2012 Asian Pacific Town Hall Meeting

The Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans and Hmong American Partnership invites you to the 2012 Asian Pacific Town Hall Meeting. The day’s event will include a presentation on initial data from the 2010 Census data and the significance and implications for the Asian Pacific community. Afterwards a short panel will provide recommendation and comments. Lastly, a town hall style dialogue will be held with state senators Sen. Roger Chamberlain and Sen. John Harrington.

Community members and friends are invited to meet and speak with elected officials in their community. With the 2012 legislative session coming up you have the right to learn more about the what is going on at the Capitol and voice your concerns.

When and Where:

Saturday, Februray 18, 2012, 9:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Hmong American Partnership, 1075 Arcade Street, St. Paul, Mn 55106

*** Light Breakfast  and Refreshments will be available***

Event Agenda:

• Registration and networking (9:30-10:00 am)
• Welcome and Introductions
• 2010 Census Presentation
• Panel discussion on the significance and implications of the Census data and recommendations for leaders.
• Townhall meeting with MN State Legislators

Confirmed Special Guests

Senator Roger Chamberlain (R) District 53, (North Oaks, White Bear Lake, Lino Lakes)

Senator John Harrington (D) District 67, (St. Paul, Battle Creek, Highwood)

 

Who should attend?

This event is free and open to the public. Community members, public leaders, and community organizations invested in working with the Asian Pacific community are encouraged to attend.

 

Why attend?

1. Get updated on the latest US Census figures on Asian Pacific populations in Minnesota, including education, economic, and other demographic data.

2. Network with community leaders from the Asian Pacific community and with leaders that work with the Asian Pacific community.

3. Participate in a community-wide discussion on addressing a range of issues, such as jobs, education, housing, health, civil rights, and pending state legislation.

4. Speak to legislators from both Republican and Democratic parties. Advocate on issues you care about!

 

To rsvp, visit: http://townhall2012.eventbrite.com 

 

Please direct questions to:

Brian Kao, Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, at brian.kao@state.mn.us or (651) 757-1742.

Kham Moua, Hmong American Partnership, at khamm@hmong.org or (651) 495-1567.

 

 

New Americans in Minnesota, a fact sheet from the Immigration Policy Center

 

Originally posted at http://www.immigrationpolicy.org/just-facts/new-americans-minnesota

Immigrants and their children are growing shares of Minnesota’s population and electorate.

• The foreign-born share of Minnesota’s population rose from 2.6% in 1990, to 5.3% in 2000, to 7.1% in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Minnesota was home to 378,483 immigrants in 2010, which is more than the total population of New Orleans, Louisiana.

• 44.7% of immigrants (or 169,246 people) in Minnesota were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2010—meaning that they are eligible to vote.

• 4.3% (or 126,034) of registered voters in Minnesota were “New Americans”—naturalized citizens or the U.S.-born children of immigrants who were raised during the current era of immigration from Latin America and Asia which began in 1965—according to an analysis of 2008 Census Bureau data by Rob Paral & Associates.

Roughly 1 in 11 Minnesotans are Latino or Asian.

• Asians comprised 2.0% (or 56,000) of Minnesota voters in the 2008 elections, and Latinos accounted for 1.3%(or 35,000), according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

• In Minnesota, 86.3% of children with immigrant parents were U.S. citizens in 2009, according to data from the Urban Institute.

• In 2009, 88.3% of children in Asian families in Minnesota were U.S. citizens, as were 90.3% of children in Latino families.
  

Latino and Asian entrepreneurs and consumers add billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs to Minnesota’s economy.

• The 2010 purchasing power of Minnesota’s Asians totaled $5.9 billion—an increase of 662.1% since 1990.

• Minnesota’s 11,371 Asian-owned businesses had sales and receipts of $2.4 billion and employed 16,950 people in 2007, the last year for which data is available.

Minnesota’s diverse immigrant population adds hundreds of millions of dollars to the state’s economy.

• In the Twin Cities metro area, 138 immigrant-owned businesses created 386 new jobs and spent $5.6 million on payroll, rent, and supplies in 2002, according to a study from the University of Minnesota.

• More than 16,000 Asian-Indians living in Minnesota accounted for $500 million in consumer purchasing power, paid $5.2 million in real estate taxes and $2.3 million in rent, and owned 400 companies that employed more than 6,000 people, according to the same report.

