Posted inELECTION 2020 Latinos could make up America’s largest voting group of color. Organizers in Minnesota have invested hugely to make it happen in 2020. by Joey Peters November 2, 2020November 2, 2020
Posted inINSIDE SAHAN JOURNAL Meet the challenge: Support Sahan Journal today and these funders will double your gift. by Sahan Journal November 1, 2020November 16, 2020
Posted inELECTION 2020 The pandemic and political atmosphere are making life tough. Voting is still safe and easy. by Becky Z. Dernbach October 30, 2020October 30, 2020
Posted inELECTION 2020 They’re young. Their families are immigrants. And they’re really eager to cast their first vote for president. by Madison McVan October 30, 2020November 3, 2020
Posted inELECTION 2020, OPINION Commentary: Trump’s anti-refugee policies are a betrayal of American values by Mustafa Jumale October 30, 2020October 30, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS ‘We have suddenly seen ourselves as Americans’: Minnesota immigrants are finding a place in the suburbs–and elected office. by Mike Mosedale October 30, 2020October 30, 2020
Posted inELECTION 2020 Never so much engagement. Never so much division. Hmong voters are becoming a new swing constituency. by Becky Z. Dernbach October 29, 2020October 29, 2020
Posted inELECTION 2020 ‘Power is the number of voters you have’: Minnesota’s growing Muslim population expands political reach through organizing, activism—and winning. by Hibah Ansari October 29, 2020October 29, 2020
Posted inChanging the Narrative Nativists in St. Cloud have told refugees they’re not welcome. One refugee wants to teach them a better greeting: ‘See tahay?’—‘How are you?,’ in Somali. by Mike Moen October 27, 2020October 27, 2020
Posted inHEALTH When medical interpretation for immigrant patients goes remote, what gets lost in translation? by Joey Peters October 26, 2020October 27, 2020
Posted inArts Paula Vasquez Alzate never stopped dancing as a child in Medellin, Colombia. The coronavirus pandemic couldn’t stop her, either. by Sheila Mulrooney Eldred October 23, 2020October 24, 2020
Posted inArts An immigrant’s tale of loneliness, some mistakes, and a lot of perseverance by Sheila Regan October 23, 2020October 23, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION In the race for a southwest Minneapolis school board seat, candidates share competing visions for making schools equitable during—and after—the pandemic by Becky Z. Dernbach October 22, 2020November 20, 2020
Posted inINSIDE SAHAN JOURNAL Sahan Journal wins national award for its reporting on Minnesota’s immigrant and refugee communities. by Sahan Journal October 22, 2020October 22, 2020
Posted inArts ‘L-O-S-E-R’: Filmmaker Sujata Day looks into the life of a not-so-successful spelling bee champion. by Hibah Ansari October 22, 2020October 22, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION North Minneapolis school board candidates talk about running the schools through COVID-19—and what comes after. by Becky Z. Dernbach October 21, 2020October 22, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION ‘I’m not alone’: Minnesota students of color lead movement for equity in schools by Elizabeth Shockman October 21, 2020October 21, 2020
Posted inAbout Us Sahan Journal selected to join Facebook project supporting local news led by journalists of color by Sahan Journal October 21, 2020October 21, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION Cast your vote: Which candidate should you support for the Minneapolis school board at-large seat? by Becky Z. Dernbach October 20, 2020October 20, 2020
Posted inProfiles ‘So many stories I didn’t know’: Kao Kalia Yang started out writing her family’s refugee memoir. Now she’s sharing the journeys of others. by Elizabeth Foy Larsen October 19, 2020October 19, 2020
Posted inCoronavirus Asian American leaders in Minnesota condemn racism related to COVID-19 by Logan Carroll October 16, 2020October 23, 2020
Posted inRemembering Minnesotans lost to COVID-19 A ‘mother figure’ not only for Hmong children, but students from all of Brooklyn Park’s immigrant communities by Hibah Ansari October 16, 2020October 16, 2020
Posted inARTS & CULTURE Minnesota retail manager finds fame as “Average Mohamed”: a celebrated citizen diplomat whose animated series aims to counsel Muslim youth. by Sheila Regan October 13, 2020October 13, 2020
Posted inELECTION 2020 Registering to vote in Minnesota couldn’t be easier — unless you can’t read and write in English. by Kathryn Styer Martinez October 13, 2020October 13, 2020
Posted inSTORIES FROM THE PANDEMIC What’s it like to run for city council during the pandemic? An Ethiopian-born candidate is trying to meet voters in Austin, Minnesota—without door-knocking or shaking hands. by Ibrahim Hirsi October 12, 2020October 12, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS Immigrants to Minnesota know about instability and political violence. Many recognize familiar signs in their adopted homeland. by Madison McVan October 12, 2020October 27, 2020
Posted inArts New exhibit brings Minnesota’s Iraqi Americans to life: A rich portrait of regions, religions, and professions by Sheila Regan October 9, 2020October 9, 2020
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK After cultural clashes at a food plant in Moorhead, Somali workers and management talked their way to an understanding. We asked them how they did it. by Kait Ecker October 8, 2020October 8, 2020
Posted inNews Omar Jamal earns $43,000 a year to communicate with the community on behalf of the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office. by Joey Peters October 7, 2020October 7, 2020
