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.
September 15, 2006 - MPR's Ambar Espinoza reports on New Immigrant Agriculture Project, a specialized project that helps immigrant farmers continue their agrarian lifestyle in this country. Almost 80 farmers (mostly Hmong, Latino and Somali) pay subsidized lease rates to rent crop land. The program leases acreage to farmers for three years, until they're eligible for loans to buy land.
September 26, 2006 - MPR's Ambar Espinoza reports that for Spanish speakers, there are differences in accents, dialects and vocabulary, which can cause communication problems and confusion.
October 11, 2006 - Many immigrants to the United States arrive in the footsteps of family members who have already come to this country. This creates an invaluable network. Family members direct newcomers on where to find jobs, grocery stores, and the best places to live. But for those without a family network, the experiences are different. Minnesota Public Radio's Ambar Espinoza explores the touchstones new immigrants use to make Minnesota their home. In the past nine years, a man from Mexico named Arturo Cordova has lived in 11 different states. Today, he's sitting at a table at Mercado Central in Minneapolis, eating lunch with a friend. This cooperative is a place where many Latinos do business, but it's also a place where new immigrants look for community.
October 12, 2006 - A new book by sportswriter John Egan tells the story of basketball Hall of Famer Vern Mikkelsen. Mikkelsen played alongside George Mikan and Jim Pollard on the Minneapolis Lakers when they won a series of NBA championships in the late '40s and early '50s. He was introduced to the game when his family moved to Askov, Minnesota where his father, a Danish immigrant, was hired as a Lutheran minister. Mikkelsen, who lives today in the Twin Cities, says the man who recruited him to play at Hamline University, ended up in Askov by accident. That is Vern Mikkelsen who sang with the Hamline A Cappella choir for three years before quitting to concentrate on basketball. To read about that and more you'll want to track down a copy of a brand new book, "The Vern Mikkelsen Story" by John Egan.
October 13, 2006 - The new movie "Sweet Land," tells the story of immigrant farmers struggling for survival in southwestern Minnesota just after World War One. The film, made by St. Paul film director Ali Selim, follows what happens when a Norwegian farmer called Olaf sends for a bride from the old country. She causes outrage among Olaf's neighbors when it turns out she is German. The film goes on limited release this weekend after drawing large audiences at a series of film festivals. Two of the film's stars, Ned Beatty and Tim Guinee who plays Olaf, came into the MPR studios to talk about the launch. Beatty told Minnesota Public Radio's Euan Kerr there is a simple reason for the film's success.
October 13, 2006 - Last year Minnesota took in more immigrants than in any of the past 25 years. Many of them are Muslims from countries including Somalia. The state's 5th District, which includes Minneapolis, is home to many of these new arrivals. And it's here where Muslims are just beginning to speak with their newfound political voice. Minnesota public Radio's Andrew Haeg reports from Minneapolis.
October 16, 2006 - MPR’s Tom Scheck reports on national TV appearance of Minnesota U.S. Senate candidates. The candidates for Minnesota's open U.S. Senate seat are back in Minnesota today after appearing in a nationally televised debate on Sunday. Democrat Amy Klobuchar and Republican Mark Kennedy were in Washington yesterday to appear in an NBC “Meet the Press” debate. The high-stakes appearance took place as, yet another independent poll, shows Kennedy trailing Klobuchar by a substantial margin.
October 20, 2006 - The two state-supported higher education systems are hoping to take advantage of a rosier financial outlook to boost budget appropriations from the coming legislative session. Both the University of Minnesota and the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system aim to boost the state's share of the cost. But students and faculty say the effort isn't enough. Minnesota Public Radio's Art Hughes reports.
October 23, 2006 - Part of what we do on Minnesota Public Radio is bring you great campaign coverage. We also bring you the voices of real people you may not get to talk with in your everyday routine. This next story is an example of both. We know that many Americans have quibbles with our political process.But Minnesota Public Radio producer Sanden Totten went out to talk with some people who did not grow up with democracy. He wanted to find out if they would be as quick to criticize politics in this country. Here are Lucy and David -- two people who encountered American voting, elections, and freedom only later in life.
October 26, 2006 - Recently, in close races, Republicans have been turning to immigration as their top issue. This controversial topic has been succesful for Republicans in the past, and they continue to use it today.