Nid Paw remains calm when describing the Burmese government’s destruction of her village, her forced relocation to a refugee camp in Thailand and threats of deportation by local police. But it’s a question about her future that seems to agitate her the most.

“In America, it’s very hard for people who resettle,” said Nid Paw, 28, who asked that her real name not be used because she is an illegal immigrant. “I know it will be difficult, but I have hope for the next generation.”

Thanks to a new U.S. policy, Nid Paw hopes to become one of 18,000 Burmese refugees allowed to settle in the United States in 2008.

Claire Trageser (’09) reports from Thailand for the San Francisco Chronicle.
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