Posted inNews Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher won’t tell the public what Omar Jamal does for his office. by Joey Peters October 6, 2020October 6, 2020
Posted inRemembering Minnesotans lost to COVID-19 Leader in Minnesota’s Karen community dies from COVID-19 complications by Emily Bright October 5, 2020October 5, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS A former refugee from Liberia running for the Minnesota Legislature teaches the Constitution, supports gun rights, and wants immigration restrictions. by Joey Peters October 5, 2020October 5, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS ‘You cannot stop our vote.’ Minnesota faith leaders say efforts to discourage Muslim voters will fail. by Becky Z. Dernbach October 2, 2020October 3, 2020
Posted inBUSINESS & WORK ‘You can see the disrespect’: Workers at Amazon center in Minnesota walk out, claiming rushed work conditions, unjust firing. by Joey Peters October 2, 2020October 2, 2020
Posted inDigital Disinformation Omar Jamal, key source of Project Veritas election fraud video, backtracks on cash-for-ballots allegation. by Mukhtar M. Ibrahim and Becky Z. Dernbach October 1, 2020October 1, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS Trailing in the state’s polls, Trump returns to Minnesota for a campaign stop filled with racist taunts and anti-immigrant agenda. by Hibah Ansari October 1, 2020October 3, 2020
Posted inDigital Disinformation GoFundMe to investigate Omar Jamal’s Project Veritas-backed fundraiser for phony insider. by Zachary Petrizzo September 30, 2020September 30, 2020
Posted inDigital Disinformation How did an August primary election in Minneapolis turn into a national right-wing disinformation campaign against absentee ballots? by Becky Z. Dernbach, Hibah Ansari and Joey Peters September 28, 2020September 29, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION Longer hours and less face time: Overextended teachers try to preserve a human connection in an era of distance learning by Becky Z. Dernbach September 28, 2020August 12, 2021
Posted inArts For women used to a life of work and obligations, a chance to find their inner ‘Happy Girl’ by Hibah Ansari September 28, 2020September 27, 2020
Posted inHEALTH Cedar–Riverside has faced the COVID-19 crisis with limited clinic options. A newly reopened Health Commons promises expanded care. by Joey Peters September 24, 2020September 24, 2020
Posted inINSIDE SAHAN JOURNAL Sahan Journal selected as a finalist for two national journalism awards by Sahan Journal September 24, 2020September 24, 2020
Posted inRemembering Minnesotans lost to COVID-19 Who are the friends and family members we’ve lost to COVID-19 from Minnesota’s immigrant communities? Help us tell their stories. by Sahan Journal September 22, 2020September 28, 2020
Posted inPOLITICS ‘Change is coming’: A St. Paul program is building a pipeline from diverse communities to the state Capitol to tackle racial disparities. by Melissa Townsend September 22, 2020September 22, 2020
Posted inHEALTH The world’s first and only Hmong plastic surgeon helps his patients to reconstruct their lives. As a young refugee from Laos, David Thao started with himself. by Joey Peters September 21, 2020October 24, 2024
Posted inPOLITICS Count on it: Election Day voting in Minnesota starts now by Brian Bakst September 18, 2020September 20, 2020
Posted inIMMIGRATION Trump administration can deport some immigrants from El Salvador, Nicaragua, Sudan, and Haiti, appeals court rules. by Joey Peters September 17, 2020September 17, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION Family of bullied Muslim teen sues Minnesota school district, two years after his suicide. by Hibah Ansari September 16, 2020September 16, 2020
Posted inIMMIGRATION ICE deportation looms for Minnesota Somalis who may be infected with COVID-19. by Sheila Regan September 15, 2020September 16, 2020
Posted inExtremism The cost of worshiping at one Minnesota mosque? A firebombing, a Confederate flag, an assault, and a blogger who films Muslim children. by Hibah Ansari September 14, 2020September 14, 2020
Posted inINSIDE SAHAN JOURNAL Partnering with you to provide a necessary service. by Sahan Journal September 13, 2020September 13, 2020
Posted inArts It takes a big, colorful mural to capture all the pride in St. Paul’s West Side by Hibah Ansari and Jaida Grey Eagle September 12, 2020September 12, 2020
Posted inThe killing of George Floyd When ‘do no harm’ means doing more: University of Minnesota residents press medical school to take tougher action against racism. by Joey Peters September 11, 2020September 11, 2020
Posted inIMMIGRATION The census isn’t just about numbers. It’s about school programs, job training, health care, and housing, too. by Sheila Regan September 11, 2020September 11, 2020
Posted inEDUCATION Mastering the mute button, treating nosebleeds over Zoom, Minneapolis students and teachers go back to school—at home. by Becky Z. Dernbach September 9, 2020September 10, 2020
Posted inSports Michael and Brian Vang started out playing soccer with their sisters and their father on St. Paul’s Hmong East Side. They just made the pro leagues together. by Jeffrey Bissoy September 8, 2020October 17, 2024
Posted inEDUCATION Minnesota school districts say they want to fill classrooms with talented teachers of color. Then they lay them off. by Becky Z. Dernbach September 4, 2020October 4, 2024
Posted inPOLITICS Mustafa Jumale came to the U.S. at age three as a refugee from Somalia. Now he’ll help lead a national advocacy group supporting refugees. by Joey Peters September 4, 2020September 4, 2020
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