[Winona Online Democracy]
This article from the Star Tribune has been sent to you by Vicki Englich. Vicki Englich wrote these comments: Here is an article that some may find illuminating regarding the Hmong refugees who will be arriving in Minnesota this summer. BYLINE: Randy Kelly CREDITLINE: HEADLINE: Randy Kelly: Hmong 'have added greatly' to St. Paul Editor's note: After his return from a visit to Hmong refugees at Wat Tham Krabok in Thailand, St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly visited the editorial board of the Star Tribune to discuss the refugees' situation and the pending arrival of many of them in the Twin Cities. The following is adapted from that conversation. Q I don't remember that 25 years ago [during the earlier wave of Hmong immigration] there were trips like this. A It was unprecedented, a historic trip. We discovered that the U.S. government had made the decision to allow 50,000 Hmong refugees to resettle in the United States. We knew that, given the 50,000 Hmong who live in Minnesota, and the 25,000 Hmong in St. Paul, a number of these refugees would likely resettle in our state and in our city. There was very little information about basic demographics -- how many men, how many women, how many children, what the ages were -- so we concluded it made sense to take the time to go to the camp and make the best assessment we could, so that we could prepare for this group resettling in our community in a very short period of time. We had an opportunity to see firsthand the thousands of people and the conditions in which they have lived for many years. I think we were all struck by those young faces -- 50 to 60 percent of the population is 14 years of age or younger. Q What kind of response are you getting to the trip? A Any number of people have mistakenly concluded that we made the decision, that St. Paul made the decision, to allow this to happen. As local officials, we oftentimes have to react to what the federal government and the state government do. The Thai government and the U.S. government made a decision to try to close a chapter on the Vietnam War with the resettlement of these remaining Hmong in Thailand, and we thought a large number of these folks would settle in our community, and we felt it was best to go and find as much information out as possible. Q Are you getting a lot of calls from people who complain that we've already got a lot of Hmong, and they already use a lot of community services? A We've gotten, I would guess, upwards of 100 phone calls, e-mails and letters, and probably two-thirds are of that nature. About a third are positive, thanking us for the leadership, saying they're proud of St. Paul and these efforts. We've gotten a lot of calls and inquiries from folks who want to help -- higher education institutions, faith-based communities, foundations and other groups. The gist of the complaints and concerns is as you've described: Look, we've got our own problems, we've got a soft economy, we've got people out of work, we've got stressed budgets at the state, federal and local levels, we can't handle this influx, let's deal with our own problems first. I say to these folks, again: We didn't make this decision at the local level. The decision's been made for us by the federal government. We're attempting to prepare as well as we can. Q How do you respond to people who say, yes, but by putting out the welcome mat, you may have increased the number of people who choose to come to St. Paul? A It's possible. I don't deny that. I was very candid in my comments to the people in the camp: Look, you've had a very hard life. And coming to America, if you choose to come to America, is not going to be easy. But if you're given the chance, if you come here and learn English, if you become educated as quickly as you can, you hold a great opportunity to have a good quality of life in America. The fact is, I do not look at the first wave of Hmong refugees as a liability. I look at them as a definite benefit to our community. They have added greatly to the diversity of our community, the mosaic that we have in this state. The Hmong-Americans I brought along represented in a very powerful way what can happen with folks who come and learn the language, get educated. They can be a tremendous benefit. We had two lawyers, we had a nurse, a social worker, a police officer, a school board member -- and they started out as refugees. They have contributed greatly to our economic, to our cultural, to our political systems here in the Twin Cities and Minnesota. And I think that this new group that chooses to come will do the same thing. These young kids would come up to the Hmong-Americans in our delegation and say, "Brother," or "Sister, I want to be like you. I want to learn English. I want to go to school. I want to be successful like you." It was a powerful message, I think, that we sent to the entire camp: that if you come, if you work hard (as my ancestors and your ancestors did), you can become successful in America. _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
