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.
October 23, 2003 - A lawsuit over supplying anti-rejection drugs to an illegal immigrant may be close to resolution. The suit involves a 16-year-old illegal immigrant from Mexico who under went a kidney transplant at the Mayo Clinic earlier this year. At the time the cost of the transplant was covered by the state. So was aftercare. But since then Minnesota law has changed. And expensive drugs the young man needs are no longer covered. Minnesota Public Radio's Erin Galbally reports.
October 23, 2003 - The Franklin Community Library is the oldest of Minneapolis' 14 neighborhood libraries. It closed on Wed (Oct. 22) for a renovation and redesign. It's located at 1308 East Franklin Avenue. -- It's been designated an historic site by the Heritage Preservation Commission. At first, the plan was to close the library for 18 months during the renovation. But, thanks to a big community effort, there's now an interim site. On Thursday (Oct. 23), they will celebrate the Grand Opening of the Interim site, which is located nextdoor. The Friends of Franklin, a group that has taken on the challenge of raising 18 monhts of operating funds for the interim site, has raised enough to cover the cost of relocation and the first several months of service. Contributions have come from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans (60 thousand), the Minneapolis Empowerment Zone (25 thousand), and the Frey Family Foundation (20 thousand), as well as gifts from area residents.
November 18, 2003 - Mainstreet Radio’s Rob Schmitz reports the debate in Rochester over the police department's treatment of minorities.
November 28, 2003 - Most law firms in the twin cities do pro bono work. But only the six major law firms offer free legal clinics. Leonard, Street and Deinhard was the first to open an office in one of the poorest areas of Minneapolis. The one room office is located in a health clinic that serves clients that are mostly poor people of color. And many of the clients are immigrants who don't speak English. Recently, the firm celebrated the 10th anniversary of it's clinic. Minnesota Public Radio's Brandt Williams reports:
December 17, 2003 - It appears a Minnesota man being held as a crucial witness in a terrorism-related case, possibly that of September 11th suspect Zacharias Moussaoui, will be transferred to New York. Officials arrested Mohammed Warsame, a Canadian citizen of Somali descent last week. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.
January 22, 2004 -
February 5, 2004 - Every year the U.S. imports more food, even though the country produces enough to feed itself, even though the country produces enough to feed itself. The tastes of American consumers are changing. Big city or small town, they're looking for food from all over the world. As Mainstreet Radio's Mark Steil reports, many of those consumers are new arrivals to the country.
February 9, 2004 - A federal magistrate has ruled Minneapolis college student Mohammed Warsame will remain jailed until trial. The ruling follows a hearing this morning at which a prosecutor told the court that Warsame wired money through a Pakistani bank to persons he met while attending Al-Qaeda training camps. At the morning hearing, Warsame pleaded not guilty to charges he conspired to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.
February 9, 2004 - A federal judge in Minneapolis holds an arraignment hearing this morning for a man accused of ties to the Al-Qaeda terrorist network. Mohammed Warsame's hearing is expected to be public but the judge has closed previous hearings and sealed most of his records. As Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports, several constitutional scholars say the Warsame case is an example of post-9/11 court secrecy that's unprecedented in U.S. history.
February 24, 2004 - Vice President Dick Cheney ended his Minnesota trip yesterday with a visit to St. Paul's El Burrito Mercado, where he picked up a jar of salsa, a pinata, and perhaps a few votes. Hispanics are now the largest minority group in the nation, and a tempting bloc of voters during this year's presidential contest. Cheney toured the Mexican market and restaurant and touted the administration's economic record.