Posted inHEALTH COVID-19 is a danger in any language. Minnesota is trying to share information in as many of them as possible. by Joey Peters September 2, 2020September 3, 2020
Posted inOromo in Minnesota U.S. Senators demand legal rights for Oromo men detained in Ethiopia. Family members in Minnesota worry and wait for charges. by Sheila Regan September 2, 2020September 2, 2020
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK Some women business owners say they’ve felt neglected by the Minnesota Hmong Chamber of Commerce. Yao Yang is determined to change that. by Abdirahman Mohamed August 31, 2020September 5, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS Young, educated and Black: Here’s how Minnesota’s politicians with African roots are reshaping the state’s politics. by Ibrahim Hirsi August 30, 2020September 8, 2020
Posted inCoronavirus Cameroonian American combats COVID-19 back home by building software in Minnesota. by Jeffrey Bissoy August 28, 2020August 30, 2020
Posted inNews George Floyd, Jacob Blake and the latest outburst of anger in Minneapolis: Looking for the connection. by Hibah Ansari August 27, 2020August 29, 2020
Posted inNews ‘Stop killing Black people’: Concerned about Black lives, worried about their jobs, immigrant workers find themselves caught in the middle of Minneapolis unrest. by Becky Z. Dernbach and Joey Peters August 27, 2020August 27, 2020
Posted inThe killing of George Floyd A University of Minnesota medical student apparently vandalized the George Floyd memorial. His health care classmates want him expelled. by Joey Peters August 26, 2020March 25, 2021
Posted inPOLITICS Surprised that political newcomer Esther Agbaje unseated a longtime DFL legislator? Her childhood friends aren’t. by Becky Z. Dernbach August 26, 2020August 26, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS The Minnesota GOP has a problem winning voters of color and new Americans. Could Republican Party chair Jennifer Carnahan offer a solution? by Hibah Ansari August 26, 2020September 21, 2020
Posted inRemembering Minnesotans lost to COVID-19 ‘How many people have to die for our bosses and government to step up?’: Minneapolis union vigil marks the death of another immigrant frontline worker. by Joey Peters August 24, 2020August 30, 2020
Posted inFaith 2020 Toyota Highlander. Customized gold necklaces. Free trip to Mecca: Minnesota’s best Qur’an memorizers get top prizes at contest. by Hibah Ansari August 24, 2020August 30, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION Should kids go back to the classroom during the pandemic? We asked them. And their answers surprised us. by Becky Z. Dernbach August 21, 2020August 21, 2020
Posted inArts Decades before Oromo protesters started marching in Minnesota, Hangasu Waqo Lugo fought for freedom in Ethiopia. A new book finally tells his forgotten story. by Mohammed Ademo August 20, 2020August 20, 2020
Posted inCoronavirus Sunday Mass is on YouTube and COVID-19 testing is free: Minneapolis–St. Paul Catholic archdiocese adapts in an age of pandemic by Joey Peters August 19, 2020August 30, 2020
Posted inIMMIGRATION Thousands of new Minnesotans could vote for the first time in the 2020 election. But the feds haven’t processed their citizenship applications. by Megan Burks August 19, 2020August 20, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS ‘I opened a business. I’m hiring. I’m paying taxes’: Minnesota immigrants say Trump’s Mankato campaign comments don’t match what they’re seeing in their community. by Hibah Ansari August 18, 2020August 18, 2020
Posted inNews A Somali American man is suing the feds for blocking his gun purchase. Is it a case of mistaken identity? by Joey Peters August 18, 2020August 18, 2020
Posted inThe killing of George Floyd In a campaign stop, Trump asked immigrant business owners to air their grievances about the unrest in Minneapolis. Here are the Lake Street store owners he missed. by Jaida Grey Eagle August 17, 2020August 17, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS In the August primary, diverse millennial candidates in Minneapolis drove new voters to the polls. What lesson will the DFL take into November? by Becky Z. Dernbach August 17, 2020August 19, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS Is St. Cloud ready for a change? Hassan Yussuf thinks Minnesota city will elect its first Black city council member. by Sheila Regan August 14, 2020August 14, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS ‘You’re not a guest here, and you deserve better’: Jamal Osman’s message to immigrant communities helps capture Minneapolis Ward 6 City Council seat. by Hibah Ansari August 14, 2020August 16, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS Housing advocate Jamal Osman defeats ten candidates in Minneapolis Ward 6 race. by Hibah Ansari August 14, 2020August 14, 2020
