Award Booklet[082009]

The First Minnesota Community and Ethnic Media Awards Honoring Excellence in Grassroots Journalism December 5, 2008

Twin Cities Media Alliance

..:: Many Thanks to our Generous Sponsors ::..

Brant Houston Knight Chair in Investigative & Enterprise Reporting University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Minnesota Press

The First Minnesota Ethnic and Community Media Awards Presented by the Twin Cities Media Alliance and New America Media Edited by Sarah E. Bauer

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Table of Contents Introduction About the Winners Best In-Depth Coverage Anna Pratt, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder - First Place “Striving for Inclusion” Series Jeremy Stratton & Liz Riggs, The Bridge - Second Place Seward Neighborhood Series Wameng Moua, Hmong Today - Third Place “Are Hmong Schools Making the Grades?” Arts & Culture Anne Holzman, Korean Quarterly - First Place “Standing at the Edge of Asian-American Theater” Anna Otieno, Mshale - Second Place “Runway Africa” Wameng Moua & Louisa Schein - Third Place “Hmong Actors Making History” Series Global/Local Connections David Zander, Asian Pages - First Place “The Other Face of Bhutan” Issa A. Mansaray, The African News Journal - Second Place “Minnesota’s Lonely Elders” Martha Vickery, Korean Quarterly - Third Place “Korean Studies from the Ground Up” Lisa Steinmann, Park Bugle - Honorable Mention “Volunteering Matters” featuring Fritz Morlock Community Service Lauretta Dawolo Towns, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder - First Place Three-part series on the Service Employees International Union strike Natalie Zett, The Park Bugle - Second Place “Catholic Charities opens new facility” Martha Vickery, Korean Quarterly - Third Place “Teens take a stand against human trafficking” Anna Pratt, The Bridge Newspaper - Honorable Mention “Framework for the future, or failure?” Commentary/Editorial Writing Matthew Little, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder - First Place “Obama authenticates hope of 1965 Voting Rights bill” Ron Edwards, Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder - Second Place “Why Blacks are not allowed to command” Barb Kucera, Workday Minnesota - Third Place “Why we take a stand on anti-immigration language” The Bridge Newspaper - Honorable Mention “In our own words...” Column The First Minnesota Ethnic and Community Media Awards  

Introduction The Twin Cities Media Alliance is proud to present the winners of the first annual Minnesota Ethnic and Community Media Awards. These awards, presented in partnership with New America Media, are our effort to bring recognition to the best work by local grassroots journalists. The news organizations that they represent make a vital contribution to the health of the communities that they serve, and also to the vitality of the larger Twin Cities community. Many of these publications operate on very limited budgets even in the best of times, and in the current economic climate, they face enormous challenges. An important part of our mission at the Twin Cities Media Alliance is to support the work of local grassroots media. We accomplish that mission by offering citizen journalism classes and media skills workshops; by helping these media organizations reach a larger audience through republication in the Twin Cities Daily Planet, and through publication of our Minnesota Ethnic and Community Media Directory.* The awards, presented on December 5 in Minneapolis by Anthony Advincula of New America Media and Sarah Bauer of the Minnesota News Council, were given in five categories: Investigative / In Depth; Editorial/ Commentary; Global/Local; Community Service; and Arts and Culture. The top winner in each category received a $200 award, a trophy and a certificate, and are automatically nominated for New America Media’s National Ethnic Media awards, which will be presented on June 4, 2009, in Atlanta, Georgia. Second place winners received $100 and a certificate, while third place and honorable mention winners received a certificate. Major funding for the awards was provided by New America Media, with additional funding from Everyday Democracy: Ideas and Tools for Community Change; the University of Minnesota Press; and Brant Houston, Knight Chair in Investigative & Enterprise Reporting, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Please join us in saluting the winners of the 2008 Minnesota Ethnic and Community Media Awards! Mary Turck, editor, Twin Cities Daily Planet Jeremy Iggers, executive director, Twin Cities Media Alliance *(Available online at http://twincitiesmediaalliance.wordpress.com/media-directory. For printed copies, call our operations manager, Emily Pearson Ryan, at 612-4369188.)

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About Our Winners: The Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder led a strong field with three first-place awards, but nine different publications received honors, including Hmong Today, Asian Pages, Korean Quarterly, African News Journal, The Bridge, Park Bugle, Minnesota Women’s Press and Workday Minnesota. Matthew Little won first prize in the Editorial/Commentary division for his Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder weekly column, Little by Little, which focuses on civil rights issues locally and nationally. Matthew Little, now 87 years of age, is an infantry combat veteran of WWII, and has 40 years of civil rights leadership, during which he edited an in-house monthly publication called “NAACP Today” while president of that organization. He has been a “stringer” for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder since 1965, and has contributed a weekly column since 1974. Second place in the Editorial/Commentary division went to Ron Edwards, also writing for the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, for columns addressing challenges Black police officers face, fighting for equality in the Minneapolis Police Department. Barb Kucera of Workday Minnesota won third place for Why we take a stand on anti-immigrant language, which explained the publication’s use of terms like “undocumented immigrant,” or “undocumented worker” instead of the term “illegal,” saying that the latter promotes divisiveness and bigotry. The Bridge won an honorable mention for “In our own words,” a regular column that features personal essays and reflections from people in the neighborhoods they serve. The In-Depth / Investigative division selected indepth or investigative stories or series that identified and explored important issues largely ignored by the mainstream news media. Funding for the In Depth / Investigative Reporting awards was provided by Brant Houston, Knight Chair in Investigative & Enterprise Reporting, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. First place went to Anna Pratt, writing in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, for a two-part series looking at diversity in workforce of the state’s courts. Anna Pratt is a Twin Cities-based freelance journalist who writes for a variety of local publications covering social issues, including race and class, civil and human rights and immigration.

Second place went to Jeremy Stratton and Liz Riggs of The Bridge for their ongoing coverage of the Seward Neighborhood Group’s financial problems, from October 2007 through July 2008. Third place went to Wameng Moua, writing in Hmong Today, for Are Hmong Schools Making the Grade?, which took an in-depth look at Hmong-focused charter schools in the Twin Cities. The Community Service division honored coverage of a particular issue that has had a significant impact on the well-being of a community, covering issues of public health and safety, social justice, human rights, civil liberties or criminal justice. Lauretta Dawolo Towns won first place in the Community Service division for her three-part series, published in the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder, which covered the Service Employees International Union strike in Minneapolis at critical junctures during and after the strike. Towns, a native of the Lower Ninth Ward in New Orleans, LA, formerly the news director at KFAI, is now a “full-time mom” who also contributes to the Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder and the TC Daily Planet. Second place went to Natalie Zett’s article in the Park Bugle for Catholic Charities opens new facility, which profiled the impact of Catholic Charities’ new facility opened in 2007 in south St. Anthony Park that houses chronic substance abusers and the homeless. Third place went to Martha Vickery and the Korean Quarterly for Teens take a stand against human trafficking, which profiled a Woodbury High School project, “End Slavery Now.” Anna Pratt, writing in The Bridge, won honorable mention for Framework for the future, or failure?, which covered differing opinions on Minneapolis’ plan for sustained neighborhood funding as the 20-year Neighborhood Revitalization Program ends in 2009. Anne Holzman, writing in the Korean Quarterly won first place in the Arts and Culture division for her feature, “Standing at the edge of Asian American theater.” Holzman explored the development of Asian American theater, profiling playwright David Henry Hwang, best known for his award-winning play “M. Butterfly.” Holzman is a Twin Cities-based freelance journalist. Second place in the Arts and Culture division went to Anna Otieno, writing in Mshale, for Runway Africa, which looked at the annual international fashion show, “Runway Africa” featuring African fashion, music and art – a “display of Africa’s talents, skills, abilities and

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culture.” Third place went to Wameng Moua and Louisa Schein, writing in Hmong Today. Their two-part series profiled the search for Hmong actors in the upcoming Clint Eastwood film “Gran Torino” – including a look at the five young Hmong men cast into the production. The Global/Local Connection division honored an article or series of articles that best illustrates the interconnections between global and local: the impact that Minnesotans are having on the global stage, and/or the impact that globalization is having and global forces are having on local communities. David Zander, writing in Asian Pages, won first place for The Other Face of Bhutan: A Report on the Latest Refugee Arrivals in the U.S., which outlined a talk by Bhutanese refugee Mangala Sharma who gave a firsthand account of life in refugee camps, oppression of ethnic minorities in Bhutan, and tips to help Bhutanese families resettle. Zander is an anthropologist at the State Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans and a frequent contributor to Asian Pages. Issa Mansaray, writing in the African News Journal, won second place for Minnesota’s Lonely Elders, which profiled the aging immigrant populations facing isolation, loneliness, boredom and challenges finding adequate healthcare, transportation and other resources. Martha Vickery, writing in the Korean Quarterly, won third place for “Korean studies from the ground up,” which profiled University of Minnesota Korean language professor Hangtae Cho, and the development of the school’s Korean Studies program. Honorable Mention went to Lisa Steinmann of the Park Bugle for her “Volunteering Matters” column. -Mary Turck, editor, Twin Cities Daily Planet

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First Place Best In-Depth

on a strong foundation. We have a pretty diverse workforce,” he said. “We want to mirror the community.”

Striving for inclusion in the halls of justice: Some minority employees in Ramsey County courts say workplace lacks diversity

Many challenges lay ahead for the judicial branch, though, beyond the sheer caseload, in carrying out these goals. For one thing, the number of languages being spoken in courtrooms across the state continues to escalate. Last year, interpreter services were used in over 30,000 hearings while unrepresented litigants are also on the rise, according to MJB information. To cope with the changing dynamics and to boost minority participation, numerous initiatives are underway as part of a long-range strategic plan MJB adopted last year.

