The Mexican American experience in Minnesota is a profoundly important aspect to the state’s economy, culture, and history. This collection presents an audio glimpse.
December 12, 2003 - MPR’s Marisa Helms reports on thousands of Mexican Americans in Minnesota celebrating a Mexican national holiday, the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
March 18, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio’s Annie Baxter reports on a Long Prairie radio program that is reaching out to the town's burgeoning Hispanic population.
June 17, 2004 - MPR’s Art Hughes reports on the growing Latino population in Minnesota. As the Hispanic population grows, so does their economic power--estimated by marketing experts at more than $3 billion. Hughes interviews Hispanic business owners about marketing and supprting Latino community.
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 27, 2004 - Mainstreet Radio’s Tom Robertson reports on how Anderson Fabrics in Blackduck, Minnesota is looking for immigrants to solve a labor shortage problem. After a failed attempt with Hmong employees due to a culture clash, company hopes to find a solution in the Twin Cities Latino community. Nearly 40 Latino workers moved from the Twin Cities to Blackduck in the fall of 2004. Blackduck school and community leaders are now bracing for what's expected to be a wave of Latino families.
June 13, 2005 - MPR’s Bianca Vazquez Toness profiles La Loma, a commercial kitchen in Minneapolis that makes about 13,000 tamales a week. Toness interviews the owners about how they started and there goals for the future.
April 28, 2006 - MPR's Marisa Helms reports on Neighborhood House, a St. Paul community center providing services for the growing numbers of immigrants and refugees in the metro area. Neighborhood House is celebrating the grand opening of its new building in St. Paul, which is named after Paul and Sheila Wellstone.
June 12, 2006 - MPR’s Marisa Helms reports on the increasing importance and interest for Spanish langauge radio in the Twin Cities. Two 24-hour stations are going head to head for listeners…Radio Rey and La Invasora.
September 1, 2006 - In this final installment of Notes from Home series, MPR’s Sanden Totten sits down with Maya Lopez-Santamaria, author of “Musica de la Raza,” a book that tells the story of Minnesota's Mexican and Chicano musicians.
September 15, 2006 - MPR's Ambar Espinoza reports on New Immigrant Agriculture Project, a specialized project that helps immigrant farmers continue their agrarian lifestyle in this country. Almost 80 farmers (mostly Hmong, Latino and Somali) pay subsidized lease rates to rent crop land. The program leases acreage to farmers for three years, until they're eligible for loans to buy land.