INDIANAPOLIS — More than 32,000 individuals from the Chin ethnic group call Indianapolis home, primarily from Myanmar. The linguistic diversity among this community is substantial, with nearly 50 different languages spoken, presenting challenges for educators who seek to communicate effectively.
Indiana is home to the largest Chin population in the United States, but many teachers find it difficult to engage with these families. To address this issue, Indiana University is offering resources and workshops aimed at enhancing communication and cultural understanding in local school districts.
"Sometimes we see people refer to the Chin language or the Chin dialect or the Chin culture, and what we really want is to just spread awareness that there is no such thing," Kelly Berkson, the director of the Chin Languages Research Project, said.
To aid educators, the Chin Language Research Project conducted a workshop designed to teach educators about the community’s rich and varied cultural backgrounds. Sui Hnem Par, a member of the Chin community who arrived in Indianapolis in 2012, explained some of the challenges faced by newcomers, especially in the school environment.
"A lot of the Chin community members, including myself, came to the U.S. as refugees. And since then we've been here, and we call Indianapolis home," Par said.
She noted that the younger generation often struggles with additional obstacles.
"The problem that I often see in my community is that they have difficulty communicating the challenges they experience in school to their parents because they themselves don't know how to speak the mother tongue anymore," Par added.
Indiana University aims to help break down these barriers by educating teachers about the cultural and linguistic differences within the Chin community.
"Multilingualism is so common literally everywhere else. So, trying to embrace that fact here in our schools and classrooms is essential, especially when I am the minority in my classroom because I am monolingual," Alyssa Rushman, a middle school teacher at Clark Pleasant Community Schools, said.
Berkson emphasized that understanding the diversity within the Chin community is crucial.
"There is no such thing as one way to be Chin. There are dozens of different languages, dozens of different cultural traditions, and we just want to share some awareness about that diversity," she said.
The Chin Language Research Project offers various resources for those in need of translation or assistance in understanding the Chin community. For more information, visit their website or check out their YouTube channel.
