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.
June 26, 2007 - St. Paul author Norma Sommerdorf has written a story about an teenage girl from an immigrant family who lives near the Red River and is forced to grow up too quickly.
June 28, 2007 - One of the votes president Bush hoped he could count on to support the immigration reform bill belonged to Minnesota Senator Norm Coleman. But Coleman was one of the 53 votes against the legislation today. Still, Coleman wasn't as dead-set against the bill as other Senators. Though he voted with the majority, he did not strike a victorious tone in a conference call today with reporters. If Coleman supported the immigration bill's path to citizenship, why would he vote against it? He said he was disappointed that several amendments didn't make it into the bill. One would have included funding for federally-mandated security upgrades to drivers licenses and ID cards. Another would have allowed all local police officers to question people about their immigration status.
July 4, 2007 - While the issue of immigration spurs heated debate across the country, the stories of how and why people choose the United States as their home lay the foundation of America. On this Independence Day, Midday invites immigrants Zainab Hassan, Roberto Fonts, and Kaiser Haque to share their reasons for wanting to become Americans.
July 9, 2007 - Thousands of Buddhists from around the world have flocked to Hampton, Minnesota for the consecration of the new Buddhist temple there. This is a one-time event for the temple, and something that the tiny town of Hampton is unlikely to witness again.
July 19, 2007 - MPR’s Roseanne Pereria reports that while farming runs deep in the Hmong culture, many Hmong farmers are isolated both by culture and language from the rest of U.S. agriculture. They often have difficulty getting resources and finding information. Pereria interviews one local grower who work towards changing that.
July 20, 2007 - A "Puppet Rampage" has overtaken the Twin Cities this week. Members of the organization Puppeteers of America are holding their national festival in St. Paul and Minneapolis. One of the festival keynoters is Obie Award-winning performance artist Paul Zaloom. During the 90s, Zaloom starred in the cable TV series "Beakman's World." He's performing his latest puppet production tonight at In the Heart of the Beast Theater in Minneapolis. It uses an ancient Middle Eastern shadow puppet tradition to lampoon 21st-century America. Minnesota Public Radio's Chris Roberts reports.
August 10, 2007 - A traditional Muslim memorial service was held for the victims of the 35-W bridge collapse. About 50 people, mostly Somali, attended a prayer service at the gymnasium of the Brian Coyle Community Center in Minneapolis to remember those who died in the accident and are still missing.
August 13, 2007 - Cultural change begins in small ways. Some Hmong women in St. Paul are starting with themselves. MPR's Roseanne Pereira reports on The Hmong Women Leadership Institute, which works to foster leadership skills in young Hmong women. It’s a small, but impactful, change to centuries' old Hmong social order.
August 28, 2007 - Many of the Somalis enrolled in Twin Cities schools and colleges have had little early exposure to education. Their parents may also have minimal education. All this makes navigating the school system difficult. Now a non-profit organization from within the East African community is trying to help these students succeed. Minnesota Public Radio's Roseanne Pereira {Puh-RARE-uh}reports.
August 31, 2007 - More than a third of schools in Minnesota failed to meet student performance goals last year under the No Child Left Behind law. The Minnesota Department of Education says 729 schools did not make adequate yearly progress under the federal legislation, the highest number since it was enacted five years ago. On his weekly radio show today, Governor Pawlenty said he's concerned about the increase. Opponents of No Child Left Behind say it's overly political, and relies too heavily on testing procedures. Today, we get the perspective of two principals. One whose school was included on the list, and another whose school is no longer on it.