Posted inArts Filmmaker Naomi Ko thinks ‘representation’ in Hollywood needs to mean more than movies about ‘rich East Asians’ by Hibah Ansari August 13, 2020August 15, 2020
Posted inINSIDE SAHAN JOURNAL A year ago, we created Sahan Journal to cover news about immigrants and refugees. How did that turn out? We’re glad you asked. by Sahan Journal August 12, 2020August 12, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS Progressive challenger Omar Fateh defeats longtime State Senator Jeff Hayden in Minnesota’s Democratic primary by Joey Peters August 11, 2020August 12, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS ‘Ready for a new generation’: With election night lead, Esther Agbaje hopes to bring ‘sense of urgency’ to the Capitol by Becky Z. Dernbach August 11, 2020August 12, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS Another win for the Squad: Progressive champion Ilhan Omar beats well-funded challenger Antone Melton-Meaux. by Ibrahim Hirsi August 11, 2020August 12, 2020
Posted inRace A Tibetan scarf, a Khmer video, exploding the ‘model minority’ myth: how Minnesota’s Asian communities are reckoning George Floyd’s death by Becky Z. Dernbach August 10, 2020August 9, 2020
Posted inExtremism An attack on an imam fractured his shoulder and terrified the Muslim community in Bloomington. by Hibah Ansari August 7, 2020November 17, 2021
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK Minnesota is helping malls that serve immigrant communities survive the COVID-19 downturn. How much aid will their tenants see? by Joey Peters August 7, 2020August 30, 2020
Posted inARTS & CULTURE The Vang family traveled from Laos to France to Minnesota to Florida to Nevada…in order to start a perfect French bakery—in Maplewood. by Samantha HoangLong August 7, 2020October 24, 2024
Posted inEDUCATION Somali American educator Qorsho Hassan wins Minnesota Teacher of the Year award by Becky Z. Dernbach August 6, 2020October 24, 2024
Posted inPOLITICS Ilhan Omar wants to rewrite U.S. immigration policy—if she can win the DFL primary first. by Ibrahim Hirsi August 6, 2020August 7, 2020
Posted inPUBLIC SAFETY ‘Mexicans don’t want to call the police,’ alleged burglars say. The result in one Minnesota suburb? Twenty apartment break-ins targeting immigrants. by Hibah Ansari August 6, 2020August 6, 2020
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK Governor Tim Walz visits Somali mall in Minneapolis and declares commitment to help businesses. Some ask if commitment is enough. by Joey Peters August 4, 2020August 4, 2020
Posted inThe killing of George Floyd Is Cup Foods reopening too soon after George Floyd’s killing? Or is it time to get back to business? by Sheila Regan August 4, 2020August 4, 2020
Posted inExtremism ‘Umbrella Man’ blocked a Cambodian photojournalist’s camera. By chance, he still got footage. by Becky Z. Dernbach July 31, 2020July 31, 2020
Posted inExtremism Two Somali sisters stopped to photograph a wild turkey in Minnesota. Instead, a white man filmed them and allegedly threatened violence. by Joey Peters July 31, 2020July 31, 2020
Posted inEid al-Adha A goat, a knife, a sacrifice: Some Muslims in Minnesota celebrate the Eid al-Adha holiday with ritual slaughter. by Ibrahim Hirsi July 31, 2020July 31, 2020
Posted inHEALTH A Somali health advocate’s crusade against skin lightening, a vestige of colonialism, becomes a federal public health issue by Joey Peters July 31, 2020August 30, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION We crammed Governor Tim Walz’s entire COVID-19 back-to-school plan into one cheat sheet. (The test comes this fall.) by Becky Z. Dernbach July 31, 2020July 31, 2020
Posted inExtremism A Muslim woman told anyone who would listen about her run-in with white supremacists in Minnesota. One of them? Allegedly ‘Umbrella Man.’ by Hibah Ansari July 29, 2020July 29, 2020
Posted inHEALTH Coughing, chest pains? Immigration detainees say they still can’t get a COVID-19 test in one Minnesota jail. by Joey Peters July 28, 2020August 30, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION ‘I can’t teach if I’m dead’: Minnesota teachers of color say distance learning is best option for fall by Becky Z. Dernbach July 28, 2020July 28, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS In their own words: Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District voters have opinions about the race between Ilhan Omar and Antone Melton-Meaux by Hibah Ansari July 27, 2020July 29, 2020
