Why do our families live in Minnesota? 

Behind that question, for almost every immigrant, is a story. There are basic elements: who, what, where, when? There’s also a why.

Over time, these narratives and family history can get lost. This community conversation will explore how individuals and families are compiling, recording, and sharing their immigration stories. 

Perhaps most important: What do our immigration stories tell us about belonging in Minnesota – for our own community and for immigrants and refugees who’ve come to Minnesota over the past few years? 

On Thursday, February 20, we’re hosting a Sahan Community Live and North Star Journey Live event, at the Saint Paul Neighborhood Network in St. Paul. Come hear arrival stories and explore what preserving culture looks like for immigrants and refugees in Minnesota today. 

This conversation will take place in a changing backdrop in Minnesota and the United States. Immigration is a fraught political topic these days. But, as a plain matter of fact, immigration has played a dominant role throughout Minnesota’s history. Almost 500,000 people who live in Minnesota today were born outside the United States. Over the past several decades major populations have come to Minnesota from Laos, Somalia, Mexico, Liberia, and Ethiopia. More recent arrivals have moved here from Burma, Ecuador, Afghanistan, India, and China. 

For our live event, we’ll invite community members, historians, and others to share their experiences recording their family immigration stories. We’ll collect suggestions and tools for collecting immigration narratives. And we’ll learn about how Minnesotans are  preserving their cultures in Minnesota.  

Join us for the live community conversation on Thursday, February 20, at 6:00 p.m., in the studio of the Saint Paul Neighborhood Network, located at 550 Vandalia Street in St. Paul. 

This event is free and open to the public. All community members are encouraged to attend. Registration is strongly encouraged. Learn more about the event here.

Can’t make it in person? Join the livestream here.