• Minnesota was home to 60,000 Hmong, whose businesses generated an estimated $100 million in revenue, according to the same report.

Immigrants are integral to Minnesota’s economy as workers.

• Immigrants comprised 8.3% of the state’s workforce in 2010 (or 243,842 workers), according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

• Immigrants accounted for 8% of total economic output in the Minneapolis metropolitan area as of 2007, according to a study by the Fiscal Policy Institute.

• Unauthorized immigrants comprised 2.1% of the state’s workforce (or 60,000 workers) in 2010, according to a report by the Pew Hispanic Center.

• If all unauthorized immigrants were removed from Minnesota, the state would lose $4.4 billion in economic activity, $2.0 billion in gross state product, and approximately 24,299 jobs, even accounting for adequate market adjustment time, according to a report by the Perryman Group.
  

Unauthorized immigrants pay taxes.

• Unauthorized immigrants in Minnesota paid $81.7 million in state and local taxes in 2010, according to data from the Institute for Taxation and Economic Policy, which includes:

• $15.6 million in state income taxes.
• $7.6 million in property taxes.
• $58.4 million in sales taxes.
  

Immigrants are integral to Minnesota’s economy as students.

• Minnesota’s 11,550 foreign students contributed $276.3 million to the state’s economy in tuition, fees, and living expenses for the 2009-2010 academic year, according to the NAFSA: Association of International Educators.

Naturalized citizens excel educationally.

• In Minnesota, 35.3% of foreign-born persons who were naturalized U.S. citizens in 2009 had a bachelor’s or higher degree, compared to 29.7% of noncitizens. At the same time, only 21.2% of naturalized citizens lacked a high-school diploma, compared to 35.1% of noncitizens. 
  

• The number of immigrants in Minnesota with a college degree increased by 71.2% between 2000 and 2009, according to data from the Migration Policy Institute.

• In Minnesota, 79.1% of children with immigrant parents were considered “English proficient” as of 2009, according to data from the Urban Institute.

• The English proficiency rate among Asian children in Minnesota was 74%, while for Latino children it was 84.8%, as of 2009.

 

PLEASE DO NOT SUNSET THE 4 ALANA COUNCILS

18 DECEMBER 2011

By DR. BRUCE CORRIE

Dear Chair Rep. Kiffmeyer and Vice Chair Sen. Bonoff, Sunset Advisory Commission:

I request you not to sunset the four councils (Chicano Latino Affairs Council, Indian Affairs Council, Council on Black Minnesotans and Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans) but rather equip them to be more effective to meet the challenges and opportunities presented by the changing demographics of Minnesota. Minnesota is fortunate to have these institutions. Unfortunately they have not been used very effectively.

I am part of OneMN.org, a nonpartisan multiethnic coalition. As an economist, I have over the past decade, provided data and analysis on the economic potential of the ALANA (African Latino Asian and Native American) communities in Minnesota.

The attached map provides an illustration on the ethnic economies all across Minnesota. These economies are new engines of economic growth in Minnesota with a consumer power of over $12 billion. Businesses in these communities are started at a higher rate than the state average and as a group in terms of revenue would be the 15 largest business in Minnesota. As a group these businesses would be the 9thlargest employer in Minnesota. Children from these communities make up the human capital of Minnesota in 2030. These communities are tied to global trade networks that could bring investment and jobs to Minnesota as is currently happening in many parts of Minnesota.

If equipped with the right set of structure and tools these 4 councils can be an effective mechanism for the state to be connected to these ethnic communities. For this to happen there needs to be changes happening at different levels:

