Karen symbol

One symbol of the Karen is their flag. The rising sun symbolizes that the Karen nation will always shine to the world with brightness and success. The nine beams of the sun symbolize the nine different areas in Burma where Karen people mostly live. In the middle of the nine beams of light, there is a Karen drum, frogs, and two buffalo horns.The top red stripe symbolizes the courage shared by all the Karen people.The middle white stripe represents purity, simplicity, and kindness. Then the bottom blue stripe represents loyalty and honesty.

Comparing Karen and Hmong culture

My culture is Hmong culture. I would like to compare Karen culture and my culture. The Karens has a new year celebration just like the Hmong culture too. They don't wear shoes in the house like the Hmong. It will be disrespectful if we do. We have to respect the elders like the Karens. Our food is so similar to them Karens. They eat fish, chicken, pork, and beef like the Hmong. their veggies include cucumbers, eggplants, mushrooms, squash, and bamboo shoots is what the Hmong culture eats too. They have traditional clothes, so does the Hmong. There is the wrist tying ceremony that both of the culture do. Hmong culture has a religion that is shamanism which is the belief in spirits and is similar to the Karens who's religion is animism. Family, which is a value in both cultures. They have dances and music that are similar to each other. Some of the Karen people came from Thailand like the Hmong.

Karen Dance :)

Here is a quick video of me trying to dance. Well this is a Karen dance I learned. Failed. Try to enjoy. :)

Values and Customs

There are values and customs that the Karen has. There are many values and customs they have. They are expected to follow these values and customs.Values are what is important.  Family is a value that is very important to the Karen. Elders are highly respected in values. Their education is also a value. They have the same level of equality between both sexes. The care for the poor and disadvantaged is a value too. A custom is the usual way of acting in given circumstances. There are customs that they have too. Holding your right elbow in left hand and using your right hand to shake hands is a custom. Another custom is that shoes are not worn in homes. To pass things with your right hand is a custom.

Here is the Karen flag

Interview

 

Here is a video interview that I did with my classmate from Burma. I asked her a few questions about her culture. I would like to thank her for letting me interview her. :)

History

     I did a project on the Karen culture. Karens originated from Mongolia. But they moved to Burma. The Karen historically was rural people, living in river valleys, plains and mountains, and engaged in agriculture and hunting and gathering. As they were spread throughout south and southeast Burma, different subgroups formed. These subgroups are now distinguished in part by language differences, which actually date to the influences of American Christian missionaries in the early nineteenth century. The Karen traditionally was animist. However, animism was not dominated by a belief of specific natural spirits, as is commonly the case in other animist societies. Rather, for any given area there was a master of the water, the land and the sky. In addition, there was a belief that one supreme spirit dominated the whole of the water, the earth and the sky. The arrival of British colonization in the mid-to-late nineteenth century brought a new sense of safety to the Karens. Contact with American and European Christian missionaries, who brought literacy and education, was welcomed. Then WWII came to Burma. As Britain granted Burma independence after the war, Karen people hoped for their own nation.  Government forces sent to conquer the rebellion actually drove more Karens into joining the rebels. A consistent pattern of considered human rights violations by the government against ethnic minority civilians has continued to this day, driving tens of thousands of Karens to Thailand as refugees and making the Karen conflict the world's longest running rebellion.

Karen people