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When “Home” Is Complicated: A Reflection From the Book “Remember the Bees”

Where to live is not a simple question. Everyone has to make difficult decisions in prioritizing certain aspects over others: a beautiful view or cost, safety or family, economic stability or culture. No one can tell my husband whether living in Thailand or the U.S. is a better choice, just as no one can tell the family in "Remember the Bees" whether to stay in Inzerki — home to the world’s largest collection of managed beehives — or to try life in the city. 

DATA: Test Your Knowledge of the Numbers of Immigrants and Asylum Seekers in Minnesota

In Minnesota, an estimated 9,000 residents with temporary protections have lost their status or are at imminent risk of losing it. Roughly 13,000 asylum-seeker cases sit pending in Minnesota alone, part of a national backlog exceeding 1 million.

Publisher’s Commentary: “A Work in Progress” Documentary by Robert Reich

The conversations we can have with each other are not about telling people what to think, but by creating more places to think together. More opportunities to explore the essential ingredients of collective health and personal fulfillment, and to ask what we owe one another as neighbors and citizens. This feels more consequential to me than the horse races, outrage, and gossip that so often define the media landscape.

Truth #2: Learning From Rapid Response Lessons for the Next Crisis

A missed opportunity was protecting the right to seek health care, go to school, go to worship, go to work. “We had the ability to basically bring a lawsuit against the government, saying that because of their operation, they were freezing people who should be unaffected by your operation. ... We didn't really have the ability to gather their stories so we could put them in a petition against the government.”

Truth #3: Protecting Small Businesses and Elderly Neighbors

“In moments of crisis, people appreciate you just asking them how you are doing. As someone who has suffered from PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder], it is important to have moments of humor, cracking a joke, simply talking to somebody that you knew for years. Just doing those things can really change a person's outlook.”

Somali Panelists Answer: What Does Home Mean to You?

"I've had so many opportunities to move — to go to school somewhere else. Every time I've traveled, I've always missed Minnesota. There's no other community that has given me a sense of belonging like here."

Truth #1: Truth-Telling About ICE-Related Human Rights Violations

The testimony of seven people about their experiences with ICE agents during Operation Metro Surge, shared at an August National Convergence for Democracy conference held in Minneapolis.

“What Forgiveness Means to Me” — A Story of Healing From Domestic Violence

After surviving an acid attack in South Africa by her ex-husband — and spending four months in a hospital — Primrose Ruwocha was able to rebuild her life in Minnesota.

Commentary: Understanding Xenophobia’s Durability 

While the question of 'who gets to stay?' is centered in immigration discussions today, it’s not a new one. Rather, it’s a consideration that has always been part of this country’s history — a fundamental hurdle in deciding how the United States as a nation would be built. 

Immigrant Kitchen’s Ukrainian Dinner

Immigrant Kitchen, a ticketed dinner series created by the nonprofit BIPOC Foodways Alliance, hosted in July its first of five free dinner events this year. Founder Mecca Bos’s mission for the program is “to create unity between cultural communities using food as a tool,” highlighting authentic cuisine cooked by women of that culture.

Guided Cultural Tours Foster Community Connections

Visiting Somali culture in Minneapolis, a tour with the Minnesota Humanities Center.

Explainer: How the Federal Government Is Restricting Access to Legal Immigration

With a 75 percent increase in fees, pathways to legal U.S. citizenship are being eroded — even as the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling about birthright offered a glimmer of hope. A quick overview and some suggested action steps ...