• The Council’s Executive Directors should be part of the senior policy advisory staff of the Governor, Legislature and Judiciary. Council liaisons should be part of the senior policy staff of all state departments.
• The Councils should be funded to develop capacity to provide policy advice on effective strategies to integrate the needs of these communities into mainstream policies and programs and on the impact of new policy proposals on these communities.
• The Councils should be funded to develop mechanisms to educate their constituents on new government policies and programs
• The Councils should produce annual reports analyzing progress made by the Executive, Legislative and Judiciary branches in integrating the needs of these communities in mainstream policies and programs and analysis of unique issues, challenges and opportunities facing these communities.
• The University of Minnesota and the MNSCU system should be directed to help the councils with technical assistance and expertise in addressing community issues and policy analysis.
• The Councils should maintain a data base of professional talent and expertise in the respective communities and provide these list to policy makers and institutions to be included in advisory boards, expert panels and content experts.
• The Councils shall maintain a current list of businesses, nonprofit organizations, and community groups in each community and make these lists available to the public.
• The Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches of government should effectively utilize the resources of the Councils in their policies and programs.
• The Councils should have a strong rural presence and enable the ALANA communities to be integrated into rural policies, institutions and programs.
• The members of the Council should have an established track record of deep knowledge and relationships within their communities or be content experts in emerging issues important to those communities. They should be willing to actively interact with the community in order to best represent the interests of the community. They should be appointed in a non-partisan manner.
• The Councils will follow standard business practices of a government agency with appropriate accountability structures in place. Proper training should be given to staff and board on these governmental policies and procedures.
• The 4 Councils can be an effective mechanism to help make Minnesota a world class Global Competitor.

I thank you for your consideration.

Bruce Corrie Ph.D.
Dena, College of Business and Organizational Leadership
Concordia University, St. Paul
brucecorrie@gmail.com

 

Made in Minnesota 2011: Fertile Ground for Minority Opportunity

Minnesota 2020 recently released Made in Minnesota 2011: Fertile Ground for Minority Opportunity, which highlight findings on how immigrants, refugees and new arrivals to Minnesota are revitalizing neighborhoods
and entire communities through their involvement in MN’s agriculture economy and retail and other
business firms.

Some key findings:

• Minnesota’s ethnic and immigrant communities contribute more than $12 billion to the state’s overall business activity.
• Retail and service sales from minority-owned enterprises are estimated at $5.8 billion. These enterprises employed about 40,000 people.
• Revenue at minority-owned firms increased by 83 percent between the 2002 and 2007 Census of business owners, compared to 30 percent for all Minnesota firms.
• Minnesota farmers’ markets contribute up to $64 million in annual net economic benefits.
• Minnesota is home to more than 11,300 Asian-owned businesses, generate $2.4 billion in revenue, and employ nearly 17,500 workers.
• “Other Asian owned firms” (mostly Hmong) totaled 3,271 with $507 million in 2007 revenue.

Highlights on challenges and problems:

• Mainstream and organic sectors of agriculture are capital-intensive and asset heavy, presenting a major barrier for entrance to agriculture.
• New residents and prospective entrepreneurs have difficulty learning about and accessing federal and state programs that could help with everything from startup and business loans to complying with regulations.
• Language problems and a general distrust of government are some of the main barriers.

Key recommendations:

The Minnesota Legislature should invest in expanding the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and its Small Business Development Centers. Greater cultural awareness and expertise would help with outreach and training for aspiring ethnic entrepreneurs.

Minnesota’s Office of Tourism should develop a brochure guiding travelers who want to explore the state’s international cultural venues and markets, similar to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Minnesota Grown directory.

 

Prayers on the Prairie to air on SPNN

Prayers on the Prairie: Asian-Pacific Minnesotan Religious Practices, an orginal documentary jointly produced by the Council on Asian-Pacific Minnesotans and the Minnesota Humanities Center will air on SPNN this November and December.  This project is funded with money from the Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund that was created with the vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.

Asian-Pacific Americans make up 4% of Minnesota’s population (210,000 per Census 2010).  Minnesota is home to the largest Tibetan, Karen, and urban Hmong communities in the United States.  They are small in numbers, and they are an important part of Minnesota.  Their stories and history are Minnesota’s stories and history.  They share in many of the same values and traditions that make Minnesota great.  And they are also different – the biggest difference being religion.  While many Asian-Pacific Minnesotans have strong Christian traditions and church communities, others have different religious traditions that are too little known and understood by others.

Prayers on the Prairie: Asian-Pacific Minnesotan Religious Practices is an attempt at bridging this gap in knowledge and understanding.  The project features an educational documentary and accompanying Informational Booklet. The documentary features segments detailing five religious traditions of Asian-Pacific Minnesotans: Ancestral Worship, Animism and Hmong Shamanism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam. The segments introduce and draw on the experience and expertise of experts and practitioners describing how differing religious communities are able to thrive, practice, and live out their religious tenants in the land of blue skies, prairie lands, and 10,000 lakes. The Informational Booklet supplements the documentary by providing background information and, in some cases, further illuminations on some of the tenants of the religions.

