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.
February 25, 2005 - University of Minnesota President Bob Bruininks says now is the best, and worst time for the University to pursue its ambitions to be among the top three public research universities in the world. Bruininks made his comments during his annual State of the University speech yesterday. The president used the time to focus primarily on the U's strategic planning process.
March 3, 2005 - Some Minnesota school children can't get in-state tuition to Minnesota's colleges and universities but that might change soon. A bill before the legislature would give Minnesota students who are not legal residents of the United states the right to pay the same amount as kids who were born here. Minnesota Public Radio's Bianca Vazquez Toness reports.
March 10, 2005 - Researchers at the University of Minnesota College of Pharmacy found 31-percent of non-English speaking patients don't follow medication instructions . With a growing immigrant population in Minnesota the study has doctors and pharmacists wondering how to improve adherence to doctor's orders. Medical analyst Dr. Jon Hallberg discusses the study.
April 11, 2005 - (Bianca Vazquez Toness = bee AHN ka BAHS kess TOH ness) The April fifteenth- deadline to file taxes causes most Americans stress and anguish. But for the millions of people living and working illegally in the United States, filing taxes can be an advantage. It's an opportunity to prove their economic contribution and document their residence here. The I-R-S allows them to file using a special number. But some immigration critics don't like the idea of a federal agency accommodating illegal immigrants. Minnesota Public Radio's Bianca Vazquez Toness has the story.
April 20, 2005 - Plans to close the University of Minnesota's General College move forward despite deep controvesy over the proposal. For over 70 years, the U's General College has been a gateway to the U for under-prepared metro-area high school students, many of whom are immigrants and people of color. University officials say even with the proposed changes to General College, they are committed to recruiting and helping students of color succeed.Minnesota Public Radio's Marisa Helms reports.
April 21, 2005 - Minnesota is surging ahead of its neighbors in population growth. A new U.S. Census report predicts that by 2030, Minnesota will grow by 1.3 million people and surpass Wisconsin as the upper Midwest's population leader.
April 22, 2005 - Mexico is opening a consulate this summer in St. Paul to serve Mexicans living around the state, but it won't be the first foreign community with representation here. Places like Malta, Bolivia, and Luxembourg have consuls in the Twin Cities. About 20 countries have local emissaries who either promote trade and tourism or provide services to their countrymen living in Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio's Bianca Vazquez Toness visited one of the newest consulates in the Twin Cities.
April 25, 2005 - A Somali man from Minnesota is back in a St. Paul jail this morning after an attempt to deport him to his homeland was unsuccessful. Keyse Jama made it all the way to Somalia late last week, but local leaders there refused to let him off the plane and accept him. The trip was supposed to be the culmination of his deportation case, which he fought all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. He argued that there was no functioning government in Somalia to accept him because of civil unrest but the Court ruled against him in January. Joining us on the line is Kevin Magunson, Keyse Jama's lawyer.
May 6, 2005 - Minneapolis' oldest library reopens tomorrow after more than year-and-a-half long renovation. The nearly four million dollar remodel of the Franklin Community Library aims to create a more accessible and welcoming entryway and accentuates many of the building's historic details. The designers also want to make a more efficient space to better embrace one of the city's most diverse neighborhoods.
May 13, 2005 - MPR’s Toni Randolph explores The Illusion Theater’s latest production "Undesirable Elements: Ten Years Later." The downtown Minneapolis theater explores the mixed reception immigrants and other minorities have received upon arriving to the U.S.