By Anna Pratt Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Published August 1, 2007 Arthur Guess, 39, a law clerk in the Ramsey County courthouse who is Black, says few of his peers are people of color. Guess has been a clerk to Judge George Stephenson, one of four Black judges in the county or District 2, for about a year and a half. In the judges’ chambers, there happen to be several people of color employed (including Guess and a court reporter), which Guess has found to be otherwise abnormal. By contrast, the vast majority of those who arrive as customers to the St. Paul courthouse every day are minorities, he said, pointing to a line of people sitting in the lobby on the third floor, the juvenile detention center, which included mainly Blacks and Latinos, among others, on a typical morning in late July. Some state officials from the Minnesota Judicial Branch (MJB), which took over the courts from individual counties a couple of years ago, claim that the makeup of its workforce reflects the broader population of a state dominated by White residents. Only about 11 percent of Minnesotans are minorities, based on U.S. Census Bureau statistics from 2000. Minnesota has long been a role model for other states for the pains it takes to keep itself in check when it comes to racial bias in the justice system, officials point out, citing a lengthy 1993 study that closely examined statewide courts. Naturally, there’s always room for improvement. Deputy Court Administrator Jeff Shorba said in a meeting at the MJB building in St. Paul, “We’re trying to build

“Enhancing diversity in the courts is a major initiative of ours over the next few years as the Baby Boomers retire and we have a lot of new openings in the court system,” Kostouros said, via email. Too few minorities? On the walls throughout the Ramsey County courthouse — a modernized building that boasts plenty of natural light — oversized photographic prints hanging on the walls depict people who appear to be distressed. Guess pointed to one photo in the entry to the juvenile detention center. It portrays a Black family seated on a couch. Their facial expressions seem troubled while the orientation of the black-and-white photo is skewed. “The artwork makes me uncomfortable…Is this sending the right message about minorities?” he asked, scratching his head. Guess said that sometimes when he is roaming the hallways at the courthouse, he gets comments from young Blacks, surprised to find a Black man working there. He has heard them call a judge or others in the courts racist, an excuse he said he doesn’t buy. “I say to them, ‘Hey, you’re here,’” he said. “If we had a more diverse staff, people wouldn’t blame their problems on race. They would see they are responsible for their own actions,” said Guess. Brenda Jackson, a former clerk in the

same district, who is also Black, said over the phone that she felt White customers got more help than Blacks. Additionally, she said negative stereotypes about Blacks were uttered at times among White coworkers. Subsequently, “If you’re a person of color, you feel isolated. You don’t feel comfortable going to work,” she said. Judge Stephenson agreed that Ramsey County has a reputation for being uninviting to minorities, especially Black people. He acknowledged that while there has been a successful push to encourage Asians (Hmongs, in particular) to apply for city, county and state jobs, there are still too few Blacks, Latinos and Native Americans working in the court system. But he believes the court is making strides. “I’m assured of a commitment to diversity. The courts are taking steps to do a better job. I’m confident it’s being taken seriously,” he said. There’s a ways to go, however, considering that many more Whites are entering the legal profession than any other racial group. Altogether, a little over 14 percent of the district’s staff belongs to minority groups (excluding judges, who are elected officials) according to a recent MJB demographic analysis. Out of a total of 284 employees in the district, there are four Native Americans/Alaska natives; 15 Asian/Pacific Islanders; 15 Black/African Americans; seven Latinos/Hispanics; and 233 White people (10 people didn’t specify their race). Statewide, 2,442 people of 3,006 employees working in various locations of the judicial branch are White. In the coming years, however, there’ll be more and more minorities, state demographers predict. Between 2005-10, nearly 38 percent of a projected 255,000 new Minnesotans will be non-White, a report from the State Demographic Center reads. It states that non-Whites will account for more than half of the increase in population from 2025-30. What are the courts doing? Currently,

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when advertising a job opening in the courts, postings are sent to law schools, minority bar associations and ethnic newspapers, among other places, said MJB Human Resources Manager Nancy Griffin. Jobs are listed on the MJB website for 10 days (sometimes longer). Occasionally MJB representatives attend job and resource fairs. Hiring is done district by district. Thus far, Griffin said, no complaints have been filed with the federal Equal Employment Office (EEO) about a lack of diversity in any of the districts. An equal opportunity employer, MJB policy dictates that “all decisions regarding recruitment, hiring, promotions, and other terms and conditions of employment be made without discrimination on the grounds of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, marital status, status with regard to public assistance, membership or activity in a local human rights commission, disability, sexual orientation, or age.” District 2 Human Resources Manager Charlotte O’Connell said one obstacle to reaching out to minorities is the state’s electronic job application system, which leaves out anyone who doesn’t have easy computer access. Other stumbling blocks to minorities deal with the union status of many of the jobs; candidates from an internal pool are given first choice, while outsiders come second. That means walking a tightrope, because “You want to promote from within and support the people you have, but you also need to be mindful of bringing others in,” she said. To make a difference, O’Connell is concentrating on educating managers who do the hiring. Often, they may claim they hire the “best” person for the job, but they’re sometimes unaware of unconscious biases that influence their decisions. For example, she said, an ethnic-sounding name may trigger certain assumptions. She has brought in a psychologist to do trainings that shed light on those kinds of things.

