Today, Thet Mon is like any other parent picking up their child at school. But six months ago, life was very different for her and her family.

“They targeted our family. So, we moved around town in the country, but we can't stay in the country anymore because there is no house who would like to give us space to hide for us,” said Mon, who is from Myanmar. “So we flee to Thailand in 2021.”

On Feb. 1, 2021, the military took power in Myanmar, claiming fraud in the previous year’s election. Mon feared for her and her family’s lives.

“So my father is a politician and also he is a member of Parliament for two times,” Mon said. "And also I am a political activist and also a human rights activist.”

Thousands of Burmese people have fled the region. The UN Refugee Agency states that today, most refugees from Asia in the U.S. are from Myanmar. Many are fleeing ethnic or religious persecution.

“There are a lot of refugees who came here from different countries,” Mon said. “We are living here in this neighborhood, so the [local refugee] center helps a lot. We have also two community gardens here.”

Mon says she is grateful for the Refugee Welcome Corporation on Ontario Street in Albany that provides access to fresh food and activities for her children, adding she especially values the free English language classes provided.

“Sometimes if people talk, I don't really understand. I have to explain. ‘Excuse me. Can you say that again?’ ” she said. “So for my husband, it's really very difficult for him. Like, he doesn't speak English and his understanding is very limited.”