The program is scheduled on Channel 14 in St. Paul, the multi-faith channel.

The initial playback dates are:

• 11/29/2011 1:00 pm CH14
• 12/1/2011 2:30 pm CH14
• 12/4/2011 9:00 am CH14
• 12/4/2011 2:30 pm CH14
• 12/10/2011 8:00 am CH14

If you would like more information or copies of the DVD and an Informational Booklet please contact us at capm@state.mn.us

 

A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans in the United States 2011

A Community of Contrasts: Asian Americans in the United States 2011 compiles the latest data on Asian Americans at the national level. Produced by the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice, the report is a valuable resource to community organizations, elected and appointed officials, government agencies, foundations, corporations, and others looking to better understand and serve one of this country’s fastest growing and most diverse racial groups. Below is a summary of key findings in the report.

Note:  the Asian American Center for Advancing Justice will release a separate national report in 2012 dedicated to Pacific Islanders.

Asian Americans are the country’s fastest growing racial group.
The Asian American population in the United States grew 46% between 2000 and 2010, faster than any other racial group nationwide.

Asian Americans make significant contributions to the economy through entrepreneurial activity, job creation, and consumer spending.
Asian American entrepreneurs own over 1.5 million businesses, employing about 3 million people with an annual payroll of nearly $80 billion. Asian American firms were more likely than other firms to create jobs, and between 2000 and 2009, the buying power of Asian American communities increased 89%, from $269 billion to $509 billion.

Asian Americans are becoming citizens, registering to vote, and casting ballots
Approximately 68% of Asian Americans old enough to vote are U.S. citizens, but of those eligible to register to vote, 55% have done so, and the rate of Asian American voter turnout still lags behind that of non-Hispanic Whites. Greater naturalization, voter registration, and Get Out the Vote (GOTV) efforts are needed if Asian Americans are to realize their untapped political potential.

Immigration policies disproportionately impact Asian Americans.
Proportionately, Asian Americans are more likely than any other racial group to be foreign-born. Approximately 60% of Asian Americans were born outside the United States.

Language barriers continue to limit opportunities for millions of Asian Americans.
Roughly one out of every three Asian Americans are limited-English proficient (LEP). Providing assistance in Asian languages and greater opportunities to learn English promotes better access to good jobs, citizenship, voting, healthcare, social services, and the judicial system for millions of Asian Americans.

Asian American educational attainment varies widely among ethnic groups.

Disaggregated data show that the low educational attainment of Cambodians, Laotian, Hmong, and Vietnamese Americans limit employment opportunities for many in Southeast Asian communities. Job training programs and vocational English language instruction should be targeted to Asian Americans with lower levels of educational attainment in an effort to increase access to good jobs.

Some Asian Americans struggle economically.
Hmong Americans have the lowest per capita income of any racial or ethnic group nationwide, while Hmong, Bangladeshi, and Cambodian Americans have poverty rates that approach those of African Americans and Latinos. Federal, state, and local governments should establish or expand culturally and linguistically accessible public assistance programs to meet these needs.

Unemployment has impacted Southeast Asian American communities.
Hmong, Laotian, and Cambodian Americans have unemployment rates higher than the national average. Job training, adult English language learning, unemployment benefits, and other safety net programs should be made accessible to these workers as they struggle to get back on their feet.

Asian Americans continue to face housing concerns.
59% of Asian Americans own homes nationwide, yet homeownership rates lags significantly behind that of non-Hispanic Whites, with a majority of Bangladeshi, Hmong, and Korean Americans renting rather than owning their own homes.  The problem is compounded by large numbers of Asian Americans living in overcrowded housing.

Access to affordable healthcare coverage is critical for Asian Americans.
Asian Americans are twice as likely than both non-Hispanic Whites and African Americans to have seen a doctor in the past five years, despite being more likely to develop hepatitis, stomach and liver cancer, and other diseases. Asian Americans are also more likely than non-Hispanic Whites to be uninsured. The federal government should work with insurance companies and employers to expand access to affordable healthcare coverage for all U.S. residents, including immigrants.

