Rising Above Borders

Episode #184: One of six siblings, Tu Lor Eh Paw grew up in a bamboo hut in a tiny village in Karen state.

Her mother was a local Karen Christian missionary, and Tu Lor grew up celebrating Christian holidays and basing her ethics and values on Christian teachings.

When Tu Lor was just a child, her mother unfortunately passed away, and her father made the difficult decision to move most of the family to a refugee camp. He felt he just couldn’t support the entire family in the village anymore, and there was a constant fear of the military.

After two years in a Thai refugee camp, the family moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota. Arriving in the thick of winter, her first thought was, “Hey, what’s all this white stuff?!” They did not have the right clothing for that climate, knew few people there, and couldn’t speak any English. Her siblings ended up going to different schools.

Fortunately, Minneapolis boasts a sizeable Karen community, which Tu Lor quickly integrated into. Tu Lor has since made the most of her new life in the United States, but she can’t help but feel a sense of guilt when thinking of her remaining family back home. She is constantly thinking of what she can do in the United States that will help those back home, which is a challenge with the conflict continuing to rage.

While Tu Lor is hopeful about the democracy movement in Myanmar, she is tired by the ongoing stress and trauma, tired of the international community barely paying attention or providing support, and tired of hearing about yet more airstrikes around her home village. “But I am hopeful that we're finally going to get the freedom that we want.”