October 2011
4 posts
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Reflections of New Minnesotans: Celebrating this... →
newminnesotans:
Its wonderful to see the Nobel Peace Prize committee acknowledge the work of women during conflict. This year’s laureates were Liberian president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, peace activist Leymah Gbowee, and Tawakkol Karman of Yemen, a pro-democracy campaigner. It is a victory in many ways: only one…
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September 2011
1 post
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Reflections of New Minnesotans: Arab American... →
newminnesotans:
Kathryn Haddad’s Zafira the Olive Oil Warrior looks at what would happen if Arab and Muslim Americans were held in internment camps just as Japanese Americans were in the ’40s. In this haunting play, school teacher Vicki, played by Taous Khazem, is emboldened by her alter-ego, Zafira. I interview…
July 2011
3 posts
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A warmer welcome in a colder state →
The Economist makes the case for Minnesota Nice in immigration:
The difference may be partly because, when it comes to immigration, Minnesota is more like Canada than the rest of the United States. Being far removed from Latin America, the main source of immigrants to the country in general, Minnesota has little cause to worry about unauthorised migration.
But it is also a matter of policy....
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For Kenyan émigré, Minnesota has become home, but... →
I haven’t met Timon Bondo, but I have heard a lot about him from many older Kenyans who live here in the cities. Perhaps, it is time I gave him a visit. The Strib’s Curt Brown writes a heartwarming piece about this how Mr. Bondo came to the states and continued to live here while building two schools in his hometown on the shores of Lake Victoria in western Kenya.
(click through the...
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Amplifying the stories of newest Minnesotans →
Finding my Minnesota identity: the Star Tribune’s Curt Brown writes a nice profile of my work on his weekly column My Minnesota.
(click through title to read the story)
-Nekessa
June 2011
8 posts
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Interactive map: Where are the immigrant youth in... →
We learned from the 2010 Census that Minnesota’s population became more diverse between 2000 and 2010. There are nearly 107,000 more Hispanic residents in Minnesota today than there were 10 years ago. And residents who checked the box next to “Black, African American, or Negro” on their 2010 Census form rose almost as much: close to 103,000 people. Immigrants settling in Minnesota are driving...
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Today is World Refugee Day: Minnesota is home to...
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Listen to my interview with Ahmed Sirleaf,...
The Differences Between the Daily Planet and... →
Many thanks to all of you who responded to my recent message asking you to support the Twin Cities Daily Planet by making a membership contribution. We really need the support, and many of you responded generously.
But I received one response that really caught my attention:
“Would totally make a donation once you start paying your writers.”
I replied immediately: “Actually, we have been...
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The Criminalization of Poverty →
Florida’s governor recently signed a bill that will require welfare recipients to submit to drug tests.
In case, like me, you missed it, Republicans in Minnesota filed a similar bill in February:
Eligibility; drug screening. (a) To be eligible for MFIP, [The Minnesota Family Investment Program is the state’s welfare reform program for low-income families with children.] an applicant must...
May 2011
3 posts
Paying Attention Now: North Mpls post storm... →
payattentionnow:
I have many friends and family who live in or near the area of North Minneapolis impacted by yesterday’s tornados. I absolutely believe those who are impacted by the storm - who may need to be living with friends, family, or in a shelter - need their things protected.
But the curfews, the…
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Interview with Minnesota-based queer Lao...
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newminnesotans:
Qais Munhazim, an Afghan living...
April 2011
9 posts
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On Obama basically getting pulled over for... →
crunkfeministcollective:
Beyond my sarcasm, though, I think the president has set a horrible precedent. I mean, on a grand scale, he just got pulled over and asked to show papers proving his citizenship. I could be optimistic, I suppose, and think, “Well, maybe now he’ll take a firmer stand on the treatment of immigrants and other people of color who are harassed, badgered, interrogated and...
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newminnesotans:
In 2008, over 900 federal agents...
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Somalia's Diaspora should continue investing in...
The American Refugee Committee has announced that it will be setting up in Somalia. I’m acquainted with some members of the Internally Displaced Somali Advisory Council that is partnering with the ARC on this project, and think it laudable that the process has involved much consultation and partnership. It is this success that suggests the potential to do a lot more, if different work, in...
Watch
Minnesota welcomed more than 130,000 immigrants from around the world between 2000 and 2009 (the latest year for which data is available). Where are they from?
Have a look at the interactive world map we’ve posted. Just roll your mouse over any country to see how many people made the journey from there to here.
(via minnpost)
This is fantastic. Everything I need in a neat little interactive...
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Governor Mark Dayton allows two immigration...
Governor Mark Dayton last week allowed two immigration enforcement executive orders from the previous administration to expire.
The orders, requiring use of federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s E-Verify program for new employees of the executive branch and of certain contractors, and directing cooperation with federal immigration authorities, were signed amidst the growing...
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newminnesotans:
You would be surprised to learn...
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Immigration court: A ‘maddening’ system with... →
judges are at the heart of a bloated immigration court system saddled by explosive growth, a troubled reputation and a record backlog estimated at nearly 268,000 cases. The problems are drawing increased scrutiny of a little-seen world where justice can seem arbitrary, lives can remain in limbo for years — and blame seems to be in abundance.
