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 2, 2006 - Theatergoers tend to show up for plays with certain expectations. There will be actors, there will be a set. And there will be a story, with a beginning, a middle and an end. But Theatre de la Jeune Lune's most recent production is challenging one of those assumptions. Minnesota Public Radio's Marianne Combs has this look at the theater's adaptation of a novel by 20th-century Czech writer Franz Kafka.
February 15, 2006 - MPR’s Marriane Combs looks at St. Paul’s Teatro Del Pueblo, a Minnesota theater company providing a forum for political activism and an agent for change. Combs interviews Alberto Justiniano, artistic director, about the Teatro Del Pueblo’s focus on Latin America political theater with a local festival.
February 20, 2006 - The worldwide uproar over cartoons featuring the prophet Mohammed is being felt in the Twin Cities. Almost a thousand people rallied in Minneapolis yesterday to express indignation over the cartoons, which were first published in Denmark. But the local rally also aimed to send a message condemning violent reactions to the cartoons, which have shaken the Muslim World and even left some people dead. Minnesota Public Radio's Annie Baxter went to yesterday's rally in Minneapolis and has more.
February 27, 2006 - MPR’s William Wilcoxen reports on Teacher Quality Enrichment, a scholarship program that is helping diversify the ranks of the district's ESL teachers. St. Paul's public school district is trying to boost the number of immigrants teaching English as a second language.
March 8, 2006 - The list of immigration reform ideas at the state Capitol is growing longer. DFL Senators unveiled a package of proposals today that focuses on education and workforce issues. The plan contrasts with Governor Pawlenty's immigration agenda, which includes initiatives to crack down on illegal immigrants. Minnesota Public Radio's Tim Pugmire reports.
March 8, 2006 - Following the recent outrage of the depiction of the prophet Muhammed in media, a St. Paul charter school is adjusting its art program to better accomodate its many Muslim students. Higher Ground Academy is on the cusp of this new issue. MPR's Cathy Wurzer reports.
March 15, 2006 - Currently a person is allowed to register to vote on the day of an election. All one needs is a valid utility bill or a neighbor's word. Legislation introduced by Republican Tom Emmer would change all of that. If the bill passes, a photo ID, as well as a passport, birth certificate, or naturalization papers, would be necessary to vote and register to vote in Minnesota.
March 24, 2006 - MPR’s Chris Roberts reports on MInneapolis’s Mixed Blood Theater production called "Point of Revue," which has 15 African American writers interpret the state of Black America in 2006.
March 29, 2006 - And now the views of one of Minnesota's U.S. Senators who will vote on immigration reform legislation in coming days. Democrat Mark Dayton says he's in favor of the bill approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday. It would provide a way for undocumented immigrants to eventually become U.S. citizens. They'd first have to undergo a background check, learn english and pay a $2,000 fine. It also creates a type of guest worker program favored by President Bush, but the plan faces opposition from many of Bush's fellow Republicans, including leaders of both the House and Senate. That opposition makes the bill's future uncertain and is sure to make for heated debate on the Senate floor. Dayton says he thinks the committee's proposal is the most practical solution.
April 4, 2006 - After a killing in Uptown this week, Minneapolis Homicide Commander Lee Edwards spoke in front of a Minneapolis police station, saying that there are still three suspects on the run. He delivered a stern warning, saying things will not get better if they hide longer.