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About Us

Hyacinths bloom in spring. Our name is a supportive nod to the ongoing #SpringRevolution against the military coup that occurred on 1 February 2021 in Myanmar. In light of the coup and the various forms of emboldened, anti-military resistance unfolding in Myanmar at present, we were compelled to form Baydar.

Our Goals

1) Underscore the heterogeneity of anti-military resistance.

Myanmar has long, complex histories of authoritarianism and armed conflict. The recent coup has sparked a massive sense of unity among people in Myanmar as well as in the diaspora. We have been heartened by this, and at the same time believe it is important to not view forms of anti-military resistance in the country as a monolith. We realize that not all who resist the coup share the same motivations or experiences, nor do they enact their resistance in the same manner.

As with any political issue in Myanmar or elsewhere, there exist varied debates among organizers and protestors concerning the nature of structural privilege, oppression, and change. We believe it is important to learn how these critical perspectives are shaped by intersecting differences in ethnicity, religion, class, gender, and sexuality.

2) Promote the work of vetted U.S. nonprofits.

For years there have been many U.S. organizations, led by members of the Myanmar diaspora and their allies, who have put together fundraising and advocacy efforts to benefit the people of Myanmar. There has also been a huge emergence of informal, diasporic organizing efforts in response to the February 1 coup.

Baydar seeks to spotlight the many groups and people who are actively engaging in such work on the grassroots level. We also seek to share ideas about what others can do to lend their support to these causes. This may take the form of donations, social media campaigns, protests, boycotts, and more.

3) Bring attention to issues affecting the Myanmar diaspora.

The subsequent, tumultuous events of the February 1 coup have been triggering for those belonging to Myanmar’s diaspora in the U.S. Many members of our diaspora first came to the U.S. because they were escaping persecution by the country’s military regime. Having said this, we acknowledge our diaspora’s varied, decade-spanning histories of migration and the ethnic, religious, and class divides that exist among our communities in the U.S.

Despite the many pressing socio-economic issues facing our communities, our diaspora has an extremely low level of visibility amidst Asian American political discourse. Baydar seeks to shed light on these issues within a larger scope of Asian American activism, in conjunction with efforts to raise awareness about ongoing turmoil in Myanmar.

4) Build coalitions with other Asian American activists and activists of color.

As individuals of Myanmar heritage who currently live in the U.S., we recognize how racist systems of power and forms of colonialism have left long-lasting effects in both countries. While these histories are not evenly comparable, they do prompt us to think through certain productive points of overlap. Claiming both our diasporic identities and identities as people of color, we hope to engage in coalition work with other organizations seeking racial justice for marginalized communities in the U.S.

From Burma to the U.S., we see the need to unlearn harmful societal norms and prejudices premised on forms of ethnic supremacy: Bamar-centrism, Islamophobia and other types of religious discrimination, anti-South Asian sentiment, xenophobia, colorism, and anti-blackness. We embrace being people of color and members of the Myanmar diaspora in the U.S. while also remaining critical of our complicity in institutional anti-black racism, settler colonialism, and white supremacy.

A Note on Terminology

Despite how the U.S. census categorizes all persons with ancestry traceable to Burma as “Burmese,” we realize that for many members of our diaspora, “Burmese” is still synonymous with “Bamar.” Considering how many of those recently immigrated from Burma and the Burma-Thai border have been persecuted for their minority identities, we understand why many in our diaspora would not wish to adopt the ethno-religious identity and culture structurally privileged in Myanmar.

Therefore, we cannot singularly use the term “Burmese American” to describe the entirety of our respective diasporic communities in the U.S. While we are all U.S.-based and claim ancestral ties to Burma, our identity as a group is irreducible to any one ethnic or national signifier.

Our name may be a romanization of a Burmese word, but a major of part of Baydar’s ethos is to remain conscious of our diaspora’s incredible diversity across language, ethnicity, religion, etc. We respect the right of others’ to reject the term “Burmese” or “Burmese American” in reference to themselves. 

At the same time, we recognize that ethnicity and culture are very fluid, and do not believe being “Burmese” should exclusively mean being “Bamar and Buddhist.” We also recognize that many of us come from mixed and/or multi-cultural, multi-ethnic backgrounds.

When people consider their cultural identity as connected in some way to Burma/Myanmar, they can and do claim multiple identities - with no one identity negating the other. We are aware that one can very easily be both Burmese and Chinese, Burmese and South Asian, Burmese and Karen, Burmese and Rakhine, Burmese and Rohingya, Mon, Chin, Kachin, Shan, Karenni, and so forth. We know that one can also be Burmese and Muslim, Christian, Hindu, or Jewish.

Regardless of what ethnic title(s) one gravitates towards over another, Baydar realizes that the Myanmar diaspora is varied among endless planes of identity - which extend beyond religion and ethnicity. Some practice Buddhism. Some practice Islam. Some are non-religious. Some are working class. Some are queer. Some are transgender. Some are gender-nonconforming. Some are disabled. Some are undocumented.

Baydar seeks to explore how highlighting our diaspora’s manifold pluralities can be a strength when coming together to support a shared cause. For the creation of unity does not have to mean the elision of difference. Sometimes, it’s our differences that bring us together.