O’Connell said one district department that is making good progress is the Violations Bureau, where four of 23 employees are minorities. Susan Bownds, who leads it, said diversity should be part of the fabric of everyday life. “The Violations Bureau is where most people go, so it’s important that we reflect the community. We want to hire, train and retain the best-qualified diverse workforce that we can get our hands on. If we can’t retain them [due to being recruited elsewhere], we need to encourage people to talk up the court so others will apply.” All in all, “It’s an ongoing challenge that can only be solved one hire at a time,” she said. Recently, a top-level diversity specialist, Melanie Larsen Sinouthasy, was hired to focus a statewide effort to encourage diversity. Sinouthasy is charged with the task of developing and recommending strategies to attract and retain a diverse workforce across the whole branch. As has been done in the past, representatives from the judicial branch will visit high schools, colleges and job fairs to talk about law-related professions. Occasionally, some judges make appearances at law schools. To further ensure that people are treated equally, the Minnesota Supreme Court has both Race Fairness and Gender Fairness Implementation Committees while district-level courts have Equal Access Committees that bring together leaders from a wide cross-section of state agencies to problem-solve in areas regarding diversity. Ramsey County Chief Judge Gregg Johnson said the committee is a place for ideas to be exchanged about how to better serve the community, make staff more aware of cultural differences and instill the competence needed to provide quality service. Soon, the Ramsey County court will undergo a fairness survey project, which the National Center for State Courts developed to test customer satisfaction with the courts. Local diversity expert

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Lila Kelly said creating a diverse workforce can be accomplished by performing unconventional outreach tactics, such as through attending community events that spread news about jobs by word-ofmouth and help establish trust, among other strategies. As funding fluctuates and programs come and go, diversifying the workforce isn’t likely to be easy, though. “There are so many organizations trying and struggling with this, but they don’t know how to do it. People are way behind, but demographics are changing. This is such important work,” Kelly said. Next week: Read about diversity in the Hennepin County courts (District 4) and some initiatives that are underway.

Note: This is part one of a two-part series. Both parts were entered in the contest; only the first part is printed here.

__________ Second Place Best In-Depth SNG looks to rebuild after financial collapse By Jeremy Stratton The Bridge Published October 3, 2007 After apparently pulling itself out of debt in 2003 after the mismanagement of Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) funds, the Seward Neighborhood Group (SNG) once again finds itself in the red. Since July 2003, when recently resigned Executive Director Lori Stone took the helm, SNG has raised roughly a half million dollars in foundation grants, employed full- and part-time staff and managed a number of community programs. The success has proven unsustainable,

however. By mid-September — less than a month after Stone left the organization — the group’s checking account was overdrawn by $1,000, said current Board Treasurer Kevin Brown, and there was no money to meet payroll. On Sept. 14, the SNG Board of Directors was forced to lay off all its paid staff, as more and more evidence of financial trouble began to surface. Compounding the problem is the $135,000 penalty likely to be levied on SNG for the “unauthorized expenditure” of NRP housing funds between 1998 and 2003, according to an Aug. 1 letter from NRP Director Bob Miller. Furthermore, current Treasurer Kevin Brown said a line of credit listed in financial statements at $25,000 is actually almost $9,000 higher than was reported to the board. Finally, in its officially released statement, the SNG board stated: “We believe that funds from several of our institutional and foundation funders which were dedicated to certain programs have in fact been spent on general operating expenses, in violation of the funders’ conditions and, potentially, state law.” The amount may exceed $80,000, stated the board. Stone denied that she spent funds that should have been dedicated to programs. The Bridge was unable to confirm the $80,000 in unallocated foundation funds that the board claimed had been spent on general operating funds. Stone said she believes SNG’s current problems stem from the board’s inability to come up with a transition plan after she left at the end of August. However, a review of SNG tax filings shows that the organization has ended the past two years in increasing defecit — $17,269 at the end of 2005 and $63,072 at the end of 2006. Although some board members seemed blindsided by the collapse, there had been discussion over the past year about

the possibility that SNG was overextended. Since 2006, Stone had twice recommended a reorganization “to increase efficiency and decrease the staffing budget deficit we were heading for,” she told The Bridge in a recent interview. That reorganization — largely based on the elimination of a housing program coordinator’s position — was rejected by the board, said Stone. During a discussion of 2007 organizational goals at a February board meeting, current Board President Jean Johnstad said “It is important to break down the costs of staffing and running the programs, [and] learn exactly what… we can afford to continue and what needs to be cut back.” The late-summer crisis brought all this to a head, however, and forced a heavyhanded reorganization that has left SNG as an all-volunteer organization, at least for the near future. Johnstad said she hopes SNG’s programs — which still have some funding, according to the board statement — will be able to continue. Committees continue to meet — including a newly formed Revitalization Committee — and she thanked community members and former staff who have volunteered to make sure events like the recent King’s Fair and upcoming Seward Arts Festival take place. Johnstad has also pledged better transparency and communication with the neighborhood about SNG’s operations and standing. “This organization has been around for 47 years,” she said. “We’re not going to go away.” NRP problem goes back almost a decade While the $135,000 penalty from NRP was largely inherited from a previous executive director and board, delays in reconciling the housing program’s financial details drew the problem out for four years.

