Burmese Australians (ဗမာနွယ်ဖွား သြစတြေးလျ) are Australian citizens who carry full or partial ancestry from

Myanmar Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and has ...

, also known as Burma, a country located in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

. The majority ethnic group of Burma is the

Bamar people The Bamar people ( Burmese: ဗမာလူမျိုး, ''ba. ma lu myui:'' ) (formerly known as Burmese people or Burmans) are a Sino-Tibetan-speaking ethnic group native to Myanmar (formerly known as Burma). With an estimated population ...

but there are also numerous Burmese ethnic minorities. Burma was historically ruled as a British colony throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and it was part of the

British Raj The British Raj ( ; from Hindustani language, Hindustani , 'reign', 'rule' or 'government') was the colonial rule of the British The Crown, Crown on the Indian subcontinent, * * lasting from 1858 to 1947. * * It is also called Crown rule ...

(i.e.,

British India The provinces of India, earlier presidencies of British India and still earlier, presidency towns, were the administrative divisions of British governance in South Asia. Collectively, they have been called British India. In one form or another ...

) at one point. The

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

lost control of

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

to the

Empire of Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

(1942), regained control over Burma in 1945, and was subsequently expelled from Burma in 1948 when the country became independent. Like Burma,

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

was also historically a British colony, though Australia's indigenous population has largely been replaced by

Anglo-Celtic Australians Anglo-Celtic Australians is an ancestral grouping of Australians whose ancestors originate wholly or partially in the British Isles - predominantly in England (including Cornish), Ireland, Scotland and Wales, as well as the Isle of Man and ...

and other settler groups, whereas Anglo-Burmese people constitute a minority of Burma's native population. Most Burmese Australians are of Bamar or Karen descent, though there are also many Sino-Burmese, Indo-Burmese and some

Rohingya people The Rohingya people (; ; ) are a stateless nation, stateless Indo-Aryan peoples, Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who predominantly follow Islam from Rakhine State, Myanmar. Before the Rohingya genocide in 2017, when over 740,000 fled to Ban ...

in Australia.

History

For much of its post-colonial history, Myanmar (Burma) has been ruled by the

Tatmadaw The Tatmadaw, also known as the Sit-Tat, is the armed forces of Myanmar (formerly Burma). It is administered by the Ministry of Defence and composed of the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Navy and the Myanmar Air Force. Auxiliary services include ...

, its armed forces, which has exacerbated domestic political instability, especially in regions inhabited by ethnic minorities, such as the Karen, Shan, Rakhine, Mon,

Chin The chin is the forward pointed part of the anterior mandible (List_of_human_anatomical_regions#Regions, mental region) below the lower lip. A fully developed human skull has a chin of between 0.7 cm and 1.1 cm. Evolution The presence of a we ...

and others. Unresolved political issues and grievances by ethnic armed organizations have fomented significant tensions and conflict with the military government. Consequently, the ordinary Burmese have endured subjugation for decades under a series of military governments.BURMESE Community Profile. Static1.squarespace.com. (2006). Retrieved 20 December 2021, from https://www.mcww.org.au/s/community-profile-burma.pdf . Many Burmese people were internally displaced in 2002 as a result. Burmese people were either being forced to relocate or relocating by their own will. Over a half million Burmese had escaped to neighbouring countries for safety. The government was accused of engaging in various many human rights violations, such as forced labour, forced displacement and persecution. Prior to Burmese arrival in

, this group of refugees were living in camps on the border between

and

Thailand Thailand, officially the Kingdom of Thailand and historically known as Siam (the official name until 1939), is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. With a population of almost 66 million, it spa ...

. During their time in these camps Burmese refugees had experienced health problems and diseases, women in camps were exposed to violence, a lack of income and food security.

Health

It was reported that a great number of the Burmese community have experienced certain

health Health has a variety of definitions, which have been used for different purposes over time. In general, it refers to physical and emotional well-being, especially that associated with normal functioning of the human body, absent of disease, p ...

difficulties upon migrating to

.Schweitzer, R. D., Brough, M., Vromans, L., & Asic-Kobe, M. (2011). Mental health of newly arrived Burmese refugees in Australia: contributions of pre-migration and post-migration experience. Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 45 (4), 299-307. Mental health conditions of the Burmese community in Australia upon migration has been examined and associated with factors of pre and post migration. A study that was conducted indicated that a high number of participants reported various mental health distress this includes: PTSD (9%),

anxiety Anxiety is an emotion characterised by an unpleasant state of inner wikt:turmoil, turmoil and includes feelings of dread over Anticipation, anticipated events. Anxiety is different from fear in that fear is defined as the emotional response ...

