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HONORING IRIS TUN AS IOWAN OF THE WEEK
______
HON. CYNTHIA AXNE
of iowa
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, May 25, 2021
Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to recognize an outstanding member of our community, Iris Tun, by naming her for Iowan of the Week.
Iris is a co-founder and a family advocate at the Ethnic Minorities of Burma Advocacy and Resource Center (EMBARC) of Iowa, which is Iowa's first and only refugee-led service provider that strives to address shared issues and uplift all refugee communities.
Refugees from Burma began arriving in Iowa in 2007 and 2008 as a priority class of refugees, part of the nearly 1.5 million refugees that have fled Burma since the early 1960s. EMBARC was created in 2012 to help these new refugees settle into Iowa. At first, Iris helped the team provide resources and videos translated from English to Burmese and Karen, but their operation has since expanded.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, EMBARC Iowa got to work creating videos and informational resources about the COVID-19 virus and aid that was available in 13 different languages to help those who had lost jobs, facing eviction and struggling with virtual schooling. Over the past year, more than 8,000 refugees and immigrants have received support from EMBARC and RISE AmeriCorps members--95 percent of whom were essential workers.
When Iris is not making videos for EMBARC Iowa, she translates voter registration forms at her church for free. In Iowa, it's illegal for the state to translate official government forms, including election forms, which makes it hard for non-fluent English speakers to collect voting information.
As we celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, it's important to note the difficulties the Asian American and Pacific Islander communities still face here in America. This week, the House passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act to highlight the increased violence Asian American and Pacific Islanders have encountered since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Iris's work is vital to putting an end to these hate crimes because her work as a translator allows folks to communicate and better understand each other. That's why I would like my colleagues to rise with me and recognize this exemplary woman, Iris Tun, as our Iowan of the Week.
____________________
SOURCE: Congressional Record Vol. 167, No. 91
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