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Diversity
Midday broadcast from St. Cloud
Hosted by Rachel Reabe
Wednesday May 5, 1999
Hour One: Racism in St. Cloud
Hour Two: Rural Refugees
HOUR ONE: Racism in St. Cloud
Hour One in RealAudio 28.8
The St. Cloud community and St. Cloud State University have experienced a number of incidents of racism in the past several years. Racial tension has increased with the growth of the minority population. Community leaders have put together a plan to combat racism and have hired a consulting firm to assess their progress. Critics say in their haste to solve the problems, St. Cloud has minimized the problem of racism.
GUESTS:
St. Cloud Mayor Larry Meyer
Dr. Robert Johnson, professor and director of the minority studies program at St. Cloud State University
Taye Reta, former St. Cloud business owner and member of the State Council on Black Minnesotans
HOUR TWO: Rural Refugees
Hour Two in RealAudio 28.8
In the past 20 years, almost 53,000 refugees have resettled in
Minnesota. The majority live in the Twin Cities. But about 15
percent of
the refugees were placed in rural Minnesota. The Norwegian community of
Pelican Rapids in west-central Minnesota now has a lively ethnic mix of
Somalians, Mexicans, Vietnamese and Bosnians. English classes for adults are
held three nights a week. Last year the community organized International
Friendship Day to celebrate the new diversity in town. Not all communities
have been so welcoming. A textile business in Benson in Swift County was
hoping to bring Hmong workers to town to boost the local labor force. Plans
were scrapped after some community members expressed opposition.
GUESTS:
Minh Tran, area coordinator for refugee and immigration services
for Lutheran Social Services in Moorehead.
Diane Kimm, a Pelican Rapids volunteer who has worked with
refugee families in the community
Bob Hulteen, Minnesota Council of Churches. Hulteen works with
communities to develop racial tolerance and social justice.
PROGRAM CREDITS
Site producer: Cari Dwyer
Host: Rachel Reabe
Engineer:Rick Hebzynski
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