Posted inHEALTH Everything you need to know about Minnesota’s new coronavirus face mask rule by Joey Peters July 23, 2020August 30, 2020
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK ‘The cash is piling up’: Hawala money transfers provide a financial lifeline for thousands of families. What stopped the money flow from Minnesota to Somalia? by Ibrahim Hirsi July 23, 2020July 23, 2020
Posted inHEALTH Minnesota’s health department wants to reveal your positive COVID-19 test results to first responders—including immigration officials. What could go wrong? by Joey Peters July 22, 2020August 30, 2020
Posted inCoronavirus Minnesota governor orders people to wear masks in restaurants, stores and most indoor spaces. by Brian Bakst July 22, 2020July 22, 2020
Posted inHEALTH Hungry kids, empty fridge? You may be missing out on free boxes of healthy food and benefits for Minnesota residents during the COVID-19 crisis. by Becky Z. Dernbach July 21, 2020July 21, 2020
Posted inHEALTH The hunger crisis hits Minnesota—and it’s about to get much worse. by Joey Peters July 21, 2020August 30, 2020
Posted inArts Hmong women sold their embroidery in refugee camps for $1 apiece. The culture they documented is beyond value. by Hibah Ansari July 20, 2020August 3, 2020
Posted inARTS & CULTURE, POLITICS ‘I want people to know that the Oromo people are here’: A killing in Ethiopia ignites a youth revolution in Minnesota. by Jaida Grey Eagle July 17, 2020July 17, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS Ellison appoints longtime advocate for racial equity to top spot in attorney general’s office by Joey Peters July 17, 2020July 17, 2020
Posted inIMMIGRATION They come to Minnesota seeking safety from terrorist groups and gang violence. New Trump asylum rule calls those threats ‘frivolous.’ by Hibah Ansari July 16, 2020July 17, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION ICE to international students: Remember that rule change we proposed? Never mind. by Becky Z. Dernbach July 14, 2020July 14, 2020
Posted inProfiles The cost of practicing journalism for an Ethiopian reporter? A jail cell, a caravan across the Sahara, a raft on the Mediterranean — and exile in Minnesota. by Ibrahim Hirsi July 14, 2020July 15, 2020
Posted inMedia Minnesota-based TV network burglarized in midst of Oromo protests by Becky Z. Dernbach July 13, 2020July 20, 2020
Posted inIMMIGRATION In the 1970s, Minneapolis faced a population death spiral. Guess who came to the rescue? by Tom Weber July 13, 2020July 13, 2020
Posted inMedia KSTP-TV reporter asks Muslim woman: What’s the difference between a hijab and white supremacist gang regalia? by Hibah Ansari July 10, 2020July 13, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION Race divides Minnesota parents’ views on schools reopening by Becky Z. Dernbach July 10, 2020July 10, 2020
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK What happens when you lose your job—and the government won’t help? by Becky Z. Dernbach July 9, 2020July 10, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION What you need to know about ICE’s troublesome rules for international students–and Minnesota’s plans to stop them by Becky Z. Dernbach July 8, 2020July 14, 2020
Posted inCoronavirus Minnesota health officials offer ‘no-barriers’ COVID-19 testing across state for immigrants, uninsured by Hibah Ansari July 8, 2020July 8, 2020
Posted inHEALTH How this Muslim chaplain helps COVID-19 patients understand that God doesn’t hate them. by Joey Peters July 7, 2020August 30, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION As students, they never had Somali teachers. Now they’re Minnesota’s first Somali public school principals. by Becky Z. Dernbach July 6, 2020July 6, 2020
Posted inNews Muslim woman who found ‘ISIS’ written on her Target Starbucks cup speaks out: ‘I felt humiliated, I felt enraged, I felt belittled.’ by Becky Z. Dernbach July 5, 2020July 6, 2020
Posted inNews Ethiopian Airlines, Africa’s largest carrier, sues Minnesota journalist and his independent newspaper by Ibrahim Hirsi July 2, 2020July 15, 2020
Posted inARTS & CULTURE COVID-19 cancels J4, the Hmong International Freedom Festival, for 40,000 attendees by Hibah Ansari July 2, 2020July 3, 2020
Posted inPUBLIC SAFETY Family of Isak Aden, who was killed by police in Eagan a year ago, files civil rights suit; protesters want case reopened by Hibah Ansari July 2, 2020September 30, 2021
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK Immigrant retailers reopened shops in neighborhood malls. Customers haven’t returned by Ibrahim Hirsi July 2, 2020July 4, 2020
Posted inHomelessness Evict homeless from Powderhorn Park? ‘That stops here,’ says one community volunteer by Abdirahman Mohamed July 1, 2020July 1, 2020
