When i have family, or random folks say, "It's a different world" here (i live in Minneapolis, in case my name wasn't enough of a clue!)
I tend to lean in & say, "YEP!!! We have folks from all over the world, and an incredible food & restaurant scene, because of it!
I can get authentic Greek, Mexican, Mediterranean, Hmong, Pizza that's New York, Detroit, Chicago, Italian, or Midwestern pub-style, German, Polish, Ukranian Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Hawaiian, Japanese, French, so many kinds of Indian, other Asian, Carribbean, Middle-Eastern, Central & South American, and African foods.
And i can also get ingredients from all over the world!
If you like to cook, bake, or try new foods from around the world? Minneapolis-St. Paul and the surrounding area is incredible, because you don't have to be on a coast, or in Chicago to get all of that!"
And the other thing that people "not from here," don't get?
Is that--while there are "growing pains" when each new generation of immigrants comes in--
There were the freakouts back in the 1980's about "Hmong Gangs!" and the 90's & early 00's about "Hispanic Gangs!" juuuuust like there are nowadays about "Somali Gangs!"(🙄🙄🙄), for pete's sake!
The groups of people who come in, settle, and STAY here?
They DO largely hold the SAME VALUES!!!
Just like the Dakota & the Ojibwe who were here first--there is a culture of accepting new folks, and making sure they're fed, clothed, and safe.
We feed our neighbors, and we come from communal cultures, where folks pitched together and take care of each other, and no one gets left behind.
The Germanic, Irish, & Nordic folks who settled in the 1800's-early 1900's looked out for & took care of each other. Same with the jewish folks fleeing pogroms in Eastern Europe. The folks who moved North from Southern States, during The Great Migration.
Those Germans & Nordic folks didn't "fully integrate" and start speaking English at home, until after WW2 started!!!
And after WW2, not only did plenty of American GI's bring home Brides from Europe & Asia, plenty of German POW's stayed here, and married American women.
Then, during & after the Korean & Vietnam wars, on through the 90's, til now Minnesotans adopted kids (so many Korean kids in the 60's-80's!), and we brought refugees from the Phillipines, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and the surrounding region here--especially the Hmong families whose men fought with & for the US.
And they brought their foods, and that "taking care of one another" culture.
Then, in the 1980's, we started getting lots of immigrants from Mexico, Central, & South America, and they did the same--sharing food, traditions, and that sense of care & community.
And in the 90's through now, we see the influx of folks from East Africa--Ethiopia, Somslia, Eritrea, etc, and folks from West Africa--Liberia,
Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, etc., who brough their foods, and community-based values.
So many folks from other places--and honestly, even folks from the very white & rural parts of our state, see the struggles those (often second-generation) kids have, "finding their place" here, and assume "They all hate us and they're alllll violent!"
And that's NOT what goes on.
Most of our new immigrants?
They're JUST LIKE the Germans, Irish, Jewish, & Nordic Folks, who settled here 100-150 years ago!
Community-minded, hardworking, and here to create a better life for their families.
And you start to SEE that, once you get to know them!
Minnesota is a state of mind, based around getting to know folks, helping each other survive some pretty harsh elements, getting through the seasons together, and soooooo much good food shared back & forth!
Once we sit down & get to know each other*?
We start realizing that we might've been born in very different places around the world!
But we were RAISED THE SAME WAY!!! With the same values!!! Doesn't matter if we grew up in rural MN, or a refugee camp in Ethiopia, Laos, or fled the breakup of the USSR, or a South American Dictatorship!
We care about our neighbors, and the folks around us, we make sure they have their necessities covered, that their kids are getting a good education, and we understand--like Paul Wellstone used to say,
"We all do better, when we ALL do better!" "Trickle Down" politics is BS. Building the community up, by making sure everyone has enough--that makes us so much stronger!
