Burmese, Karen, Chin and Karenni are just four of the many languages spoken by the different ethnic groups represented here in Lancaster. The people who speak one or more of these languages are originally from the country formerly known as Burma, now Myanmar. However, they are not all Burmese. Thousands of people have come to this country because of the political problems that have existed in Myanmar for many years. They come here as refugees, looking for a better life for themselves and their families. Though they may come from the same country, each ethnic group has their own language, culture and beliefs. This week we will take a closer look inside the Burmese culture.
Myanmar (Formerly Burma) and the Burmese Culture
Slightly smaller than Texas, Myanmar occupies the Thailand/Cambodia portion of the Indochinese peninsula. India lies to the northwest and China to the northeast. Bangladesh, Laos, and Thailand are also neighbors of this tiny nation. The culture of Burma (or Myanmar) has been heavily influenced by Buddhism and the Mon people. Its neighbors, particularly India, China, and Thailand, have made major contributions to Burmese culture. In more recent times, British colonial rule and westernization have influenced aspects of Burmese culture, including language and education. Burmese society operates on ana, a characteristic or feeling that has no English equivalent. It is best described as a hesitation, reluctance or avoidance, to perform an action based on the fear that it will offend someone or cause someone to lose face, or become embarrassed. Also, there is the concept of hpon, which translates to “power”. It is used as an explanation for the varying degrees of ethnic, socioeconomic, and gender differences between people in a society. Hpon refers to the cumulative result of past deeds, an idea that power or social position comes from merit earned in previous lives. This idea is used to justify the prevalent view that women are less equal than men, who are considered to have more hpon. Age is still considered synonymous with experience and wisdom. Elders are served first at meals, and in their absence a spoonful of rice is put aside first in the pot as a token of respect before serving the meal. Young people would avoid sitting on a higher level than the elders or passing in front of them unless unavoidable when they would tread softly and with a slight bow. Men may cross their legs sitting on a chair or a mat but women generally would not. Children are taught from young to revere one’s elders, respect one’s peers, and be kind to the young and weak. Parents are believed to be solely responsible for their children’s behavior as reflected by the expressions: mi ma hsonma, hpa ma hsonma ( undisciplined either by mother or by father) and ami youk tau hnoukkyan, ahpa youk tau ko amu-aya kyan (bad language from bad mother, bad body-language from bad father). Saying “thank you” however is not Burmese custom between friends and within the family. It is considered rude to touch a person’s head, because it is the highest point of the body. It is also considered taboo to touch another’s feet, but worse still to point with the foot or sit with feet pointing at someone older, because the feet are considered the lowest, both literally and figuratively. Physical demonstrations of affection in public are common between friends of the same gender or between members of the family, but seldom seen between lovers. It is thus common to see friends walking together holding hands or with arms round each other, but couples rarely do so, except in major cities.
