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Oral history interview with Mohammed Husson Ali

 Collection
Identifier: SR 12299

Scope and Contents

This oral history interview with Mohammed Husson Ali was conducted by Elizabeth Mehren and Sankar Raman from September 25 to November 20, 2018. The interview was recorded for The Immigrant Story, an organization that documents and archives the stories of immigrants and refugees in the United States. The interview was conducted in two sessions.

In the first interview session, on September 25, 2018, Mohammed Husson Ali discusses his early life in the farming village of Myo Thu Gyi in Burma, also known as Myanmar. He talks about his education and his early career as a teacher. He discusses the political changes in Burma during the 1960s and 1970s, then shares his experience of fleeing with his family to Bangladesh during Operation Dragon King, during which the government of Burma expelled many Rohingya. He talks about returning to Burma; about working for the World Food Organization and with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees during the 1980s and 1990s; and about ongoing political changes during this time period. He describes the slow erosion of Rohingya rights beginning in the 1990s, including the systematic displacement of Rohingya people for Buddhist settlers. He talks about his flight to Bangladesh in 2008, about his recovery from a heart attack while in Malaysia, and about his arrival as a refugee in Portland, Oregon, in 2011. He speaks at length about the ongoing genocide of the Rohingya people, and also talks about the living conditions of his family still in Bangladesh.

In the second interview session, conducted on November 20, 2018, Mohammed Husson Ali revisits the topics covered in the first session and adds additional details. He closes the interview by talking about the current legal status of the Rohingya people and shares his hope that the United States could help resolve the situation.

Dates

  • Creation: 2018 September 25-November 20

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Collection is open for research.

Conditions Governing Use

Joint copyright for this interview is held by the Oregon Historical Society and The Immigrant Story. Use is allowed according to the following statement: In Copyright – Educational Use Permitted, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-EDU/1.0/

Biographical note

Mohammed Husson Ali was born in 1951 in Myo Thu Gyi, Burma, also known as Myanmar. In 1974, he and Asha Katun were married. In 1978, he earned a diploma of education. That same year, he fled with his family to Bangladesh during Operation Dragon King. They later returned after the governments of Burma and Bangladesh reached an agreement to repatriate displaced Rohingya. During the 1980s and 1990s, he worked for the World Food Organization and with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He also taught high school math and chemistry. In 2008, he again fled to Bangladesh. In 2011, he settled in Portland, Oregon, while his family remained in refugee camps in Bangladesh.

Extent

2.01 Gigabytes (3 audio files (WAV, 4 hr., 26 min., 16 sec.))

Language of Materials

English

Abstract

Oral history interview with Mohammed Husson Ali conducted by Elizabeth Mehren and Sankar Raman from September 25 to November 20, 2018, for The Immigrant Story. Mohammed Husson Ali discusses his experiences as a Rohingya in Burma, also known as Myanmar.

Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of The Immigrant Story, June 2021 (RL2021-057).

Publication note

An article about Mohammed Husson Ali, "Fleeing a 21st Century Genocide" by Elizabeth Mehren, was based on this interview and published on The Immigrant Story website at https://theimmigrantstory.org/fleeing/
Title
Guide to the oral history interview with Mohammed Husson Ali
Status
Completed
Author
Sarah Stroman
Date
2022
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid is written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Repository

Contact:
1200 SW Park Ave.
Portland OR 97205 United States
5033065204
5033065240