(20%), depression (36%), and somatisation (37%). This mental health factors were related to pre migration trauma and post migration difficulties. It was reported that pre migration traumas linked to traumatisation symptoms whereas post migration had escalated symptoms of depression and anxiety. Burmese migrants were greatly concerned about the difficulties of

communication Communication is commonly defined as the transmission of information. Its precise definition is disputed and there are disagreements about whether Intention, unintentional or failed transmissions are included and whether communication not onl ...

, and this hindering their ability to obtain job security and/or access to the right health services. Furthermore, more worry was accentuated to educational opportunities and being away from family. A number of Burmese migrants who have settled in Australia have demonstrated Vitamin D deficiency as well as a number of infectious diseases.-Tung, K., Chauk, L., & Taw, K. N. P. Burmese food and cultural profile: dietetic consultation guide. Oral health is also not seen as a priority by many Burmese refugees in Australia due to the lack of oral health services in Burma. It is also reported that the oral health of Burmese Australians is prone to further impacts if there is a rapid consumption of snacks and sugar in Australia. Burmese migrants to Australia are also prone to chronic diseases. Many refugees who were at the Thai-Burmese border camps before migrating to Australia have reported suffering from depression, and PTSD. Further members of the Burmese community are at risk of

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

, high blood pressure and weight gain.

Post-migration experiences

Access to services

After migrating to Australia, some Burmese people experienced various difficulties when settling in a new country.People of Burma in Melbourne. Smrc.org.au. (2011). Retrieved 20 December 2021, from https://smrc.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/people-of-burma-in-melbourne.pdf . One example of this is access to services, some Burmese Australians have reported difficulty when it came to knowing where and how to access a service, and the lack of interpreters has made them become reluctant when trying to access certain services.

Fear of authorities

Burmese people had experienced much trauma with the due to the traumatic experiences in Burma with regards to the and the fear of Burmese military many Burmese people have developed a sense of fear towards authorities. Many Burmese people had experienced much trauma due to the military dictatorship in Burma and the experiences of detention, ethnic discrimination, and persecution. This has left a sense of fear, reluctance, and mistrust towards authorities in Australia such as police and government officials.

Children

Certain Burmese Australian parents are struggling to understand their children who are experiencing two different

culture Culture ( ) is a concept that encompasses the social behavior, institutions, and Social norm, norms found in human societies, as well as the knowledge, beliefs, arts, laws, Social norm, customs, capabilities, Attitude (psychology), attitudes ...

s, thus reported to be making disciplining much more difficult for parents.

Counselling

It is found that a vast number of the Burmese community in Australia experience much mental health issues due to the struggles and difficulties of both pre and post migration experiences, however due to the culture Burmese people are not familiar with seeking help or counselling from stranger or professional help. Burmese culture and personality are seemed to influence their perspectives on mental health and the idea of support systems.

Religious observance

Burmese Australians adhere to different religions including

Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...

, or

Islam Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...

. Religion is usually determined based on the ethnic group. There are various religious organisations where Burmese Australians observe their religion and foster connectedness with the community. Upon an influx of Burmans migrating to Australia, Buddhist monasteries were established. Burmese people also congregated in existing churches and there is a developing Burmese Muslim population in Southeast Melbourne.

Demographics

According to the 2016 census the main languages spoken at home by Myanmar-born people in Australia is Burmese 40.5%, Karen languages 16.3%, English 12.3%, Hakha Chin 9.9%, other languages 20.5%.Myanmar Born Community Information Summary. Australian Government department of Human affairs. (2016). Retrieved 20 December 2016, from https://www.homeaffairs.gov.au/mca/files/2016-cis-myanmar.PDF . At the 2016 census the major religious affiliations for Myanmar-born were

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

31.0%,

Buddhist Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

25.0%,

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

14.2%,

10.7%, other religion 14.1%, no religion 2.9%.

Locations

The Burmese population in

live in the major cities of

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

, and

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

. In New South Wales, most Burmese Australians were reported to reside in the Western Sydney council areas of Cumberland 0.36% and Canterbury Bankstown 0.29%. Sydney is also the home of the Australian Shan Community. There is also a fast-growing community of Burmese Australians in

Adelaide, South Australia Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

. Karen is considered to be the second most-spoken language in Mount Gambier.

