Twin Cities World Refugee Day

Minnesota: Haven for refugees According to the Advocates for Human Rights fact sheet published in 2006: • Refugees are persons who are forced to flee persecution in their country of origin. The Minnesota Department of Human Services estimates that more than 70,500 refugees live in Minnesota. • In a given year, 25-50% of Minnesota’s immigrants are refugees, compared to 8% nationally. • In a given year, 25-50% of Minnesota’s immigrants are refugees, compared to 8% nationally. • 13,500 refugees from about 30 different countries were resettled in Minnesota from 1999-2003 accounting for just over 2% of all refugees admitted nationally. Though the number each year may fluctuate, the percentage resettling in Minnesota is expected to be stable. • In the last two decades, refugees have tended to come from the former Soviet Union, Bosnia, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Liberia, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. • Federal, state, and community agencies give these estimates of Minnesota’s largest refugee populations: Hmong 60,000 Former Soviet Republics 12,500 Vietnamese 25,000 Ethiopian 7,500 Somali 25,000 Cambodian 7,500 Laotian 13,000 According to reports from local immigrant communities, Minnesota is home to the largest Somali population in the United States. The Twin Cities area is host to the largest Hmong community in the world outside of Asia. An estimated 400 Hmong-owned businesses have contributed to the revitalization of urban areas in the Twin Cities metropolitan area: St. Paul, North Minneapolis, Brooklyn Park, and Brooklyn Center in particular. Unique, yet smaller immigrant communities in Minnesota include the largest group of Oromo – an ethnic group from Ethiopia – outside of that country, the second largest group of Tibetans in the U.S., and a concentration of West African refugees from Liberia and Sierra Leone.

More than 88,500 refugees from around the world have made Minnesota their home since 1979, including one of the largest Hmong communities outside of Asia. Representatives from local refugee-serving organizations gathered at Minnehaha Park to host the Twin Cities World Refugee Day 2008, a celebration of the many local refugee groups and their journeys to Minnesota.

It was a perfect day temperatures in the mid 70’s and plenty of sunshine. A great time for everyone; young children enjoyed the outdoor activities which included a kid’s jump castle, craft section lead by Phuoc Thi Minh Tran (librarian), participants made hats, and other items, clown’s made balloon animals, free snacks were provided. But the best part of all was the Dragonfly story told by Phuoc Tran, the children were fascinated. A hand carved Dragonfly was given to the children.

Cultural singers, dancers and other performers took the stage between 2:00 and 6:00. One of the groups that performed was The Hoang Anh Dance Group, which consists of students from the Twin Cities area. Many have been performing for the past 5 years at various events and festivals. The purpose of the group is to help promote and educate others about the Vietnamese culture through song and dance. They performed three numbers, the first song represented the friendship between the northern and southern region of Vietnam. The second consisted of telling about the history, development, and significance of the Vietnamese flag. The third was a song celebrating the excitement of the season. Many other very special groups performed including: Red Hot Peppers, Oromiya Youth Association, Cultural Society of Filipino, Hmong Cultural Center Dancers & Qeej Players, Lerxeng Hmong Kong Chue, Tenzin Ngawang, Karen Community of Minnesota Dancers.

In the Parks Main Pavilion an Immigrant Resource Fair with information from more Twin Cities Refugee organizations and support groups was open.

The main program began at 6:00 p.m., Joe Campbell, Constituent Advocate for U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar, read a message from the Senator who was in Washington, D.C. Senator Klobuchar acknowledged refugees’ contributions to Minnesota “after fleeing political persecution.” She thanked the refugees, the community, and organizations for their help. As Senator and representing all, she’s working hard on issues important to them.

The program featured many speakers throughout the evening, including West African spoken word artist IBé. He was born to a Maninka family in central Guinea, his family moved to Sierra Leone in 1980 staying until civil war broke out in 1991. He returned to Guinea and became a refugee. In September, 1991 he arrived in New York, the city of cities. IBé rapped about being Black in America.

Williametta ‘Piso’ Saydee is a refugee from Liberia, West Africa. Ms. Saydee is currently the Program Coordinator for the Extended Support Services for New Arrivals. She said people need to educate others about their culture.

Eh Taw Dwe, Health Education Program Assistant, Ramsey County Department of Public Health Refugee/Immigrant Health Program. Eh came to the United States four years ago as a Karen refugee from Burma, with his wife and three children. He illustrated positive resiliency though losing everything and faced with oppression.

You can help International Institute of Minnesota: Refugee Mentoring Program – Befriend and orient newly arrived refugees to the United States. Responsibilities include weekly contact, helping the refugee family understand opportunities available in the Twin Cities, and lots of listening. Training and support is available. Commitment is one meeting a month for six months. Contact kmartin@iimn.org Lutheran Social ServicesThere are a variety of opportunities in volunteering with Refugee Resettlement. For more information, contact Sharon Bangsund at Sharon.Bangsund@lssmn.org or 612/879-5260

One Minnesota refugee Rwanda refugee remembers by Julia N. Opoti, TC Daily Planet “I remember being numb. All my emotions were gone—I was in a survival mode.” The twenty-four-year-old Rwandan genocide survivor recalled the past, with a blank look on her face, watching the steam rise from her cup of hot chocolate. “We knew it was coming,” said Alice Tuza, now a refugee living in the Twin Cities. “We just did not know when.” Tuza was only nine at the time.

Mao Thao, Hmong Health Coordinator, Ramsey County Department of Health, spoke of her early experiences in the U.S. and the help from family, friends and community. Mao came to La Crescent, Minnesota as a Hmong refugee from Laos in 1975, moving to St Paul with her husband and two children in 1979 to be closer to relatives. She felt that family, friends and community were important in “building a better future for all.”

The event was a huge success; a world of thanks goes out to all the event staff, volunteers, sponsors, organizations, and contributors.