Minnesota has had a strong contemporary history in the development of Asian communities that have immigrated to the North Star State. The 70s saw the migration of Chinese, Japanese and Filipinos. Southeast Asians in the late 1970s and 1980s, including Hmong, Lao, Cambodian and Vietnamese made a home here, and more recently refugees from Tibet, Burma and Thailand have become a part of the dynamic Minnesota Asian community.
MPR has been recording decades of material that reflect the Asian experience in Minnesota directly from the voices of members in the community. The wide-ranging subject matter of immigration, civil rights, politics, arts & culture, music, education, and business are captured in the stories, recollections, adaptation, and traditions.
December 26, 1975 - MPR’s Kate Williams reports on the success and challenges of Minnesota program for arriving Vietnamese refugees. Topics include housing, education, and jobs.
January 7, 1980 - MPR’s Tom Meersman reports on Laotian refugees arriving in Minnesota. Meersman highlights struggles and adjustments the refugees face.
December 23, 1980 - MPR’s Rich Dietman reports on immigrants use of traditional folk medicine. Inside the International Clinic at St. Paul Ramsey Hospital, western medical professionals are trying to better understand the different medical approaches and treatments.
April 24, 1982 - MPR’s Dale Connelly interviews Melissa Ringheim, a curator at the Science Museum of Minnesota, about exhibit of Hmong and Iu Mien embroidery, batik, and applique work. Ringheim describes the detail and style of the wearable art.
November 16, 1984 - MPR’s Kate Moos reports on growing businesses and entrepreneurial spirit of the refugee community as they adapt to their new home in the U.S.
January 18, 1986 - MPR’s Mark Heistad interviews Charles Johnson, a professor at Macalester University, about Hmong folktales. Johnson is the author of collected Hmong traditional folk stories translated in English for ESL studies.
June 1, 1987 - MPR’s Tom Meersman reports on Refugee Remembrance Day, where former refugees gathered to participate in community event. The majority were Southeast Asians: Vietnamese, Cambodians, Hmong and Laotians.
November 30, 1990 - MPR’s Donna Nicholson reports on Hmong Odyssey: Tradition in Transition, an exhibit opening at the Science Museum of Minnesota. Nicholson interviews curator and intern about cultural significance of exhibit.
June 22, 1991 - MPR’s Chris Roberts profiles local Hmong pop-rock group Asian Invasion. Roberts interviews members of the band, who describe their varied influences and cultural subject matter in songs.
July 5, 1991 - MPR’s Chris Roberts gets an education on the events, sports, products, and foods at the Minnesota Hmong Summer Festival held in St. Paul. The event looks to bring Hmong people from around the country together to celebrate their culture and community.