Written by Soe Soe. 11^th grade (High School)                                                          2^nd Place (High School)

Parent’s Name:  Nai Thein Hla and Mi Myint Aye

                                   Mon Life in America

            Today, as we believe, our world is becoming as a small village and we can communicate or know very quickly. It is happening around the world. As the earth is round, we can travel easily anywhere. As the human nature, people are moving place to place for their pursuit of happiness.

  About 22,000 years ago, early Americans were traveled from Asia to North America for their basic needs meaning that early ancient Americans moved to Northern part of the world when they had difficulty for their surviving in their original place in around Asia because of the natural climate Ice Age. Even little animals such as birds, they had to fly and move their houses in order to get a food and for their safety. Therefore, as the same with them, we, Mon people in America , had been moved place to place after leaving our mother land (even though we love it more than we love our life) and arrived America hoping to get a more opportunity and a better life in new place.

                If we look back the history, at the time of as early as 1500 B.C., Mon people were one of the earliest groups who occupy Burma (now call Myanmar ). At that time, the whole Monland was shining as gold and all the Monlanders are living together peacefully with their own kingdom. According to history, the first Mon kingdom, Suwarnabhumi, was founded around in 300 BCE. Then passing to generation to generation, the Mon loyal blood were still red and strongly rule their mother Monland.

                However, after the Burman leader U Aungzeya captured the kingdom and destroyed the Hongsawatoi (the last Mon kingdom), the Mons had to running around without a country. By 1757, the thousands of Mon people including women, children, and even pregnant women were killed horribly which led few Mon leaders fled to the countries beside it such as Thailand . Since then Mons ’ life were very harshly and till now, Mons were forced and abused by the Burman.

                Now, Mons is living together with the other ethnic groups such as Karen, Rakhine, Chin, and Chan under the power of the Burmese military. But even though the governments are shouting in the controlled media that all the ethic groups are equal, in fact only Burmese are gaining powers and ruled the country as they want. Like other ethic groups, Mon Women were abused physically and mentally by the Burmese soldiers and men were forced to be labors for them also young boys were forced into the military.
                Therefore, when they had to suffer very painfully even inside their mother land, as the human nature, they had to look around to run away from their own land. In 1988, there was a Burmese Massacre happened and all the students, farmers, artisans, and monks who were involved in the demonstration were killed very badly and some were put into prison until their death but some had to flee to the near country, Thai. They couldn’t go back inside Burma because if they do, their lives were in serious danger so they just settled down at the Thai-Burma border as a refugee.

                In addition, even though Thai government led the refugee stayed in the border, the Mons were not easy to survive for their life so they had to start packed again and find the new place for their safety. Then Thai government and UNHCR work together and Mons refugees were sent to foreign countries such as America , Finland , Australia , and Sweden etc. So Mons were arrived the American and started their new life in new land again.         

                The United States is a new found country and it is very famous with its strong power and new technology. It is a democracy country and people have the right for their pursuit of happiness and liberty. Every body has their freedom of speech and freedom of living as the way they want. Even though Mons were arrived here as a refugees, the American government treats us like his own citizens and received the same right of freedom. After we arrived here for about 3 years, we can even apply for the citizenship and being in here as American citizens.

                Living in a free country, we don’t have to worry about government coming to our house and take our belonging by force or afraid have to go to prison if we want to form our own organizations. However, now in America , we have opportunity to take action for our nation to fight for the freedom of our country. It’s very lucky that we Mon people arrive here when most of others can’t even effort to come here. By saying in other way, we Mon who are in America get more chance to work for political issue because we can do things which Mon inside Burma can’t do such as show and speak openly to the whole world that what is real happening inside Burma and how Mons are suffered by the Burman. For example, on September 24, 2007, Mon in American got together and held demonstration in front of United Nations Headquarters in New York City to support the demonstration this is going on in Burma which is very helpful for our nation that Mon America have done.