Posted inARTS & CULTURE Minnesota’s Oromo community demands justice after musician and activist Hachalu Hundessa is killed in Ethiopia by Becky Z. Dernbach June 30, 2020July 4, 2020
Posted inNews Stray golf ball shatters windshield of Minneapolis educator; elite country club receives a lesson about etiquette and social media by Ibrahim Hirsi June 30, 2020July 7, 2020
Posted inHEALTH ‘We lost everything’: COVID-19 and Lake Street fires shut clinics in south Minneapolis immigrant neighborhoods by Joey Peters June 29, 2020August 30, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION Push to defund University of Minnesota police started with chemical irritant at Somali Night by Becky Z. Dernbach June 26, 2020June 26, 2020
Posted inReligion Minnesota Muslims grieve their canceled Hajj plans as COVID-19 shuts down travel to Saudi Arabia. by Hibah Ansari June 26, 2020June 26, 2020
Posted inCoronavirus Amazon workers warned about COVID-19 risks at Minnesota warehouses. Workers kept getting infected by Ibrahim Hirsi June 24, 2020June 24, 2020
Posted inIMMIGRATION New visa restrictions less likely to save U.S. jobs than further Trump’s anti-immigration agenda, experts say by Hibah Ansari June 24, 2020June 24, 2020
Posted inIMMIGRATION The journey to become a citizen heads someplace new: the sidewalk by Joey Peters June 24, 2020June 24, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION St. Paul school board votes police out of schools after pressure from students of color by Becky Z. Dernbach June 23, 2020June 24, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION Students of color press St. Paul district to cut ties with Police Department by Becky Z. Dernbach June 22, 2020June 22, 2020
Posted inRemembering Minnesotans lost to COVID-19 ‘He was loved by everyone’: Somali community remembers Nur Omar Mohamed, who died of COVID-19 by Ibrahim Hirsi June 20, 2020June 22, 2020
Posted inNews As Holy Land grocery attempts to mend relationship with community, former employees speak out by Hibah Ansari June 19, 2020July 2, 2020
Posted inRape & sexual assault ‘I have suffered too long’: Somali woman breaks the culture of silence on sexual assault to motivate others by Mukhtar M. Ibrahim June 18, 2020June 19, 2020
Posted inIMMIGRATION Immigrants and advocates in Minnesota celebrate Supreme Court DACA ruling by Joey Peters June 18, 2020June 18, 2020
Posted inPUBLIC SAFETY Minneapolis woman sues police for alleged unlawful search and groping her at scene of a traffic stop last year by Joey Peters June 17, 2020October 8, 2021
Posted inPOLITICS ‘Defund the police’ debate unfolds with no representation for Ward 6 residents on Minneapolis City Council by Ibrahim Hirsi June 16, 2020June 16, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION These East African students were told they couldn’t go to high school. They just graduated. by Becky Z. Dernbach June 16, 2020June 16, 2020
Posted inHEALTH U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s father, Nur Omar Mohamed, dies of COVID-19 complications by Joey Peters June 15, 2020August 30, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS Minnesota hires new assistant commissioner for immigrant and refugee affairs by Hibah Ansari June 15, 2020June 15, 2020
Posted inFaith Twin Cities mosques set strict measures as they reopen doors for worshippers by Mukhtar M. Ibrahim and Jaida Grey Eagle June 13, 2020June 13, 2020
Posted inArts Artist Kareem Rahma projects names and images of black people killed by police onto the side of the Gold Medal building by Liv Martin June 12, 2020June 12, 2020
Posted inRemembering Minnesotans lost to COVID-19 ‘Always a leader’: friends, family remember Marny Xiong as a trailblazer who put others first by Becky Z. Dernbach June 11, 2020June 23, 2020
Posted inRace In the aftermath of George Floyd killing, an uneasy discussion about racism in Minnesota’s Muslim community by Ibrahim Hirsi June 10, 2020June 15, 2020
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK Left in ashes by unrest, Twin Cities entrepreneurs begin to navigate insurance claims to rebuild their businesses by Joey Peters June 10, 2020June 12, 2020
Posted inProfiles For Timberwolves’ Gersson Rosas, immigrant experience fueled rise to a top NBA job by Britt Robson June 9, 2020June 12, 2020
Posted inARTS & CULTURE Bush Foundation announces four immigrants from Minnesota as new 2020 fellows by Hibah Ansari June 9, 2020June 12, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION ‘Dreams coming true’: Cristo Rey students celebrate their hard-earned high school graduation by Becky Z. Dernbach and Jaida Grey Eagle June 8, 2020June 12, 2020