This Wednesday, October 22nd will be the 170th anniversary of “The End of the World,” as predicted by the adherents of Millerism in the 1830s. William Miller had predicted the Second Coming of Christ on October 22nd, 1844, That day came and went, and left a good number of people disillusioned. Some returned to their old congregations, others became Quakers or Shakers. In more recent years, the late Harold Camping predicted October 21st, 2011 was going to be the day to end all days. Continue Reading
It’s October, so this is a good month to talk about the things and people that have scared us or tried to scare us over the years. Some of those fears were justified, and many were not. For those of us with roots in Laos and other parts of Southeast Asia who escaped the wars, this is an interesting question. Continue Reading
As Ebola rages on, Minnesotans are shipping massive containers filled with hundreds of thousands of meals, facemasks and gloves to areas overseas affected by the deadly virus.
You probably think that I am going to write about my hijab, the difficulties I have faced in a predominantly Christian country, or some other predictable topic that Muslims write about.Well, I am not.This is a story about a young girl who came to a foreign country from Yemen with her mother when she was eight. She would soon grow up with two cultures, two religions, and two separate worlds.This girl is now 17 years old and has finally found herself.When I was in grade school, I remember being taught to love my founding fathers and was pushed to celebrate with Thanksgiving turkey and cranberry sauce.“I am Arab,” I thought to myself, “how can some Britons be my ancestors?”I just accepted my new lifestyle to make people accept me.It was then that my mother noticed I was lost in my identity and decided to move me to a predominantly Muslim charter school in West St. Paul.We also moved to an area where most of the school staff and students resided. My life was soon filled with the company of Muslim immigrants who isolated themselves from American people.It was at age 10 that I began thinking about God all the time and noticed myself becoming even more religious than my own family members.Suddenly, I went from being a Western girl playing every sport there was and assimilating to American culture to an awkward tween who boycotted all music and alienated myself from my American peers.I also stopped eating turkey.EMBRACING BOTH IDENTITIESThe summer before my freshman year of high school, I went to a highly spiritual church camp that I had not been to since I was a little girl. I noticed changes. Continue Reading
Students at Macalester College have once again demonstrated their ability to think constructively and enact change in the face of academic and artistic repression, even if the culprit is their own administration.This is a Community Voices submission and is moderated but not edited. The opinions expressed by Community Voices contributors are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the TC Daily Planet.Months ago, Macalester College senior Elsa Goossen proposed a community art installation to the Macalester administration, to be on display during its 21st annual International Round Table. This project, which would take the form of a chain link fence decorated with student art and writing, was to highlight migrant experiences and bust myths surrounding worldwide borders. The administrative body approved the mock border wall, agreeing to place it on Old Main Lawn, the highest-traffic location on campus.Three weeks ago, citing dubious concerns over student and community sensitivities, the administration changed its mind about both the length the wall would be allowed to stay and its location. Goossen and other organizers proposed many compromises, including a two dimensional “tape border” in the same area, obelisks (an historical border marker) leading from the originally accepted location to the new location, and multiple fence “sections” that would lead along and only partially bisect the walkway of the newly imposed location.None of these last-minute compromises were accepted by the administration, despite its inability to provide reasons that student art of this nature should not be on display during an international event concerning migration. Continue Reading
Anti-immigrant critics who complain that, “They don’t want to learn English and become citizens” should see the action at CLUES. The Lake Street office bustled with activity on October 11. About 30 immigrants and lots of volunteers showed up for Citizenship Day, ready to complete the 21-page application and move on to filing. Continue Reading
What do you do in your office as a United States Senator?
As one of your two United States Senators, I have been working hard to pass laws that help all Minnesotans do better. My office also works with Minnesotans who need help navigating federal programs and services, including helping Minnesotans who are having trouble with issues such as immigration, social security, and Medicare. It has been an honor to serve Minnesota for the past five years. I’ve worked hard and gotten a lot done, but we can’t stop now. That’s why I’m hoping to be reelected to another term this November.
After months of scrutiny surrounding terrorist organizations’ recruitment in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood, residents and city leaders are calling for more community resources and youth programs.