There are lawyers who accuse immigration judges of...
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Assessing food insecurity in Saint Paul (pdf) →
Key findings: Food security (access to food, and affordable healthy food choices) is not reality for many of the people surveyed.
freshmn:
Discusses the results of an assessment of food needs in four Saint Paul neighborhoods, conducted by the Neighborhood Food Project.
It’s only a two-pager. Give it a read.
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Back to blogging with an announcement
A few weeks ago I was asked to produce and co-host a new hour-long radio show on AM950: Reflections of New Minnesotans. Its an exciting new challenge as this is my first time on radio (read huge learning curve). The subject matters on the other hand, immigrants and immigration in Minnesota, are issues that I am passionate about.
I have a launched a blog where you can catch up on any shows that...
February 2011
7 posts
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“Misri on my mind.”
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“Under a government which imprisons any unjustly, the true place for a just man...”
– Henry David Thoreau
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A comprehensive list of must-see documentaries →
A very comprehensive list. Hallo Netflix. And Hulu. And wherever else I can find these documentaries for free, or for cheap. [click on title to see list of docus]
Update
And a friend just sent me this.
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WatchMother and daughter doctor-heroes: Hawa Abdi and Deqo Mohamed
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me: attempting a return to regular blogging.
January 2011
13 posts
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The brutal murder of human rights activist David... →
Its becoming increasingly dangerous for Uganda’s gay community. Yesterday, we learned of the gruesome murder of David Kato. He had become a fixture in the human rights community championing publicly for the rights of himself and others knowing that his life would be in danger. In his honor and others like him (remember Fannyann Eddy?) may we not forget what the stakes are.
Click on title...
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Expert on Somali immigration to speak at Carleton... →
Professor Abdi Kusow, a noted sociologist who has written extensively about African immigration to North America, will speak at Carleton College on Thursday, January 27, from 7:30 to 9 p.m. in the Alumni Guest House, located at the corner of First and College Streets in Northfield. Entitled “Somali Immigrants in the United States: Conceptualizing Transnational Migration in a Stateless Global...
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MPR hosts BBC's "Africa Have Your Say" in St. Paul
The BBC World Service and Minnesota Public Radio News invite you to be part of the live radio audience for a special presentation of Africa Have Your Say on Wednesday, January 26, 9:30-11:00 a.m. Portions of the worldwide call-in program will be broadcast live from the UBS Forum at MPR headquarters, 480 Cedar Street in St. Paul. During the broadcast you’ll hear young Somalis in Minnesota,...
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“Tunisia: Coffee is the world’s most radical drink because it makes people...”
– via Calestous Juma
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Pupils boycott school after posting of a female... →
In other sexist news; this time a town in Kenya, Rachuonyo.
Learning in Osuri Primary School in Rachuonyo South District has been paralysed after pupils boycotted attendance to protest against a female teacher posted at the institution.
The female teacher was to replace a male deputy head teacher, but the over 200 pupils at the institution did not take the changes kindly.
The learners have...
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How Not to Deal With a Student Mother →
The chancellor of the University of California at Davis is pledging an investigation and “swift and appropriate action” over an e-mail in which a class was polled on the grade that should be given to a student who had to miss some quizzes because she had given birth.
The letter. Wow. Fucking unbelievable. California? My cousin, who teaches at a California university, lost her track...
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“The ability of Americans to ignore the patterns of violence in their history has...”
– Thank you, Glenn W. LaFantasie, for saying what I’ve been writing emails and chats about for the past few days. I have felt a little off-kilter since Sunday because my initial reaction to the Giffords shooting was Are you really that surprised? Social media people wrote things like “What is this...
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Seeing the Bunyan for the Trees: Storytelling and... →
twincitiesrunoff:
Even if it is a metaphor, labeling an area as “white” hardly encourages a community to think about its actual makeup. It’s easy to find strong Scandinavian traditions locally, sure, but it’s not difficult to find East African ones, either. In addition to prominent Latino, American Indian and African American communities, the Twin Cities are home to the largest Somali...
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Kenyan Mps in fresh bid for local tribunal →
Well, the title doesn’t tell the whole story. Local tribunals are a good thing, but this bill does the exact opposite of what the Special Tribunal bill offered last year promised to do: bring justice to the thousands of Kenyans who died and thousands more who have since been displaced from their homes. Under this bill perpetrators of violence during the 2007 election are assured protection....
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More small businesses are offering healthcare to... →
Major insurers around the country are reporting that a growing number of small businesses are signing up to give their workers health benefits, a sign of potential progress for the nation’s battered health care system.
The increase, although not universal, has brought new security to thousands of workers, many of whom did not have insurance or were at risk of losing it.
An important selling...
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why was Nancy Pelosi not featured on more magazine... →
And the snubbing doesn’t end with Time‘s postage-stamp Speaker. The New Yorker? Never put Pelosi on the cover. Newsweek? Never. The Economist? Never. Vanity Fair? Never. Harpers? Never. I could go on, but you get the idea. What covers has she been on? She was on New York magazine. She was featured on the May/June cover ofCapitol File, in a photo best remembered for generating misogynist...
December 2010
21 posts
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