VIDEO: “I never voted in my life”
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Many nonprofits participated in Get out the Vote this year, and they’re sharing why voting is important to them on video.
VIDEO: “I would like more of the Latino community to vote”
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Many nonprofits participated in Get out the Vote this year, and they’re sharing why voting is important to them on video.Comunidades Latinas Unidas En Servicio (CLUES) launched their very first civic engagement program, adding voter education to their long list of community services. The program, which started earlier this year, provides educational outreach services to Minneapolis residents who may not know about the voting process, or why it’s important.“I think as CLUES, it’s our responsibility and it’s our obligation to advocate for our community members,” said Joel Martinez, who runs the new program. “Not just in direct services … but also equip leadership within our community members.”Recently, the program took to the streets around Franklin and Chicago, Martinez said, teaching community members how to vote, and even how they can get involved if they can’t vote yet. Even if some community members can’t vote for legal reasons, he said, they can still get involved and make a difference in their community.Mercedes Moreno with CLUES hopes to see the Latino community get more involved in politics. Check out her video and see what voting means to her below. In EnglishEn Español Coverage of the 2014 elections is funded in part by a grant from The Minneapolis Foundation. Continue Reading
Reflections of New Minnesotans: African World AIDS Day event set for Nov. 1
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African World AIDS Day was started as a way to reach out to communities affected by the global AIDS crisis, who otherwise might not attend World AIDS Day events. The guests this week are Abdullahi Sheikh, Pillsbury United Communities community health organizer, and Tom Bichanga, Director of Outreach and Prevention for the Aliveness Project. [Audio below]
Community health overview: Vietnamese Americans
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According to the 2010 U.S. Census the eight largest Asian American populations in Minnesota are the Hmong, Asian Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, Korean, Filipino, Laotian, and Cambodian communities. Specifically, 27 percent of the total population identify themselves as Hmong, 15.5 percent are Asian Indian, 11.7 percent are Chinese, 11.1 percent are Vietnamese, 4.9 percent are Laotians, and 3.9 percent are Cambodians (See Figure 2).[i] Continue Reading
Minnesota Africans tackle Ebola
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Hundreds of local residents gathered at the North Hennepin Community college Saturday evening for an Ebola information session organized by the Minnesota Africans Against Ebola Task Force and the Minnesota Department of Health.
VIDEO: “Minnesota … a foreign graduate unfriendly place”
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This election year, seven individuals are learning more about what it means to do their civic duty, and they’re sharing their stories on video.
VIDEO: “I never had the opportunity to vote back home”
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This election year, seven individuals are learning more about what it means to do their civic duty, and they’re sharing their stories on video. The Center for Asian and Pacific Islanders (CAPI) started a pilot program to provide training and education for individuals who are either new to the voting process or simply wish to become involved in their communities through civic engagement. The program, which began back in September, is part of CAPI’s larger Voter Education Campaign, which provides resources like free translation and rides to polling places to increase voting participation in communities with typically low turnout. “We need to have less about quantity, but more about quality,” said Sandy Ci Moua, who runs the program. “Because a lot of people that get to the polls … they don’t necessarily feel confident. Continue Reading
Minnesota House candidate Yolandita Colón hopes to bridge party divide
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Yolandita Colón is a bit of an anomaly. On the one hand, she seems to stand for progressive causes like educational equality, meaningful immigration reform, improved housing for all, and human rights and social justice. On the other, she favors lowering taxes for businesses and business owners, and has very conservative stances on social issues such as abortion and same sex marriage.An evangelical minister, Colón isn’t following the typical trajectory for Latina candidates by seeking DFL endorsement. Instead, the 62A State Representative hopeful is running against incumbent Karen Clark as a candidate of the Independence Party. She said her platform will unify her constituents and find common ground between both major parties.“I want to bring unity,” Colón said. Continue Reading
East Side Enterprise Center houses huge walk-in cooler
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Access to a huge walk-in cooler is not what I had in mind when I heard about the resources the East Side Enterprise Center (ESEC) is offering to entrepreneurs and businesses, but it turns out that the cooler and warehouse space are just what some local entrepreneurs need. In fact, when John Flory from Latino Economic Development Center (LEDC) saw the 4,000 square feet of warehouse and garage space with 2 loading docks and 5 overhead garage doors, he knew he had found the perfect site for the East Side Local Food Incubator.
ADC provides Minnesota’s African immigrants financial education
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Nasibu Sareva gained inspiration and enduring leadership lessons as he watched his grandfather, Juma, care for about 20 people in a single household in Tanzania. “My grandad raised just about everybody,” Sareva said. “He raised his children, nieces, nephews and even grandchildren.”