People ask each other in Karen Naw May Wele Ha? in the Thai-Burmese border town where I grew as a child. This means, Have you had a meal yet? This replaces the American version of How are you? This is important to me because it shows that neighbors are willing to help each other even when food is scarce. If someone hadn’t eaten, they were invited to join the party for rice, vegetables, and meat. Lucky people might be able to get bamboo soup or fresh fish from a river.
Utica is a city that values diversity and has a long history of immigration. My family and I adapted slowly to American life after I arrived from Thailand.
Although it was difficult to navigate all the paperwork and systems, there were many teachers, staff, employers, and neighbors who helped me and my family in many ways. They showed appreciation for our cultural differences, and wanted to help us succeed. There were people who could be relied upon for comfort and support when our community members were sometimes discriminated against or subject to racism.
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The Midtown Utica Community Center, (MUCC), has been an inclusive, safe space since its conception in 2014. Chris Sunderlin (founder), a dedicated board, and many dedicated volunteers have created an organization whose goal is to improve the well-being and health of low-income refugee and refugee families long-term after their arrival.
As the new executive director, I am focusing on community-led program development using a culturally-appropriate approach. We have partnered with many organizations to provide services like food security, vaccination outreach for the most vulnerable, youth job training and anti-violence/anti-racist educational programming as well programs for families living in poverty and crisis.
Recent programming includes visual, performing, and robotic arts, as well as collaboration with libraries and museums. Plans are in place for MUCC Camp 2022 which will be a popular camping experience for refugee and low-income youth in the Adirondacks.
I also spend a lot time focusing on how we can maintain and renovate our beautiful, but old building on Faxton St., the former All-Saints Episcopal Church. We want to continue to offer safe and accessible programming to everyone who is interested.
We are committed to working together in order to recover from the global COVID-19 epidemic, promote good health and well-being for our community, as well as make our organization financially sustainable and stable.
If you are interested in volunteering or supporting our organization, please email us at [email protected] or visit our website at midtownutica.org.
Every day, I live by the principle of think globally, do locally. I am particularly concerned about the Burmese and other ethnic communities who continue to be in danger because of the long-lasting conflicts that have been raging with the Burmese army. I am concerned about the ongoing violence in Burma, and other areas, and the fact there are millions of stateless and forcibly displaced people around the world.
I am grateful for the generosity of cities and towns such as Utica, which have welcomed refugees, asylees and evacuees in their most difficult times.
KayKlo is executive director of Midtown Utica Community Center, located at 43 Scott St. in Utica.
