Growing up in Burma, I was aware that the country was under a dictatorship. However, my understanding of Burma’s intricate political landscape was limited. Cyclone Nargis, Burma’s worst natural disaster in early May 2008, and the Saffron Revolution, various peaceful protests led by Buddhist monks, students, and political activists in 2007 remain vivid in my mind. I left Burma for the U.S at the end of 2009, at a time when Burma was already undergoing the potential for political and economic transformations. Recently, I read Burmese Haze: US Policy and Myanmar’s Opening – and Closing by former intelligence analyst Erin Murphy, which triggered nostalgic recollections of my childhood and Burma.

Since the beginning of time, many people have suffered and died from trying to preserve their race and identity. One can hope that at…

I enjoy reading travel photography coffee table books. Travel photography is a powerful tool to tell stories, create understandings of…