The problem stems from deposits and transfers of revenue, garnered from housing programs, into SNG’s main account between 1998 and 2003. The funds — mostly from a deferred loan program through which SNG gave small loans to Seward residents for home improvements — were intended for use on housing-related programs but were used for other purposes, according to Jack Whitehurst, Seward’s NRP contact. As the official city-recognized neighborhood organization for Seward, SNG receives and administers NRP dollars — public funds generated by projects in tax-increment financing districts — for a wide range of neighborhood projects and some staff funding. While such fund transfers are common with NRP dollars, they require a “plan modification” and approval by the publicly elected neighborhood board and/or NRP — neither of which were aware of the transfer of the funds in question, according to both Brown and Whitehurst. Whitehurst said it is likely that the organization will have to return the $135,000 to NRP, possibly by giving up NRP funds available but not yet contracted from SNG’s Phase I and Phase II plans. In 2003, an NRP contract administrator met with Stone and Housing Coordinator Bernie Waibel to request a report from SNG with financial details of the programs, according to the Aug. 1 letter from Miller. Despite several subsequent requests and an offer of NRPassistance in the audit, SNG did not submit the reports until April 2007. Pending the completion of the reports, NRP froze SNG’s unspent housing program funds — more than $82,000 intended as home improvement loans for Seward residents. That money will likely be returned to NRP, said Whitehurst, along with $32,000 still unused from SNG’s completed Phase I NRP plan and other remaining Phase II dollars, to

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cover the $135,000 owed to the city. Current Board President Johnstad — who came on as chair in January after less than six months on the board — pressed Stone and Waibel to complete the NRP reports, which Waibel did over the course of several weekends, on his own time. NRP has given SNG until January 2008 to come up with a proposal to pay back the dollars in question, said Whitehurst, who stressed that the current SNG board is “working very diligently to sort it out.” Accounting and accountability The current situation raises questions not only about SNG’s past financial management, but about how much the Board of Directors — a revolving group of neighborhood stakeholders publicly elected and charged with the fiduciary duty of sustaining the organization — has known about the apparently overextended organization. “Boards can ask questions of staff and feel like they’re getting the information fully and accurately when they’re not,” said Whitehurst. “Boards can also not ask enough questions to stay on top of the organization’s finances.” Asked if the executive director or the board of directors is responsible for the mismanagement of the NRP funds, Whitehurst said, “I think the buck stops with all of the above.” Since January, Johnstad and the current board have taken steps toward better accounting of the organization’s expenses. In July, they approved a Financial Procedures Manual toward this end. As The Bridge went to press, Board Treasurer Brown was working with the organization’s contracted independent bookkeeper to sift through SNG’s finances. “The filing system appears to be fairly random,” he said.

He did provide an unsigned copy of a 990 form for 2006, which shows the $63,000 shortfall at the end of last year.

Third Place Best In-Depth

The 990 also reports only $27,000 of credit line liability, which Brown said was documented at $34,700 in January 2007, just after the 2006 fiscal year ended.

Are Hmong Schools Making the Grades?

Some money is currently coming in, according to Brown, who said the board’s first priorities are to pay its former staff and contractors and to pay its rent. Despite the dire financial straits, board members are hopeful that the organization can carry on its work. “We intend to make every effort to maintain at least some of our programs,” states the SNG Board in its official release, which expresses gratitude to “capable and hardworking” program staff that may be asked to continue on as independent contractors. The board is “actively working with the NRP program to resolve their concerns…” and to get a full picture of their financial condition, states the release. Johnstad said members of the community have come forward to volunteer help to SNG. Brown said that “a slim but positive benefit is that everybody on the board is very committed to having SNG return to its roots of grassroots organizing.” Details were still emerging as this issue The Bridge went to press. We will continue to report on the events that led up to the situation, and we will follow the organization’s efforts to rebuild. Watch this website for more coverage this month.

Note: This is one part of ongoing coverage. Three stories were entered in the contest; only one installment is printed here.

By mid-September, Brown had yet to locate tax filings from years prior to 2006. 10  The First Minnesota Ethnic and Community Media Awards

By Wameng Moua Hmong Today Published February 16, 2008 There are seven Hmong-focused charter schools in the Twin Cities, each are filled beyond projections. Even with limited evidence to suggest these schools are performing at adequate standards, Hmong-focused schools continue to be a huge draw. Take for instance the Fresno Hmong community and their highly publicized effort to charter the state’s first Hmong-focused school. With the large numbers of Hmong students switching over to these schools, millions of education dollars are following them to their new institutions. This drainage of Hmong students has played a huge role in the ever increasing budget deficit that the public schools in Minneapolis and St. Paul are suffering. While both public school systems are attempting to slow down the exodus of students by creating their own Hmongfocused magnet schools, all of the existing Hmong charter schools are continuing to grow at astonishing rates with new charters in the works. Are the Hmong schools succeeding? Does the lack of diversity in these schools constitute self-segregation? And even when test scores continue to linger behind traditional schools, why are educators calling the Hmong-focused schools a great success? Hmong Today takes a closer look at Hmong-focused schools to try and demystify this increasingly popular school choice. Is it a short-term trend or are Hmong-focused schools the solid choice of the future. You decide: On an official visit from the United

