Burmese American Community Directory Released

INDIANAPOLIS, January 10, 2024 — Burmese American Community Institute (BACI) is pleased to announce the release of a Community Directory that includes small businesses, faith based and community based organizations, and other useful information about the Burmese American Community in Central Indiana.

“I am pleased that we are able to bring a Community Directory to you, the first of its kind in the history of our state and perhaps in our nation. I hope everyone can find this useful,” said Dr. Bruce Ray, member of BACI Board of Directors.

“This 70 page document is not just a directory, but this demonstrates the progress of the Burmese American Community in Central Indiana,” said Elaisa Vahnie, President & Executive Director of BACI. “We recommend that every Burmese American household have a copy. Also, I hope this information is something all partners and the broader community would desire to have as well.”

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A colored printed copy can be obtained at one of the BACI Offices. Online and electronic copies will be made available to the community soon. The FOREWORD to the directory reads as follows:

America: Land of the Free, Home of the Brave. Many refugees and immigrants, who flee from the dangers of their homeland, risk their lives to enter the United States in hope of a better future. The United States, reflecting its tradition of being the world leader in compassionately responding to emerging global issues for solutions, including providing refugee protection and humanitarian assistance, has welcomed more than 3.5 million immigrants with open arms since 1975. More than 190,000 Burmese refugees have been admitted to the U.S. since 2000. While over 40,000 Burmese reside in Indiana and about 30,000 are calling Indianapolis their new home. The overall Burmese population in the U.S. has grown to more than 320,000.

We put most of our efforts towards becoming economically self-sufficient, productive and contributing citizens of the society but, are also active and engaged citizens exercising their rights and liberties dutifully and more meaningfully in this land of freedom and opportunity. We are particularly proud that many of our youth have gone on to get a college education, professional degrees, and graduate degrees and now assume leadership responsibilities in different fields including education, healthcare, business, and others. The college-going rate among Burmese-Americans in the U.S. has increased from 43 percent in 2013 to 93 percent last year. This next generation of leaders are our hope – the best hope for our community and our hope for our state and our nation.

One of the indicators of how well the incoming communities like the Burmese (all ethnic groups of Myanmar) are performing can be assessed by looking at the level of the small business activities taking place in the community as they play the backbone role of the economy. In fact, over 150 small businesses have been started and are being run by Burmese Americans in Indianapolis. At the same time, it is important to continue to explore ways in which these enterprises can sustain themselves, continue to grow, and create more job opportunities that allow members of the community to give back to the broader community and while continuing to contribute to the health of the economy. We therefore hope that by publishing and distributing a Community Directory that includes small businesses, and faith based and community based organizations, the project will serve multiple purposes in achieving some of these goals with the following main objectives:

• Inform stakeholders about the number and types of small businesses started and/or owned by Myanmar origin in Indianapolis,
• Help grow small businesses by connecting and promoting the products and services each of the entities offer through various platforms and channels as widely as possible both to receiving and incoming communities,
• Continue to explore collectively the opportunities for growth by identifying and bringing diverse resources together for each of the businesses and sectors, and
• Help create a more connected, collaborative, and vibrant community as a whole.

This Community Directory includes the information on over 130 businesses, about 70 faith based, community based and civic organizations as well as key events and some other invaluable community information. With this, we are pleased to make this important resource available to you.

Burmese American Community Institute

About Burmese American Community Institute

The Burmese American Community Institute is a non-profit organization founded in 2011 that provides educational and vocational support to the Burmese community in greater Indianapolis. The BACI supports community members regionally, nationally, and globally through strategic partnerships and advocacy. Since its inception, the BACI has assisted over 20,000 individuals.

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