WRITTEN By NATAlIE GAllAGHER
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PHOTOGRAPHy By STUART HEIdMAN
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Nearly a decade ago the Thang family arrived in the U S after fleeing persecution in their native Myanmar Today they’ve found their own version of the American dream through farming
Editor’s Note:
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Our interview with Joseph and Far Thang was conducted with the assistance of translator Daniel Lian.
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Far Thang is a petite woman with a heart-shaped, youthful face. She primarily speaks Hakha Chin, a language found in pockets of Southeast Asia, including Myanmar’s Hakha State, where Far was born. When
The Thangs sit side-by-side at their kitchen table in their home; baby
guests arrive in the home she shares with her husband, Joseph, and their
Christine is wrapped around Far, who bounces her gently. Peter climbs
four children (14-year-old Sharon, 10-year-old Benjamin, 7-year-old Peter
into Joseph’s lap, waving a miniature American flag and pushing other
and two-month-old Christine), shoes are removed at the door and hot tea is
toys across the tablecloth. A door leads out to a small deck and a large
immediately offered.
backyard, where the family has planted rows and rows of vegetable crops. It’s an arrangement, the Thangs say, that’s very familiar.
It’s the way it would have been done in her home country of Myanmar (formerly Burma), although the Thangs haven’t lived there in more than a
“Our hometown is in a mountain region,” Joseph says. “We farmed there,
decade. They’re refugees who fled civil war, political turmoil and religious
but not as big as this. It was a family business – everyone had a home
persecution – they were Christians living in a majority Buddhist country.
with a backyard like this, and they grow for family or the community.”
Joseph first escaped to Malaysia in 2005, and then made arrangements for Far and Sharon to follow in 2006. Benjamin was born in Malaysia while the
When the Thangs first immigrated to the U.S., they wanted to continue
Thangs sought permanent resettlement in the U.S. That process included
growing and gardening, but they didn’t know about the local growing
extensive background checks, and it took years. At last, on May 21, 2009,
season, weather patterns or what exactly to plant. That’s where New
with the help of Catholic Charities of Northeast Kansas, the family touched
Roots came in.
down on American soil. The program officially began in 2008, although it had started gaining The Thangs relocated to Kansas City, Kansas; Catholic Charities saw to
ground a few years prior. In the early 2000s, Catholic Charities was
it that they were settled in an area populated with other Myanmarese
working with large populations of Somali Bantu refugees. Over
refugees so that they could find fellowship easily as they continued
the course of the refugee-resettlement process, New Roots found
the immigration process. Joseph found work at Triumph Foods, a pork
that women often feel isolated in their new country; they're often
processing plant in St. Joseph, Missouri, which employs a large population of
responsible for childcare while men attend the program’s cultural
refugees from Myanmar; it’s a steady job where not a lot of English is needed
classes and go through job placement. Some of the Somali Bantu
to get by, and Joseph needed to support his growing family – both Peter and
women wanted to address these issues, and they expressed an interest
Christine were born in the U.S.
in farming; it had been central to the culture in their home country. Catholic Charities initially set up a community garden before quickly
After two years in Kansas City, Joseph heard about New Roots for Refugees
recognizing the opportunity to expand, and partnered with Cultivate KC
through a friend. The program, started by Catholic Charities and Cultivate
to do so.
KC, a Kansas City-based agriculture nonprofit (then called Kansas City Center for Urban Agriculture), teaches refugees – typically those with
Today, New Roots is structured as a four-year program, with 16 new
agriculture experience – how to start their own small farms.
families enrolled each year. Twenty-nine families have graduated from the program to date, and 20 of those are still growing and selling
It’s this program, the Thangs say, which truly gave them a sense of home –
produce. Each family is given a quarter-acre plot of land at Juniper
and roots – in their new country.
Gardens, New Roots' nine-acre training farm in Kansas City, Kansas.
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