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.
August 29, 2006 - This week we're sampling the ever increasing variety of ethnic music in Minnesota in a series called "Notes from Home." In today's installment, the music of India. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts reports.
August 30, 2006 - US Senator Mark Dayton finished his visits to the Canadian and Mexican borders with the news that 44 North Dakota National Guard members have volunteered to help the Customs and Border Patrol along the U-S - Mexican border and are planning to leave today. Volunteers from the Minnesota Air National Guard are currently working border patrol duty in Arizona, Texas, and New Mexico.
August 30, 2006 - In the third installment of our ethnic music series, "Notes From Home," MPR's Chris Roberts visits a Somali mall in South Minneapolis to learn more about the music Somalis' generally keep to themselves. Roberts gets a guided tour from a Somali music fan and talks with a local music store owner.
August 31, 2006 - All this week we've been dipping into Minnesota's ethnic music scene through a series called "Notes from Home." Today, we focus on Oromo music. After fleeing Ethiopia to escape persecution, more Oromo people have landed in Minnesota than any other place in the world. The music they've brought with them pulsates with joy. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts reports.
September 1, 2006 - In this final installment of Notes from Home series, MPR’s Sanden Totten sits down with Maya Lopez-Santamaria, author of “Musica de la Raza,” a book that tells the story of Minnesota's Mexican and Chicano musicians.
September 4, 2006 - For the first time in nearly two decades, there is no big Labor Day picnic in St. Paul this year. Union organizers canceled the event because of a lack of funding and volunteers. But several unions were involved in another Twin Cities rally today. Hundreds of people marched for immigrant and workers rights. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.
September 5, 2006 - There are all sorts of ways illegal immigrants can become legal and stay in this country. Most are a long, slow journey with no promise of success. In southern Minnesota a 16 year old girl is hoping to beat the odds. She's trying to qualify for a special visa designed to help crime victims. She's found the process tough going. Minnesota Public Radio's Mark Steil reports.
September 6, 2006 - Construction is expected to start later this month on a broadband wireless network that will blanket the city of Minneapolis. Once it's operational, subscribers will be able to access the Internet at speeds comparable to other broadband service providers. And they will be able to do so for a relatively low monthly fee. But some say the biggest advantages of the network will be cost savings for the city and narrowing of the technology gap between lower- and upper-income residents. Minnesota public radio's Brandt Williams reports.
September 7, 2006 - "Minnesotans" and "tango" are not two words people often use in the same sentence. But this weekend marks the first-ever Tango Festival in Minnesota. Minnesota Public Radio's Marianne Combs reports that cold winters and hot moves may just be a match made in heaven.
September 13, 2006 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports that State Representative Keith Ellison has won the DFL nomination for Minnesota's Fifth Congressional seat. Ellison won a hard-fought primary contest against six other DFL candidates, including a former state senator and a former DFL Party chair. Ellison's victory makes him a heavy favorite to replace Congressman Martin Sabo, who is retiring from the seat. But Ellison's Republican opponent says he will continue to question Ellison's character, a campaign tactic that Ellison's DFL opponents used with little success.