TAPESTRY: Views from St. Kate’s Students

Several of the people who submitted essays for Tapestry were students in a media justice class at St. Catherine’s University. Each of them submitted an entry. Here are a few of them.

 

Liz Rosen: Inadequate Housing Protections

I have seen firsthand the environmental issues that cause health problems. Several of my close friends struggle with asthma, which is a consequence of poor air quality. According to the Minnesota Department of Health, 82 Minnesotans died of asthma in 2020. In 2021, there were 13,534 emergency room visits and 1,305 hospital stays for asthma.

What concerns me is that many environmental issues are caused by Minnesota’s housing crisis. Many people have difficulty accessing affordable and adequate housing. Much of the available housing is inadequate because of its age — older places tend to have asbestos insulation, poorly ventilated spaces, outdated HVAC, mold, lead paint, and cracks that allow allergens and pollutants to enter.

The Hennepin Energy Recovery Center (HERC) is located in a neighborhood that suffers from environmental pollution. The HERC emits pollutants and toxic chemicals into the air.

I write this as I sit in a warm house with healthy air. It is hard for me to understand the challenges of someone who lives in a home with asbestos, mold, and cracks that let pollutants in.

Yet as a neighbor and friend, I can do more than imagine. I am learning about the governmental and community actions that could improve access to safe homes and rental properties. For example, I see hope in the Minnesota Housing Justice Center, which preserves and expands affordable housing for low-income families. I see hope in the Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity, which works to advocate on federal, state, and local levels to create new opportunities for affordable homeownership in the Twin Cities.

Kaylee Miron: Caregiver Safety and Compensation

As a certified nurse’s assistant, and an at-home caregiver, I have been bitten, scratched, and cursed. I have taken care of twelve patients at a time. I have had to pry a patient’s mouth from a nurse’s arm. Yet I don’t have enough money for food.

Health care employees work with people who are at the end of their lives and who are enduring great pain. They are doing jobs that most other people could not do, taking care of other people’s loved ones. Yet nurses regularly face overwork and are underpaid. Everyone deserves to be safe, especially those who take care of others. Nurses are doing a difficult job and should be compensated as such. Thanks to the nurse’s union, there is more awareness of these issues.

 

 

Makayla Klimek: Health Care Shortages

I have witnessed the common issue of burnout among health care workers. Exhausted caregivers are more likely to make errors. It also adds to workforce shortages and increasing wait times for patients. According to the Association of American Medical College, the demand for doctors alone “will continue to grow faster than supply, leading to a shortage of between 54,100 and 139,000 physicians by 2033,” especially in primary care and rural communities. The situation for nurses is even more dire.

Imagine going to the hospital where all staff members are on their fifth 16-hour shift in a row. If we continue on the path we are on, there will be no one left as caregivers because everyone is so physically and mentally exhausted.

Kayla Yang: Sexual Violence in the Hmong Community

For as long as Hmong people have been in America, dating back to 1975, Hmong victims of domestic violence have faced cultural stigma, systemic barriers, and community shame about gender-based violence. This has discouraged open discussion and accountability.

Victims of sexual violence can be as young as five years old. Similar to other cultural groups, perpetrators are often individuals the victim knows, such as family members, or Hmong gang members. Common forms of sexual violence include rape, domestic abuse, and sharing exploitative images.

When victims find the courage to speak out, they are often shamed and threatened to keep their voices silenced.

As a Hmong woman and a survivor of sexual violence, I understand that the suppression of survivors’ voices leaves many to suffer in isolation, burdened by grief and struggling with trauma. If we were to instead collectively spread awareness and empower survivors to share their stories, I have hope that this would lead to the healing we need.

Transforming Generations offers domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy, crisis counseling, education to Hmong men who have caused violence, youth advocacy for those experiencing violence, youth leadership training, and queer justice advocacy. transforminggenerations.org

Alexandra Nelson: Food for Mothers

As a nutrition student, I hope to work in food accessibility. While I was in high school, I worked in elementary school classrooms and saw how food insecurity affects children and their families.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, about half of households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (aka SNAP) are headed by single mothers. An additional supplemental program for Women, Infants, and Children (aka WIC) is available statewide to provide nutrition support to low-income pregnant women, new mothers, and young children. Studies show that WIC improves dietary quality, reduces food insecurity, and leads to healthier birth outcomes.

Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) provides financial assistance and employment services to low-income families with children. The goal of MFIP is to help families transition to self-sufficiency by supporting them as they gain stable employment. MFIP offers a combination of cash and food support to eligible families. Participants receive help finding jobs, training for work, and improving skills to increase employability.

Looking toward the future, there is a threat to the endowment that supports government-funded food assistance programs in this country. I fear single mothers and their children will get lost — and that this will lead to dire consequences in the future. As a future dietitian, I envision a world where no mother has to choose between feeding her children and meeting other basic needs. The progress we’ve made is hopeful, but it’s not enough. We must fight to preserve and expand these programs, ensuring they evolve to meet the needs of every family.

 

Linh Stoebner: Language Barriers for Immigrants

The U.S. farming and construction industries, among others, rely on immigrants. According to National Public Radio, in 2022 nearly 60 percent of the construction workers in Texas alone were undocumented immigrants. Investigate Midwest quoted an agriculture industry executive who said the farming structure would likely collapse without immigrant workers.

Minnesota is home to one of the largest immigrant populations in the United States. As of 2019, Minnesota had the largest Somali population and one of the largest Hmong populations in the country. According to data from the American Immigration Council, “Immigrants make up 10.6 percent of Minnesota’s labor force and support the state’s economy in many ways. They account for 10.3 percent of entrepreneurs, 12.5 percent of STEM workers, and 14.2 percent of the manufacturing workforce in the state.”

To support the immigrants who support important Minnesota industries, barriers must be addressed if all Minnesotans are to thrive.

As a Vietnamese immigrant who came to the U.S. in search of a better life, I’ve experienced the challenges faced by migrants and refugees due to our immigration status, language, and unfamiliarity with the U.S. legal system. As an interpreter, I see how missed language can have severe consequences.

I would like to see an expansion of community-based legal services that offer multilingual support, remove the fear of deportation in seeking help, and provide training for law enforcement and legal professionals on cultural competence and the specific needs of immigrant communities.

Organizations like the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota are working to address these issues, offering legal services and advocating for policy reforms that aim to make immigration justice more accessible. More widespread funding and partnerships with local communities could further amplify these efforts.

---

If you appreciate our unique coverage: