World Refugee Day features: Grace Htee
By: Nayelie Valenzuela
Grace holding her ethnic group’s flag and in traditional apparel. Grace serves as a Crisis and Advocacy Program Advocate for EMBARC.
Continuing with acknowledging and highlighting refugees in our communities, we wanted to start with one of our staff members, Grace.
Grace’s family fled Myanmar to escape the ongoing dangers of the civil war that continues to this day. The Myanmar civil war has been ongoing for decades since its independence from British Imperial rule in 1948. Learn more about the history and current status of the country Myanmar here.
After fleeing the country, Grace’s family landed in a refugee camp on the outskirts of Thailand. Here was where Grace was born. While Thailand held refugee camps for those fleeing Myanmar, they were restrictive about providing citizenship and accepting those who fled.
“When people ask where I am from, I don’t know how to answer. I was born in Thailand, but they didn’t give me citizenship as a refugee. My family was from Burma, but I wasn’t. So, there was a loss of identity when people asked me that.”
Grace described her experience as a refugee as “tiresome.”
“It just felt like I was a bird inside a cage. There was barbed wire around the refugee camp, and you weren’t allowed to leave.”
However, when Grace and her family received news that they’d been settled in Phoenix, Arizona, in 2007 – Grace was ecstatic.
“I was so happy to never eat refugee camp food again. I would brag and tell my classmates that I was going to have cake and apples every day to eat.”
Grace was also excited to discover new land and the new experiences she would encounter.
All seven of Grace’s family were sent to Phoenix, Arizona, in 2007. Although she and her family had left the refugee camp, they faced a new challenge: surviving in a new country with a different language and limited resources.
“We came to the United States with zero money, no knowledge of the country, not knowing how to speak English, and then it’s a large city, so we don’t know where to get food, how to use the bus – being a refugee is hard, you’re losing everything.”
Grace shares the hardships that came with the resettlement.
“It’s like becoming a person without an identity. I lost my home, my friends, the family we left behind.”
Exhausted, Grace shares that even reliving the experience to share is tiring.
“Every time I speak about Burma or the refugee camp, I get so tired. The flashbacks: you can’t believe how it affects mental health.”
However, in 2013, Grace and her family were resettled again in Des Moines, Iowa, where she resides today. After almost seven years, her family resiliently made their current city their home. While they struggled with a few legalities and everyday life, there were wins.
From purchasing their first car, gaining employment and an income, learning English and even seeking citizenship, Grace and her family continue navigating Des Moines with what they’ve learned.
When reflecting on her journey, Grace was asked what she wished she had known about the country she was sent to. From learning the language, to the culture, managing new responsibilities like bills and the banking system, Grace wished there were resources available to her like they are now.
“I wish someone had taught me that when we first came here.”
Now, Grace serves as our Crisis and Advocacy Program Advocate for EMBARC. She strives to support and advocate for those who now share a similar path as she did.
