When Minnesota was a new state, thousands of settlers arrived, many of them from Europe. But in recent decades, the state has attracted large numbers of Hmong and Somali refugees. There are also thousands of people from India, Ethiopia, the Philippines, Mexico and the People’s Republic of China living in Minnesota.
The state has become more racially diverse in the last 10 years, and demographers said that's especially true among children. About 83 percent of Minnesotans were white, non-Hispanic for the 2010 census, compared to 88 percent in 2000.
July 21, 1997 - MPR's Mary Losure files this story about the North Shore's fishing families and the environmental catastrophes that destroyed their way of life. In the 1930's, Lake Superior supported a thriving commercial fishing industry. Now, on a lake holding one tenth of the world's fresh water, only a handful of commercial fishermen and women remain.
July 24, 1997 - A new record label in Minneapolis is hoping to become the home of traditional Scandanavian music in North America. Founders of Northside records say the traditional folk music and fiddle tunes of Sweden, Norway and Finland are becoming the hottest thing going in world music circles. The resurgence is being fueled by young Scandanavian musicians. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts reports.
August 18, 1997 - The ELCA's failure to approve a closer relationship with the Episcopal Church comes as no surprise to the 820,000 ELCA Lutherans in Minnesota. In fact, as Minnesota Public Radio's Martin Kaste reports, many Minnesota Lutherans wonder why the proposed "concordat" with Episcopalians got as far as it did.
August 21, 1997 - The latest wave of immigrants arriving in Minnesota includes the parents or grandparents of earlier immigrants. A large number are from the former Soviet Union, and they have decided to live in the suburbs near their families. They want to learn English but the people who teach ESL or English as a Second Language courses are having a hard time keeping up with the demand. Minnesota Public Radio's Dan Olson has more.
August 21, 1997 - MPR’s John Biewen presents the second of two reports on how the growth of the black population is affecting race relations in the Twin Cities. Report includes commentary from residents, politicians, and academics.
August 21, 1997 - MPR’s John Biewen presents the first of two reports on how the Twin Cities are responding to black newcomers. Report includes commentary from residents, politicians, and academics.
August 25, 1997 - A legal battle over who is and who is not a member in the Shakopee Mdwakanton Dakota tribe is still unresolved, four years after it began. The stakes in the fight have risen. The tribe's Mystic Lake Casino is so lucrative that tribe members now each receive some $700,000 a year in casino revenues. Some members say the tribal leadership is distributing those payments to people who don't qualify for membership, and withholding it from people who do. So far the federal government has declined to intervene. Minnesota Public Radio's John Biewen reports.
August 26, 1997 - Eddie Lyback is the president of the Mille Lacs Lake Advisory Association, a group of eighty fishing-related businesses. He says people he's talked with are extremely disappointed by the ruling.
September 2, 1997 - As the new school year begins, Latino/Chicano parents in St. Paul are pressuring school district officials to do a better job educating their children. Many of those raising concerns are the same parents who sued the district 21 years ago over learning inequities. They claim there's been little improvement for Latino students since the case was settled. School district officials say they remain committed to their court-ordered obligations to Latino students, and the special programs are helping. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
September 25, 1997 - Minneapolis Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton is urging the city's residents to show tolerance, respect, and civility during the current mayoral race. At a joint appearance with her challenger Barbara Carlson yesterday, Sayles Belton said it would be wrong to use an altercation that occurred after a candidate debate this week as evidence of a racially divided city. Carlson says there is racial division in Minneapolis. She says it needs to be discussed more openly. Minnesota Public Radio's William Wilcoxen reports.