November 23, 2004 - MPR’s Brandt Williams reports that court documents filed show the suspect in the six killings in Wisconsin, a 36-year-old Hmong immigrant, told authorities he was called racial slurs and fired upon before he says shot back. Hmong leaders in the Twin Cities gathered today to condemn the shootings and express sympathy for the victims. But some say racial tension between white and Hmong hunters is common.
November 23, 2004 - MPR’s Stephanie Hemphill reports on the concerns of some in Wisconsin after the killing of six hunters by Chai Vang. There is a fear that in the aftermath of the shooting, Hmong hunters may face racism in the state.
November 25, 2004 - The shooting deaths of six hunters in northwestern Wisconsin has prompted a complex set of reactions - perhaps nowhere more than in the Twin Cities Hmong community. The alleged shooter, Chai Vang, is a Hmong immigrant who lives in St. Paul. When the first reports of the incident came out, local Hmong leaders cautioned against making Vang's ethnicity an issue.
November 29, 2004 - Chuck Quirmbach of Wisconsin Public Radio reports that formal charges may come for the St. Paul man accused of killing six hunters and wounding two others in Wisconsin. In Milwaukee, Chai Vang's defense lawyers talked about their hope for a fair trial in Wisconsin's Northwoods. They also brought forward Vang's eldest daughter to talk about her father.
November 29, 2004 - On November 21, 2004 in the Wisconsin woods, eight hunter were shot; six died. Chai Vang has told police he shot the hunters after one of them first shot at him. Vang, a Hmong immigrant, also reportedly claims the hunters surrounded him and hurled slurs at him.
December 6, 2004 - MPR’s Perry Finelli interviews Dr. Pat Walker, medical director at the Center for International Health at Regions Hospital, about mass health screening clinics for new refugees.
December 10, 2004 - MPR’s David Molpus interviews Cheryl Thomas, who runs Women's Human Rights Program at the Minnesota Advocates for Human Rights. Thomas discusses the domestic violence facing women in immigrant communities here in Minnesota.
December 13, 2004 - MPR’s Brandt Williams reports on a Minnesota Community Project study regarding Minnesotan’s attitudes on immigrants. The majority of the people involved in the study expressed favorable attitudes toward immigration. However, the authors say they're particularly dismayed over data showing a streak of hostility toward immigrants - especially by people living in the outer ring suburbs. The study's authors say those attitudes go against Minnesota's tradition of tolerance and acceptance of newcomers.
December 14, 2004 - MPR’s Lorna Benson reports on a panel discussion at the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey Institute designed to debunk misperceptions about immigrants. The panel of Twin Cities community leaders say they're discouraged by the attitudes of Minnesotans who are fed up with immigrants. A new study has found that many Minnesotans believe immigrants are a drain on public services and that they shun assimilation. The opinions were strongest among people living in the outer-ring suburbs.
December 16, 2004 - As part of the series A Mirror on Morality, MPR’s Lorna Benson talks with six parishioners from Macalester Plymouth United Church in St. Paul about the 2004 elections. Five are gay, the other a lesbian. Exit polls suggest that many Christians cast their ballots based on moral concerns, including strong opposition to gay marriage. The six discuss that "moral values" influenced their voting too - just in a different way.