Chicago: A safe haven for the Rohingya: Heaven-Leigh Pettis

The Rohingya find a new haven in Chicago

   The Rohingya are desperately escaping Myanmar where they have received persecution for many years. Their persecution now borders on the line of genocide with more than 500,000 fleeing in just the past few months. The Rohingya people are usually kept in refugee camps outside Bangladesh but are now starting to make their way over to the U.S. About 400 families have settled in Rogers Park on Chicago's North Park which is one of the country's largest concentration camps of the Rohingya. The Rohingya people who live in the camp have stated that the community of Rohingya and other immigrants have helped them rebuild their lives. 

   Many of the people have bonded over shared experiences for instance, many of them had to leave their families behind. The Rohingya culture center in Chicago, the Jamia mosque, and the Shwe Myanmar grocery store have all became hang out places for the community to worship and socialize. There are also soccer fields and basketball courts that the young men have built in their community in Warren Park. Many of the refugees have found that finding work is very difficult and many settle with selling balloons on the street. Others have been lucky enough to work at chicken factories or airports. 

   Some the Rohingya people have been lucky enough to send their children to school, receive medical care and learn how to read. The Rohingya people feel that the challenges in Chicago are worth while because the first time, they feel safe. 

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/14/opinion/the-rohingya-who-made-it-to-chicago.html?action=click&pgtype=Homepage&clickSource=story-heading&module=opinion-c-col-right-region&region=opinion-c-col-right-region&WT.nav=opinion-c-col-right-region