Last fall, Elissa had the opportunity to interview some Karen youth in St. Paul, MN. They met at a Karen grocery store, shared a meal together, and talked about various aspects of the Karen culture. We have divided this interview into a four part series: Culture, Immigration, Family and Faith, and Food and Holidays. For authenticity, we have transcribed the interview material as accurate as possible.
The Karen People
We encourage our readers to visit the Karen Organization of Minnesota website in order to learn more about the history and culture of the Karen people.
Part 4: Food and Holidays
Elissa: What is the most important meal of the day for Karen people
Re: I would say that it is lunch, because when people would go out to the farm they would only eat lunch.
Kyeh: Yeah, usually we don’t really even have breakfast. Like usually we would eat a meal around 10 or 11.
Re: Basically, I would say for my own family when we lived back in the refugee camp we would eat lunch and then in the evening eat dinner, so we would have two meals per day. We never really eat breakfast.
Htoo: It’s more like you start doing things in the morning early doing all this other stuff cause you know you are tired so then you stop and you got to eat. We eat the same portion for lunch and dinner. It is just that lunch is the more important one.
Elissa: I know in some cultures breakfast is really important?
Re: It’s weird though, because my dad he went to this thing and he learned that eating breakfast helps with your brain. When he got home he was telling all the children to eat breakfast every morning, because you start school early and that you should eat because your brain needs it in order to function properly. We were all like, “Ok, dad.”
Elissa: So, he has changed his tune a little?
Re: Yeah
Elissa: What are some foods that are traditional to Karen culture?
Re: Rice and fish paste and some stew and vegetables, because they eat it with the rice.
Elissa: Do you eat a lot of meat in your culture?
Re: Not really, because you know it is hard to find meat in our culture because we were doing farms and all of that so it was easier for us to access vegetables. We have meat like once a day [but] not as often as we have vegetables.
Elissa: What type of American food do you like?
Re: I eat pasta a lot and pizza.
Kyeh: I don’t like pizza with cheese on it. I order pizza from Papa Johns without cheese on it, just sauce and sausage and pepperoni. I told my friends, and they think it's weird cause they asked if it was really even pizza without cheese.
Elissa: I think it still is cause it's only missing one ingredient.
Elissa: Do you have any eating habits or rituals that are specific to your culture? Do you all sit down to eat together? Do you sit on the floor or around a table? Any of those sorts of things
The Karen People
We encourage our readers to visit the Karen Organization of Minnesota website in order to learn more about the history and culture of the Karen people.
Part 4: Food and Holidays
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| Karen food |
Elissa: What is the most important meal of the day for Karen people
Re: I would say that it is lunch, because when people would go out to the farm they would only eat lunch.
Kyeh: Yeah, usually we don’t really even have breakfast. Like usually we would eat a meal around 10 or 11.
Re: Basically, I would say for my own family when we lived back in the refugee camp we would eat lunch and then in the evening eat dinner, so we would have two meals per day. We never really eat breakfast.
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| Fish Sauce |
Elissa: I know in some cultures breakfast is really important?
Re: It’s weird though, because my dad he went to this thing and he learned that eating breakfast helps with your brain. When he got home he was telling all the children to eat breakfast every morning, because you start school early and that you should eat because your brain needs it in order to function properly. We were all like, “Ok, dad.”
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| Re holding some seasoning |
Re: Yeah
Elissa: What are some foods that are traditional to Karen culture?
Re: Rice and fish paste and some stew and vegetables, because they eat it with the rice.
Elissa: Do you eat a lot of meat in your culture?
Re: Not really, because you know it is hard to find meat in our culture because we were doing farms and all of that so it was easier for us to access vegetables. We have meat like once a day [but] not as often as we have vegetables.
Elissa: What type of American food do you like?
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| Elissa at the market |
Kyeh: I don’t like pizza with cheese on it. I order pizza from Papa Johns without cheese on it, just sauce and sausage and pepperoni. I told my friends, and they think it's weird cause they asked if it was really even pizza without cheese.
Elissa: I think it still is cause it's only missing one ingredient.
Elissa: Do you have any eating habits or rituals that are specific to your culture? Do you all sit down to eat together? Do you sit on the floor or around a table? Any of those sorts of things
Re: Back in Thailand after my dad had worked and came home, at like every meal we tended to eat together a lot, but here since he has to work like the whole week and he doesn't have the weekend off. I can hear him saying if there is a chance we should always eat together, because there is barely a time for us to eat together where like back in the day we would always eat together. We can't really talk a lot when we eat, because it gets loud and all that.
Elissa: What is the most important or most celebrated holiday of your culture?
Re: Karen New Year
Kyeh: Yeah, Karen New Year.
Re: Martyr’s Day
Htoo: Yeah, also Martyr’s Day.
Elissa: What is Martyr’s Day?
Htoo: Oh, that is a day in remembrance of our leader. It is kind of like a memorial day, but we remember our Karen leader who was a soldier, so it is like a pretty big day, too.
Elissa: So, Martyr’s Day and Karen New Year are the two biggest holidays. What types of things happen at Karen New Year?
Re: There is performance like dance and singing, and then we do the beginning ceremony where we pay respect to the flag. There are a lot of booths.
Re: I think the biggest thing is it is called the don dance--it is a dance with bamboo sticks.
Kyeh: For Karen New Year it is more like all Karen here in America from different states come together in one. It is kind of like a reunion. We get together and do things together.
Elissa: I know for some cultures the new year is the time for them to meet their next romantic interest or whatever. Does that happen at Karen New Year?
Re: I don’t think so.
Elissa: Ok. I just figured I would ask, because I know that some cultures have that as a tradition.
Elissa: So, what happens on Martyr’s Day? What types of things do people do?
Re: Well, there is a soccer tournament and a volleyball tournament, and we do a service or memorial for the leaders. They have the service before the tournament can begin. They sell Karen foods, too, like a lot of Karen foods.
Elissa: Well, I need to go there then.
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| Weaving |
Htoo: Yeah, also Martyr’s Day.
Elissa: What is Martyr’s Day?
Htoo: Oh, that is a day in remembrance of our leader. It is kind of like a memorial day, but we remember our Karen leader who was a soldier, so it is like a pretty big day, too.
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| Karen New Year |
Re: There is performance like dance and singing, and then we do the beginning ceremony where we pay respect to the flag. There are a lot of booths.
Re: I think the biggest thing is it is called the don dance--it is a dance with bamboo sticks.
Kyeh: For Karen New Year it is more like all Karen here in America from different states come together in one. It is kind of like a reunion. We get together and do things together.
Elissa: I know for some cultures the new year is the time for them to meet their next romantic interest or whatever. Does that happen at Karen New Year?
Re: I don’t think so.
Elissa: Ok. I just figured I would ask, because I know that some cultures have that as a tradition.
Elissa: So, what happens on Martyr’s Day? What types of things do people do?
Re: Well, there is a soccer tournament and a volleyball tournament, and we do a service or memorial for the leaders. They have the service before the tournament can begin. They sell Karen foods, too, like a lot of Karen foods.
Elissa: Well, I need to go there then.
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