-=-=-

To view the full report, visit: http://www.advancingjustice.org/pdf/Community_of_Contrast.pdf

To visit the Center for Advancing Justice website, visit: http://www.advancingjustice.org/

 

Minneapolis Foundation releases OneMinneapolis report, Oct. 2011

About the OneMinneapolis report released in October 2011:

The Minneapolis Foundation partnered with Wilder Research in 2010 to select community-level indicators that reflect the community’s educational, economic, and social environment. OneMinneapolis was created to help our community better understand, track, and improve how all of our neighbors are faring across 24 community indicators.

The OneMinneapolis report identified racial disparities in education, jobs, housing, justice, and other critical areas. The most severe of racial disparities were identified in the following community indicators:

• Kindergartners ready for school
• 3rd graders proficient in reading
• Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS) students graduating on time
• MPS graduates who enroll directly in post-secondary education
• MPS students who show strong attendance
• Minneapolis children living in poverty
• Minneapolis families living in poverty

Highlights of the data for Asian Pacific communities:

Original image from OneMinneapolis report, Minneapolis Foundation (2011)

Economics and poverty

• Among all low-income households in Minneapolis (earning less than $35,000 annually), Asian households are most likely to have affordable housing.
• Among working aged adults, the employment rate for Asians is 60% and 78% for Whites.
• 58% of jobs in Minneapolis pay a “family supporting wage” of $40,000 a year (2009).

 Children & Youth  

• Asian students in Minneapolis Public Schools are the least likely to report having a caring community adult in their lives.
  • 64% for Asian students compared to 73% for all students.

• Today, more than half of all the American Indian, Asian, and Black children living in Minneapolis are in poverty.
  • 67% of Asian children in Minneapolis are living in poverty.
  • Among Asian children, those with one or more foreign-born parents (75%) are far more likely to be in poverty than those whose parents were both born in the U.S. (44%).

Education

• Asian students in Minneapolis Public Schools are the most likely to exhibit strong attendance and the least likely to be suspended.
• Among Asian students enrolled in 3^rdgrade in Minneapolis Public Schools (MPS), 47% are proficient in reading.
  • However, Asian students who were English Language Learners were only 26% proficient in reading.
  • The overall 3^rd grader proficiency rate for reading in MPS is 54% (2009-2010 school year).

• Asian students in MPS have a graduate rate of 58% compared to 71% for White students.
• 67% of Minneapolis Public Schools’ Asian graduates went on to enroll in college in 2010 fall compared to 73% for Whites.

To view the full OneMinneapolis report, dashboard, and project overview, visit http://www.minneapolisfoundation.org/OneMinneapolis/Home.aspx

 

Yellow, Where We Can Be

“Yellow, Where We Can Be” now available! Click here for a sneak peek into this collection of Asian Pacific youth stories and creative works from Minnesota!

“The idea for this book started with a simple question: Where are the stories of Asian America youth among the vastness of American literature?

Mixed into this query was the thirst to know more about themselves and a deep desire for others to know of them. Indeed, stories about them were far and few in between and rarer still were stories that were written by them. They realized that something was wrong for here they are, in America, living and breathing as Americans. And yet, their faces and stories were not a part of the images they saw every day in the media and or much less reflected back in the books and lesson plans they had in school, the place of learning and knowledge where they spent their days.

They determined that if no one was going to write their stories then they would write them and share them with world. The results of their determination are held within this book.”

Released at our Annual Heritage Banquet on May 13th, “Yellow, Where We Can Be“ is now available for the general public.

“Yellow, Where We Can Be” was funded with money from the arts and cultural heritage fund that was created by a vote of the people of Minnesota on November 4, 2008.

To get a copy for yourself or your organization, please contact us at 651 757-1740 or capm@state.mn.us. For TTY communication, 7-1-1 or 1-800-627-3529.

 

2010 Census data, coming out in stages

On May 19th, the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders held a webinar/conference call presentation on the 2010 census data results on Asian, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders.

Click the following link to download the 2010 Census presentation or visit http://scr.bi/mJBqmD to view it in-browser.

To see when more Census data is coming out, view the release schedule at http://www.census.gov/population/www/censusdata/c2010products.pdf