Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Meet Christina Khim, Assisting Burmese With Citizenship Process

Christina Khim
Christina Khim has a heart for the Burmese community in her adopted hometown.

She joined the Burma Center of Battle Creek’s board in 2020. Before that Christina was a staff member for almost two years where she “was a jack of all trades,” including teaching the English as a Second Language (ESL) courses.

“I actually taught ESL courses before the Burma Center became the Burma Center.”

Since 2016 Christina has worked for DENSO, one of the biggest employers in Battle Creek, most recently as human resources specialist. But she is also involved in helping Burmese residents of the Cereal City study for their Citizenship Exam, so they can become U.S. citizens.

“You have to learn the history of the United States,” she explains. “There are 100 questions [on the exam] and you have to learn and know the answers, by heart.”

Christina has been teaching the Citizenship Class for eight years on and off, sometimes teaching groups on Sundays at church on a volunteer basis.

The focus of the class “is on explaining the 100 questions. Word for word.”

The test includes questions covering the U.S. Constitution and U.S. History, including slavery.

“I tell [the students] the stories behind each question. It helps them with better understanding and retention.”

But the exam is only one part of the citizenship process, which includes a 20-page application form. The form asks for personal information on family, employment history and a lot of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ questions – like if you have committed a crime.

“The vocabulary of the questions is very complicated,” Christina says. “The terminology can be difficult [for a non-native English-speaking person] to understand. And the individuals taking the exam most often can’t do research on the questions on their own.”

The citizenship process involves a face-to-face interview where individuals are questioned about U.S history, tested for their writing and reading skill, and asked many of the terms mentioned within their 20-page application form – like what does ‘totalitarian’ mean?

Because of the complexity of the language issue, “some people take the test two or three times due to the difficulty of answering the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ questions.”

Another layer of difficulty is that, oftentimes, the person filling out the application for citizenship isn’t the person who is applying – because the person applying is not yet proficient enough in English.

“Burmese are very good at memorization,” says Christina, “but understanding [what they are memorizing] is the harder part.”

The class that Christina teaches focuses on the interview questions and the form itself. Another volunteer at the Burma Center trains others who do mock interviews in an effort to help with that part of the citizenship process. Afterwards Christina reviews the results of their interview. A review of citizenship applications with an attorney is also done to make sure each application is complete before actual submission.

All of this process may seem a little intimidating, but when you consider that the application fee to become a U.S. citizen is $725, per person, it’s well worth the time spent prepping!

Not surprisingly, Christina says that the majority of the people she works with are adults, between 40-55 years of age, who tend to have lower-levels of English comprehension.

While Battle Creek has a long history of welcoming Burmese to the community, Christina says that “the reasons why people [from Burma] come to Battle Creek have changed over the years.”

Initially, “In terms of employment, the main focus has moved from slaughterhouses, to manufacturing, to starting their own businesses. There are now three Burmese grocery stores and two restaurants in Battle Creek owned by Burmese families. And having stable income, they start buying houses.”

Most recently, Christina says, Burmese who initially settled in Battle Creek are now looking beyond Michigan, with a significant population living in Indianapolis. According to the Burmese American Community Institute 35,000 Burmese live in Indiana, with 24,000 of them in Indianapolis.

“If the Biden administration welcomes refugees, I can see an increase in the Burmese population happening,” says Christina.

Just as it’s the older Burmese who have difficulty navigating the application process for the U.S. Citizenship, Christina points out that it’s also the older adults who initially struggle with the language barrier at the workplace.

It isn’t difficult for Christina to have empathy for older Burmese adults who have struggled with the English language.

“I was already an adult when I came here,” she explains. “I was praying to God that I wouldn’t embarrass myself [with the difficulties of learning a new language].”

For Christina, attending college, “was a huge learning curve.” She has earned a bachelor’s degree from Albion College and a master’s degree from Western Michigan University.

What about the issue of culture shock?

“In Burma, the America we know is only [what we see] through the movies,” she says. “It’s not exactly the same.”

Another difference is the way learning happens in the U.S. “Here it’s based on student participation. Not in Burma. There you don’t talk during class. I had to challenge myself to ask questions. Raising my hand was a huge thing.”

Overall, Christina says that “Burmese people are strong, resilient, good people.”

Politically, since the 1960s, she says that Burma has been shut off from the rest of the world because of government crackdowns. “The eyes and ears of the Burmese were closed.”

Since 1988 people have been steadily leaving Burma. But the current rebellion against the military government, since February of this year, has been the biggest Christina has known in her lifetime.

Christina sums up: “The Burmese people have gone through a lot. But they are good, kind, generous people. They are leaving Burma because they have no choice, for the safety of their kids and families. Give them a chance. You won’t regret it!”

For more information on the Burma Center of Battle Creek, or to make a donation, click here.

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