        It’s the law of nature that white and black or up and down is always comparing each other. Therefore, as Mons here don’t have to worry for our safety or basic needs such as (food, fine place to live, to receive high education, etc…) Mon life in America is also in danger for our future because we arrive here and live among many foreigners so our children which is the natural resource for our future nation mostly influence to others language or culture. When they are born here and never been arrived our mother land in Asian world, of cause they have less interest to work for freedom of our country and they might even think America is their mother land so why would they suffer and tired their selves for country which they never seen. It’s very scary for our future generation if we don’t have time to explain or tell about our history and they misthink like that.
        Some want to go back to their mother land but because of their children’s education, they can’t go back there and serve for their country from the political issue. Also it’s not possible to live separately with their children when their children are living here and they go back and live there. Some are already an American citizen here which means we agree America is our country so we live here and die here. If we all Mon are becoming an American, in the future I’m afraid there will be no Monland or Mon nation in the world.

        Education level in America is really high if we compare with the others in the world. People around the world have to come here for their study field so it’s very grateful that our children get to go to school here in America . When they spend most of their time in school and learning English language, whenever they see each other, they only talk with the English language not Mon. Some can’t even speak Mon language. As the quote of “Language is the life of nation or language is the only root or source of nation”, every national has the duty to keep their mother language and pass through over generation to generation in order to keep it a life. However, when we don’t know how to write or read it, we don’t know its greatness too. So if we don’t see its greatness, it can’t convince us in order to keep it along way our life.

        However, as “if there is an illness, there is a medicine”, when Mons who love their brother blood and worry for their future generation, they build a Buddhist temple and open the Mon summer language school for everybody in order to teach them Mon language. Therefore Mon children never forget their mother language wherever they are. At the same time they learn English language to use for their daily life, they are learning Mon language to spread their mother language and recover Mon history again to the world. So our Mon language can always stand in this earth forever. When our Mon children are well educated, we can fight for our freedom also we can rehabilitate our Mon kingdom back. Then also we don’t have to worry about our children influence to other religion specially Christian since American is the Christian country.

The Mons life in America seem persons who has to walk on the small road meaning that it’s so very easy to fall down if has less care because living among the different religions and cultures, it’s so easy to be convinced by the others religions. For example, in school, we always learn about their God and even speak it such as “Oh my God!” Also in school, they offer the Bible study and Christianity emissions are even going to homes in order to spread their Christianity. Sometimes it’s good to know others religions and cultures too but if the wind are more flowing to the north, atomically we are pulled by stronger wind to the north too. Therefore, we have to pay much attention about that too since we are in America but we still want our generation to be Buddhists.

The best part that makes Mon life in America joyful is that we have Mon Buddhist temple here and all the monks are always teaching us not to forget our culture and religion then also explain or give lesson about Dhamma (the teaching of Buddha) in order to save Mon life in America to be off from the suffering of the life circle. Since we are Buddhist, we believe in recognition which means we believe there will next life after we die so in order to receive a better life after we die or on the present, we have to do or offer good things to the Sanka who are the sons of Buddha (monks) or to others. Therefore, when there is a Buddhist temple here in the United States , it’s very helpful for the Mons because we can do more good things even though we are in other’s country. For example, we celebrate Buddhism monthly religious festival at the temple and offer foods and things to the monks.

In addition, Mon life in America is very safety, wealthy (have enough food and money or things needs), healthy since there is a lot of experienced doctors with their high technology. However, if we are careless and just blinded by that wealth, it will be a bad shape for our Mon nation. Therefore, if we all love our nation and want to see our Monland back, we have to always consider or careful not to influence to others religions or cultures but learn from them if there’s we can use in our society to improve for our future better nation. If we all truly believe that we can reach our goal one day we can go back to our Hongsawatoi, of course we will only when we all work together whether we in others country or not. I have a dream that one day, our golden Sheldrake fly back to the Hongsawatoi peacefully and happily.

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