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.
May 29, 2006 - Stanger Cemetery looks like any other graveyard on Memorial Day. There's the people, the patriotism, and the VFW troops playing taps and doing the 21 gun salute. To historians, it's different. Stanger Cemetery was a family cemetery that was abandoned and overgrown, and it symbolizes a place of tranquility in a rapidly urbanizing part of the state.
May 30, 2006 - It's commonplace to hear languages from around the world on the streets of Pelican Rapids. Many immigrants speak little English. The result is a language barrier that can make simple tasks difficult. Minnesota Public Radios Dan Gunderson reports.
May 30, 2006 - A dramatic reflection of rural Minnesota's changing demographics lies in Pelican Rapids' recent inclusion in a state integration program that grew from efforts to desegregate schools in urban areas. Consider this statistic: nearly one-half of Pelican Rapids second graders come from homes where English is not spoken. That number along with other measures of diversity in Pelican Rapids schools forced the district into a program that now requires Pelican Rapids to work with neighboring school districts which are far less diverse. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Zdechlik reports on the program and broader concerns about how so-called "integration revenue" money is spent.
May 30, 2006 - Pelican Rapids is still basically a farming community. But a decade-and-a-half of immigration has changed the town a lot. That's not just clear on Main Street - drive a few miles out of town, and life is even different on the farm. Producer Jeff Jones gives us one example.
May 30, 2006 - Drive through Pelican Rapids and it may well look like many other small Minnesota towns. But take a walk through the streets and you'll find some remarkable things about the past present and future of this place.
May 30, 2006 - Pelican Rapids is like a lot of small towns in rural Minnesota. The community of 2,300 has changed over the years. The biggest change is the people. The region is attracting retirees and summer residents with lakeside cabins. There are also immigrants, who come for work at the West Central Turkey processing plant. More people can be good for a town. But in Pelican Rapids the influx of people has created a shortage of housing. Minnesota Public Radio's Bob Reha reports.
May 31, 2006 - The needs of the poor go beyond food and shelter. Their spirits require nourishment as much as their bodies. Acting on that belief, several Twin Cities theater companies are working in various ways to make drama accessible to everyone. In part two of a three-part series, reporter Marianne Combs follows a theater company that reaches its audiences by meeting them where they live, and by showing them respect.
June 5, 2006 - In Minnesota, summer is the season of roof work. But a glance at the crews overhead this time of year makes it clear most people doing that work are not from Minnesota. The residential roofing industry around the country now relies on low-priced labor by Mexican immigrants. Industry insiders say the roofing business would collapse without this migrant work force -- which includes immigrants who are in the U.S. legally and illegally. But as Minnesota Public Radio's Jeff Horwich reports, few people are happy with current state of things.
June 6, 2006 - Members of Minnesota's Somali community are following the news from Mogadishu and many are concerned for their home country's future. Joining me now is Abdi Aynte. He's the editor of Hiiraan online, a locally-run Website that posts the latest news and information about Somalia.
June 6, 2006 - Residents in the western suburbs such as Excelsior and Eden Prairie are using food shelves much more often. That's according to a report by a consortium of Minnesota food shelves and food banks called, Hunger Solutions. The group reports that some suburban areas saw a 300% increase in the past five years. The consortium says the Twin Cities metro area food shelf usage only went up 2% during the same time period. Minnesota Public Radio's Elizabeth Stawicki reports.