States Department of Education, Todd Zoellick walked through the hallways of the Community School of Excellence (CSE), a Hmong focused charter school that opened this school year in St. Paul, MN. As the Deputy Secretary’s Regional Representative, Zoellick travels throughout the nation to tour schools and assess what he called, “Federal education issues.” His visit to CSE, he revealed, is the first time he has visited a culturally focused school. “We heard so much about this school and I had to see it for myself,” Zoellick explained while confirming that culturally focused schools are quickly becoming a popular option for to families to consider. Mo Chang, the school’s founder and head administrator, leads the tour by pointing to the intricate designs that are painted along the walls. “These colors and designs can be found on traditional Hmong tapestries,” Chang explained of the detailed swirls that adorned the walls. “We wanted to surround our students with cultural artwork to emphasize the importance of where they came from, sending the message to each student that he or she is appreciated here.” As part of the tour, the group visited a third-grade classroom. As the guests entered, each child in the classroom stood up and politely bowed, palms affixed in the traditional South East Asian greeting. Immediately after being introduced, Zoellick warmed up to the kids by asking simple questions about their class and in particular what they were learning. A number of hands eagerly shot-up, some waved in the air with the anticipation of being picked. Politely picking one student at a time,

Zoellick continued asking questions, only now with more detail. “We learned about human bones,” answered one bright-eyed youngster in response to a question about science class. “How many bones are in the human body?” Zoellick asked the girl. “Two hundred and six,” replied the girl after a slight pause. Acting surprised to get an answer, the visitor from the Department of Education smiled and thanked the girl for the answer, jokingly revealing that he hadn’t known the answer up until now. Jeneane Miller, a teacher at the school, explained to Zoellick that in a traditional public school setting, Hmong children would unlikely raise their hands and assert themselves with such vigor and candor. “I’m so proud of our kids!” exclaimed Ms. Miller, whose teaching background spans across a variety of different school systems. “One of those kids who had his hands up came to us with a learning disability. Today, I didn’t see any disabilities!” “Our children can be themselves.” Ask any teacher, parent or student about the benefits of attending a Hmong-focused school and you might receive a variety of answers. However, the one answer that will pop-up most frequently will have to do with the student’s new found confidence. This new attitude doesn’t just stay at school, comments Kou Xiong, 39, parent of nine-year-old Matthew Xiong, who is attending his first year at CSE. “He speaks Hmong now,” the elder Xiong remarks about his son’s transformation at home. “He has confidence to speak to guests with respect and courtesy—in Hmong. That’s not the same Matthew we used to know.” Though the Xiongs live in White Bear

Lake, an affluent suburb of St. Paul, they make the extra effort to get Matthew to school each morning. “We like this school so much we will enroll our youngest child here as well.” Educators such as Sally Bass, director of the SEAT Program at Concordia University (Southeast Asian Teacher Licensure Program), believe that children who are allowed to gain a better understanding of their culture, also gain a better understanding of themselves as a person, which she says leads to better learning. “When kids are more firmly rooted they have a stronger self-esteem. When they have a foundation to stand on, they are better able to explore, learn and develop,” Bass reflected on her 30-plus years as an educator. “At some of the traditional schools, there are natural barriers in place that don’t allow for some of these roots to be planted properly.” More than just a casual observer, Bass acts as the liaison between Concordia University and CSE, one of six charter schools that Concordia sponsors (CSE and Hmong Academy are the two Hmong-focused schools). As the sponsoring agency, Concordia continuously works with the charter schools to respond to deficiencies. As Bass illustrates, when CSE had issues with lower than expected test scores, Concordia facilitated a professional development program to better prepare teachers to the adapt to the testing environment. “There’s no such a thing as a perfect school,” Bass continues, “But what I can say about the charter schools that I’ve been involved with is that the level of commitment from the administrators all the way down to each student is tremendous. These charter schools remind me of an old-time school, centered around a common religion or culture where everybody is involved in the education process.”

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“Low test scores don’t reflect the true success of Hmong charter schools” According to the website www.uscharterschools.org, “Charter schools were developed according to three basic values: opportunity, choice, and responsibility for results.” Minnesota pioneered the first charter school in America, the St. Paul City Academy which opened in 1992. From the very beginning, the Hmong were an integral part of that school and others throughout the Twin Cities metro area (besides the seven Hmong-focused schools). When HOPE (Hmong Open Partnerships in Education) Academy, the first Hmong-focused charter school, opened its doors in 2001, the doubters wondered if enough Hmong parents would want to send their children to a mostly Hmong populated school. More than seven years later, the school has grown beyond expectations, recently adding a $3 million multi-use building to expand on its existing campus. More importantly, the school is credited for being the model for other Hmong-focused schools to follow. With growing enrollment rates and community accolades on the positive side, HOPE Academy and the other Hmong-focused charter schools seem to be headed on the right track. That is, until the declining test scores are brought to light (see “No Child Left Behind” table). Take for instance the reading scores for the Hmong schools which calculate to an average of 21.75% of the students being considered proficient readers. Compare that to the state average of 68% proficient readers and the deficiencies are alarming. Pao Yang, operations manager for Hmong Academy, doesn’t discount the importance of numbers. What he wants to point out, however, is the fact that

those test scores don’t take into consideration that a good number of students at Hmong Academy arrived from other schools, thereby diluting the numbers put up by more established Hmong Academy students. “Realistically we’ll need to wait a few more years to test our products,” Yang insisted. “Because if you track the students who have been with us from the beginning, you’ll see successful numbers. It’s just a matter of time before we are able to see the total numbers rise as well.” Yang points to other numbers that are not reflected in test scores. Having graduated its first class of seniors last year, Hmong Academy boasts a 90% graduation rate. Furthermore, numbers such as the attendance rate and retention rate of students, Yang argues, far exceeds the same categories at public schools.