Culture

The Burmese association of

is one of the oldest organisations that was formed in 1965. It originally was created to assist and support Burmese migrants but has moved to foster a broader purpose of creating understanding and relationships among other Australian communities through different programs and activities.The Burmese Association of Western Australia. Bawa.org.au. Retrieved 20 December 2021, from https://www.bawa.org.au/pages/services.html . Burmese Australians frequently continue to consume traditional meals. Food is considered an integral part of Burmese-Myanmar culture. The Burmese association of Western Australia holds a monthly food fete that raises

charity Charity may refer to: Common meanings * Charitable organization or charity, a non-profit organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being of persons * Charity (practice), the practice of being benevolent, giving and sha ...

through the community and volunteer cooks. This food fete enables people to try different types of the traditional cuisine by bringing the community together and celebrating multiculturalism.

Gender roles

Gender Gender is the range of social, psychological, cultural, and behavioral aspects of being a man (or boy), woman (or girl), or third gender. Although gender often corresponds to sex, a transgender person may identify with a gender other tha ...

roles in a Burmese Australian family is typically like that in their homeland. Both

men A man is an adult male human. Before adulthood, a male child or adolescent is referred to as a boy. Like most other male mammals, a man's genome usually inherits an X chromosome from the mother and a Y chromosome from the fa ...

and

women A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl. Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional u ...

are involved in household tasks such as making

food Food is any substance consumed by an organism for Nutrient, nutritional support. Food is usually of plant, animal, or Fungus, fungal origin and contains essential nutrients such as carbohydrates, fats, protein (nutrient), proteins, vitamins, ...

and

shopping Shopping is an activity in which a customer browses the available goods or services presented by one or more retailers with the potential intent to purchase a suitable selection of them. A Retail#Shopper profiles, typology of shopper types ha ...

. However, when larger festivities or gatherings are to take place, men are more typically responsible of

cooking Cooking, also known as cookery or professionally as the culinary arts, is the art, science and craft of using heat to make food more palatable, digestible, nutritious, or Food safety, safe. Cooking techniques and ingredients vary widely, from ...

for these events.

Religious and cultural influences

Burmese Australians are affiliated to various ethnic groups. These ethnic groups influence their religious and cultural and food practices. The

Rohingya The Rohingya people (; ; ) are a stateless Indo-Aryan ethnolinguistic group who predominantly follow Islam from Rakhine State, Myanmar. Before the Rohingya genocide in 2017, when over 740,000 fled to Bangladesh, an estimated 1.4 million Ro ...

people who are primarily

Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

consume much more seafood and chilli.Tung, K., Chauk, L., & Taw, K. N. P. Burmese food and cultural profile: dietetic consultation guide. They observe Islamic festivals of

Ramadan Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. It is observed by Muslims worldwide as a month of fasting (''Fasting in Islam, sawm''), communal prayer (salah), reflection, and community. It is also the month in which the Quran is believed ...

and Eid. The ethnic groups of Zomi and Chin have reported of eating a specific type of meat, whereas the Karenni group of people in Australia have reported eating vegetables. In October the

Buddhists Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or 5th century BCE. It is the world's fourth ...

celebrate their period of fasting with a festival in which many foods are consumed. A harvest festival takes place in February whereby the Burmese community use the harvest food to make a festive glutinous rice dish called htamane.

Food habits in Australia

The common foods of Burmese Australians are rice, curry, soups, stir fries and salads. Many Burmese Australians have also reported consuming more meat and less vegetables in Australia. Cooking techniques in the Burmese community include

boiling Boiling or ebullition is the rapid phase transition from liquid to gas or vapor, vapour; the reverse of boiling is condensation. Boiling occurs when a liquid is heated to its boiling point, so that the vapour pressure of the liquid is equal to ...

, frying, fermentation Young Burmese Australians have reported drinking soft drinks, juices as well as sweetened milk teas with jelly pieces have become popular.

21st century media

The military takeover in Myanmar and the detention of Aung San Suu Kyi has shocked and dismayed the Burmese Australian community.Handley, E. (2021). 'Going backwards': Australia's Burmese community fears return of military rule after Aung San Suu Kyi's arrest. Abc.net.au. Retrieved 11 January 2022, from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-01/myanmar-burmese-rohingya-australia-community-react-military-coup/13108708 . For some it brought back memories of military dictatorship and the experiences they had faced with the government before migration. Many have also expressed their concerns and fears of their homeland going backwards, whilst others felt helpless for those in Myanmar and pray for the peace of their people and country.

Notable people

References

{{Ethnic groups in Australia