Sold! Least I know where to go if I plan to revisit US. Been in US twice, but right now I rather not risk it. Hoping to see Universal healthcare get implemented first :)
16
u/EmmerdoesNOTrepme 3d ago
When i have family, or random folks say, "It's a different world" here (i live in Minneapolis, in case my name wasn't enough of a clue!)
I tend to lean in & say, "YEP!!! We have folks from all over the world, and an incredible food & restaurant scene, because of it!
I can get authentic Greek, Mexican, Mediterranean, Hmong, Pizza that's New York, Detroit, Chicago, Italian, or Midwestern pub-style, German, Polish, Ukranian Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai, Hawaiian, Japanese, French, so many kinds of Indian, other Asian, Carribbean, Middle-Eastern, Central & South American, and African foods.
And i can also get ingredients from all over the world!
If you like to cook, bake, or try new foods from around the world? Minneapolis-St. Paul and the surrounding area is incredible, because you don't have to be on a coast, or in Chicago to get all of that!"
And the other thing that people "not from here," don't get?
Is that--while there are "growing pains" when each new generation of immigrants comes in--
There were the freakouts back in the 1980's about "Hmong Gangs!" and the 90's & early 00's about "Hispanic Gangs!" juuuuust like there are nowadays about "Somali Gangs!"(🙄🙄🙄), for pete's sake!
The groups of people who come in, settle, and STAY here?
They DO largely hold the SAME VALUES!!!
Just like the Dakota & the Ojibwe who were here first--there is a culture of accepting new folks, and making sure they're fed, clothed, and safe.
We feed our neighbors, and we come from communal cultures, where folks pitched together and take care of each other, and no one gets left behind.
The Germanic, Irish, & Nordic folks who settled in the 1800's-early 1900's looked out for & took care of each other. Same with the jewish folks fleeing pogroms in Eastern Europe. The folks who moved North from Southern States, during The Great Migration.
Those Germans & Nordic folks didn't "fully integrate" and start speaking English at home, until after WW2 started!!!
And after WW2, not only did plenty of American GI's bring home Brides from Europe & Asia, plenty of German POW's stayed here, and married American women.
Then, during & after the Korean & Vietnam wars, on through the 90's, til now Minnesotans adopted kids (so many Korean kids in the 60's-80's!), and we brought refugees from the Phillipines, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and the surrounding region here--especially the Hmong families whose men fought with & for the US.
And they brought their foods, and that "taking care of one another" culture.
Then, in the 1980's, we started getting lots of immigrants from Mexico, Central, & South America, and they did the same--sharing food, traditions, and that sense of care & community.
And in the 90's through now, we see the influx of folks from East Africa--Ethiopia, Somslia, Eritrea, etc, and folks from West Africa--Liberia, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Ghana, Guinea, Nigeria, etc., who brough their foods, and community-based values.
So many folks from other places--and honestly, even folks from the very white & rural parts of our state, see the struggles those (often second-generation) kids have, "finding their place" here, and assume "They all hate us and they're alllll violent!"
And that's NOT what goes on.
Most of our new immigrants?
They're JUST LIKE the Germans, Irish, Jewish, & Nordic Folks, who settled here 100-150 years ago!
Community-minded, hardworking, and here to create a better life for their families.
And you start to SEE that, once you get to know them!
Minnesota is a state of mind, based around getting to know folks, helping each other survive some pretty harsh elements, getting through the seasons together, and soooooo much good food shared back & forth!
Once we sit down & get to know each other*?
We start realizing that we might've been born in very different places around the world!
But we were RAISED THE SAME WAY!!! With the same values!!! Doesn't matter if we grew up in rural MN, or a refugee camp in Ethiopia, Laos, or fled the breakup of the USSR, or a South American Dictatorship!
We care about our neighbors, and the folks around us, we make sure they have their necessities covered, that their kids are getting a good education, and we understand--like Paul Wellstone used to say,
"We all do better, when we ALL do better!" "Trickle Down" politics is BS. Building the community up, by making sure everyone has enough--that makes us so much stronger!