want American people to help Chin people because there are poor people with no food or clothes.” When asked what is one thing you want people to know about you, Par responded: “I’m a good person. I want to help others when I grow and take care of family”. These are sentences spoken by a student who just a few years ago spoke no English and did not have much of a formal education until arriving in America.
Par only attended school until the third grade in Burma but had to quit school to stay home with her siblings. Par was responsible for cooking, cleaning and caring after her siblings until her family came to America as refugees in 2011. She was then enrolled in the American public education system.
It has been a tough, emotional rollercoaster ride living in America. It has been very difficult for Par to adjust to a new country, a new language, and n new way of life that involves policies, procedures, politics, and independence–all while trying to cope with a new culture yet honor her own. Par is determined, regardless of her shyness, to thrive no matter the odds. She is an amazing and inspiring student.
