People from Burma living in Chapel Hill and Carrboro : an action-oriented community diagnosis ; findings and next steps of action
Creators: name: Schwartz, Michael
name: Decker, Caytie
name: Ellenson, Megan
name: Singh, Neha
name: Schurmann, Anna
name: Cathcart, Rebecca
Publisher: name: The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill University Libraries
Year: 2007

description: An estimated 250 people from Burma live in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, North Carolina. Although their physical living conditions have improved since leaving Burma or refugee camps in Thailand, they face many challenges in their daily lives in Chapel Hill and Carrboro. From September 2006 to April 2007, a team of six UNC public health graduate students conducted an Action-Oriented Community Diagnosis (AOCD) with this population. The purpose of the AOCD was to assess the strengths and challenges of the community in order to recommend steps for planned change. However, since the AOCD process has several limitations, which are addressed in section 5, the findings presented in this document should not be considered comprehensive or definitive. Rather, they are intended to inform a new beginning for community members and service providers to collaborate on building and improving community strengths to support and mobilize positive change in the community. The team was guided by two preceptors: Susan Clifford, Senior Public Health Educator at the Orange County Health Department and Meaghan Tracy, Triangle Area Manager for Refugee and Immigration Services at Lutheran Family Services in the Carolinas. Throughout the project, team members studied various secondary sources to educate themselves about the community and its history, attended community events and recorded observations, conducted 2 youth focus groups, and interviewed 40 individuals – 17 service providers and 22 community members. These data sources were analyzed, yielding 12 themes, or recurring topics concerning the community. To discuss the findings and potential action steps publicly, the team recruited a small group of interested service providers and community members to join in organizing a community forum. This Community Forum Planning Committee (CFPC) reviewed the 12 themes identified through data analysis, and selected the following four themes, which were presented and discussed at the community forum to generate key action steps: Adult Education – Community members want to attend English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to improve their English, but ESL class scheduling conflicts with work and family life. Community Organization – A lack of organization hinders the community's ability to help new arrivals, maintain culture, and improve the lives of community members. Health Knowledge – Lack of knowledge about U.S. health practices around personal and home care makes it difficult for community members to stay healthy and access the care they need. Interpreter Services – The lack of interpreters for the Burmese and Karen languages in Chapel Hill/Carrboro prevents access to services and reduces their quality. The forum was conducted in three languages – English, Burmese, and Karen – with the help of local community interpreters and headsets allowing for simultaneous translation. Team members led 4 small groups to discuss the themes selected by the CFPC. Action steps resulting from the small group discussions as well as additional team recommendations are available in section 4 in this document. The eight remaining themes that were not discussed at the community forum are available in Appendix E. They include: changes in family dynamics, ethnic identity, education for youth, divisions within the community, domestic violence, institutional literacy, knowledge of community, and language barriers.