schools was the cultural and linguistic regiments that are mandatory at these schools. These sentiments have been picked up by the public school systems in St. Paul and Minneapolis whose declining enrollment have forced them to create their own versions of a Hmong-focused schools. Hmong International Academy is Minneapolis Public Schools’ answer to the Hmong dilemma. Only in its second year, the enrollment has already grown too large for its current building at the Lucy Laney building in North Minneapolis. The school’s principal, Chai Lee, is adamant that a Hmong-focused school within the public school system is the ideal way to educate children because of the resources available in the public school system as opposed to the upstart charter schools.

Beyond the numbers, there are more important factors to consider when assessing the success of a school, says Neal Thao, principal of Noble Academy, a first-year Hmong-focused charter school in Brooklyn Center.

“We have access to the top teachers and learning tools,” Lee continues. “And it’s a great feeling to know that we have the support of an entire school district rather than individual schools out there like islands.”

“We have 99% parental participation,” Thao asserts. “That says a lot about how important education is at a particular school.”

In St. Paul, the district will transition Phalen Lake Elementary into a Hmongfocused magnet school with the new name, Phalen Lake Elementary Hmong Studies and Core Knowledge Magnet.

From a historical perspective, Thao is quick to note that this is the first time in history that the Hmong have been able to create their own schools which parent especially have learned to appreciate. “In our homeland, we are too busy trying to survive day to day. This is the first time we have the tools, the money and the political will to educate our children. This is an important step for the advancement of our culture and our language.” Most parents interviewed for this article did indicate that one of the most important factors that lead them to enroll their children in Hmong-focused

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Hoping to keep the school’s current level of diversity, principal Catherine Rich—in an interview with the Twin Cities Daily Planet—explains that the school will not become a Hmong immersion school as some may have misunderstood it to be, but rather a school that combines the Core Knowledge curriculum with Hmong and Spanish language and cultural enrichment classes. “We are very excited about the changes and about the opportunity to enrich our curriculum in Hmong studies and more broadly represent a very rich and diverse culture,” says Rich.

“Are Hmong schools too isolated from the rest of the world?” Sally Bass from Concordia chuckles when she contemplates the irony of a culturally focused school. “I thought they tried to get rid of this kind of thing with Brown Vs. Board of Education,” Bass asks rhetorically about the reverse des egregation aspect of the Hmong-focused schools. “But I guess in this case, separate isn’t too bad afterall.” In her MinnPost editorial, Lorena Duarte asks a number of pertinent questions in regards to culturally specific schools. “The idea of a culturally-specific public school raises complicated issues and intriguing questions: Is it a focused approach toward student achievement and enrichment, or is it a form of isolation? How do we deal with cultural diversity in public education? And what is the best environment to prepare students to become successful in diverse settings? Do students at culturally-specific schools have enough interaction and knowledge about other cultures to succeed in an increasingly diverse nation and an increasingly interconnected world?” To help her answer these questions, Duarte asks Lesa Covington Clarkson, assistant professor at the U of M’s College of Education & Human Development, who has worked with both African-American and Hmong charter schools in the Twin Cities. “They are valid concerns,” says Clarckson, “But people need to look at the flip side of this — what happens if students never understand their own culture?” Neal Thao may have said it best in reaction to questions of being isolated within the Hmong schools. “Traditional schools might have diversity, but in many situations, the door hasn’t always been open to our community.”

First Place Arts & Culture Standing at the edge of Asian American theater: David Henry Hwang meets up with other Asian American playwrights in Minneapolis By Anne Holzman Korean Quarterly Published Summer 2008 Fresh off the New York run of his latest show, Yellow Face, and in negotiations to bring the show to cities including Chicago and possibly the Twin Cities, playwright David Henry Hwang said he was enjoying a bit of a vacation as he settled into a chunky black couch in an upper-floor Guthrie Theatre lounge on the first Friday in June. Best known for his award-winning play M. Butterfly, Hwang lives in Brooklyn, NY, and has a son, 12, and a daughter seven; he is married to actress Kathryn Laynge. In spite of his international career, he said, “I do try to be home.” Hwang traveled to Minneapolis to participate in the Second National Asian American Theater Conference. The first such conference ---- known as the Next Big Bang ---- occurred in Los Angeles in 2006, followed by a festival of Asian American theater in New York last summer. Conference organizer Rick Shiomi of the Minneapolis Asian American Theater company Mu Performing Arts said the plan has been to alternate conferences with festivals, more or less annually. Accordingly, another national Asian American theater festival is in the works for 2009. The conference featured first showings of new plays and works in progress, including a production of local Korean American playwright Ed Bok Lee’s Glow, and some works in progress by Sun Mee Chomet. The conference hosts were Mu Performing Arts and Pangea World Theater.

