In two worlds

Since the coup in Myanmar began in February of 2021, junior Bianca Mawi has been spreading awareness on social media.
‘‘It made me question our history because I really didn’t know anything about Burmese history until then,’’ Mawi said.
Studying her home country’s past has allowed her to reflect on her birthplace and learn more about her roots.
When she first arrived in the U.S. at age 7, she went to a school in Iowa. There were many different races, and she felt accepted.
Although she felt this way, Mawi still felt like she was slowly losing parts of her culture.
‘‘We try to assimilate into American culture,’’ Mawi said. ‘‘I feel like sometimes we forget our cultural background.’’
She still considers herself a Chin-American because she was born in Myanmar, but she was raised in the U.S.
Even though she looks at herself as Chin-American, she still feels as if she is losing part of her culture. Some examples of this are the weakening of her Hakha speaking skills and the fact that she has not worn cultural clothes in over a year.
When going to church, a place of cultural significance for her, Mawi feels at home.
But when she attends school, she finds that it’s a whole other story.
The difference between going to church and going to school reminds her of the two worlds that she lives in. She sees many of her classmates at school but speaks more with them at church. It helps her see a new perspective.
‘‘It’s kind of like there’s this separation of identity because I go to church, and then the next day I go to school,’’ Mawi said.