But In My Dreams (2022-2023)
Aung Chan said, “ I do miss home. I went back to Myanmar many, many times,” he paused, “but in my dreams.” Then he laughed.
Aung Chan left Myanmar in 1990 for political reasons after the 1988 uprising. Decades of military oppression and civil war have displaced hundreds of thousands. Over 200,000 members of the Myanmar diaspora now live in the US, yet the trauma of dictatorship and exile lingers.
Resettlement brings new struggles: racial discrimination, language barriers, loss of belonging, and limited healthcare access. Mental health remains a taboo topic, and structural barriers prevent many from seeking support. Still, healing continues through cultural practices—communal gatherings, food traditions, and shared rituals.
Through collaborative photography and active listening, I engage with the Myanmar diaspora in Minnesota. Arriving in the US after the 2021 coup, this work has helped me rebuild my own sense of belonging while confronting the Burmanization of ethnic minorities, a history I was taught to overlook.
This project celebrates resilience and explores how cultural practices within the diaspora serve as a form of care—an act of survival shaped by displacement, memory, and the border regime.
Twin Cities Area, Minnesota, United States, July 2022.
More than 300,000 people from Myanmar have resettled in the United States. Minnesota is home to one of the largest Myanmar diaspora communities, with an estimated 30,000 residents.
Harris, Minn., July 30, 2022 – A dancer from the Sein Win Ko Dance Troupe prepares backstage before her performance at a communal ordination ceremony. The troupe is made up of young performers from diverse Myanmar ethnic groups, including Karen and Burmese, who come from various parts of the United States, from Rochester, N.Y., to St. Paul.
Saint Paul, Minn., July 27, 2022 – A traditional dancer’s costume made by Chan Win, a dancer and tailor with the Sein Win Ko Dance Troupe. Win, who designs costumes for the troupe, learned tailoring from his grandmother while growing up in an IDP camp on the Thailand-Myanmar border.
Saint Paul, Minn., July 22, 2022 – The outdoor garden kitchen of a Mon/Burmese family in Minnesota, where meals are prepared year-round. The family uses the indoor stove only to warm dishes and must be mindful of when they cook to avoid complaints from neighbors unfamiliar with their cooking.
Harris, Minn., July 30, 2022 – A Karen young man plays a traditional drum during the communal ordination ceremony at Dhamma Thuka Monastery. The monastery relocated from Saint Paul to Harris in 2019 due to noise complaints from neighbors about cultural activities, according to the head monk, U Ashin Uttamalinkara. "It’s important to be able to hold this kind of cultural and religious event to help keep our culture alive in our community," he said. "It’s also the only bridge between the young and old generations."
Oak Park Heights, Minn., July 9, 2022 – Families of the Myanmar diaspora from the first Baptist Church, enjoy a fishing picnic along the St. Croix River. The river forms the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin, with the Xcel Energy Allen S. King power plant, one of the highest greenhouse gas-emitting plants in the U.S., located nearby.
Saint Paul, Minn., Oct. 12, 2022 – A taxidermy deer head is displayed at a Burmese grocery store in Saint Paul. The shop owner said it was a gift from a friend who is a hunter and takes pride in showcasing it. Hunting and taxidermy are traditional practices passed down through generations among ethnic minorities from Myanmar.
Harris, Minn., July 30, 2022 – Daw Thein (changed name) visited Sein Win Ko Dance Troupe’s opera show after the communal ordination ceremony at Dhamma Thuka Monastery.
The ceremony marked an important cultural and religious event for the local Pro Karen community.