Hwang’s M. Butterfly ran on Broadway in 1988 and won a Tony award. It was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize. Hwang also wrote the screenplay for the film Seven Years in Tibet, and a revision of Rogers and Hammerstein’s Flower Drum Song produced in 2003. As a librettist, he has collaborated with composers Phillip Glass, Bright Sheng and Osvaldo Golijov and also with Korean composer Unsuk Chin. Hwang made a quick trip to Minneapolis back in April, to receive an Award for Achievement in Asian American Arts from Mu Performing Arts. He said that’s more the pattern of his travels these days, flying in, appearing somewhere, and flying back out, so he was pleased to settle in at the Guthrie among theater colleagues for two days in June to discuss the trends and the future of Asian American theater. Born in Los Angeles to immigrants from China, and educated at Stanford and Yale, Hwang has traveled frequently to China in recent years and spoke warmly of his reception there. His plays have not, so far, been produced there, partly because he writes in English, and partly because the political climate might not welcome his brand of social criticism ---- he said that might be changing. Although he’s clearly American and needs translators, Hwang said, he is still embraced in China as Chinese. “They’re proud of me,” he said in a voice soft with wonder. “I find that moving.” He has not traveled to Korea ---- but he said he hears about it all the time. With its film and music stars, he said, “Korea has become the pop engine of Asia.” His work has also been performed in Singapore, he said, where the political atmosphere is more open and English is more commonly spoken. All over Asia, he said, there seems to be a disengagement from American culture balanced by “an increasing sense of pride and security.” But that also implies

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nationalism, which can be both good and bad. In China, for example, he sees “a sense of Chinese pride, at least among the Han, who are the ethnic majority.” Growing discrepancies between socioeconomic classes could tear that ethnocentricity apart, he added. He travels in and out of Shanghai and Guangzhou a couple of times a year. “I’m interested in the kind of artistic work that’s being done there,” he said of his travels in China. He has visited the Dong minority group, which figures in his newest play, Yellow Face, in which a white actor reinventing himself as Asian finds his place among Dong hosts for an extended stay. The script also calls for recordings of Dong music. Hwang said that in addition to U.S. cities, there are plans in the works to produce Yellow Face in Mexico City, in Spanish. An earlier Hwang work translated into Spanish, the libretto for Ainadamar, was based on the murder of Spanish poet and republican hero Federico García Lorca. Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov, who ranks securely among the world’s top living composers of classical music, translated that libretto as well as writing the score. In a world where it’s even harder to get a new opera produced than a new play, Ainadamar appears to be holding its own, with recent performances in Philadelphia, Chicago and Phoenix and a recording on the Deutsche Grammophon label. Hwang approaches all this global activity with enthusiasm, but also with his usual critical wariness. “Internationalism is the new multiculturalism,” he said in a tone heavy with irony. In Yellow Face, Hwang explores the limits of our ability to define other people’s identities. A character named David Henry Hwang mistakenly casts the white actor Marcus G. Dahlman as Asian, becomes furious at the fabulous success of newly staged-named Marcus Gee,but gets the last laugh as race-tinged scandal brings about something resembling justice. In the end, they remain on speaking

terms ---- as author and character, if not as producer and actor. The play reads like an extended “found poem,” interspersing news reports, e-mails and other texts and drawing on Hwang’s actual experience protesting a Miss Saigon production as well as the story of physicist Wen Ho Lee’s incarceration for suspected spying. A clear ---- and very funny ---- story emerges from a tangle of names, ethnicities, identities and prejudices. Nobody looks good, especially not the author’s namesake character, but an audience might take solace from the feeling that our own multi-culti fumbling can’t possibly be that bad. While the play draws on Hwang’s own Chinese American experience, it addresses many identities. (The title reflects both the Asian cultural concept of “face” as the way one presents oneself to others, and the now-shocking American stage practice of white actors cavorting about in “blackface.”) Writers these days learn to be wary of exploiting other people’s backgrounds and possibly misrepresenting or capitalizing on someone else’s pain. I asked Hwang if he worries about crossing those boundaries. “I think crossing lines is important,” he answered. “I would like to cross more lines! ... Having said that, I think when we’re going to cross boundaries, we have to do our homework.” Also, he said, a writer exploring controversy can expect criticism. “Even when you write about your own culture, you have to be open to criticism,” he pointed out, adding that American artists and critics seem able to debate “aesthetics” but not “content,” and the issue of ethnic sources seems to be tied to that distinction. Perhaps, he reflected, that’s the result of a society that values free speech. In a country with censorship (such as China), he noted, “it’s all about content.” Hwang did take some sharp aesthetic criticism when his latest play ran in New York. “Yellow Face feels less like a fully-developed work than a scattershot,

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personal venting of painful emotions, still waiting to assume a polished form,” wrote New York Times critic Ben Brantley on Dec. 11, 2007. Race isn’t the only theme in Hwang’s writing; his plays are also about power, interpersonal as well as social. “There’s a lot of fluidity between who’s the servant and who’s the master,” Hwang observed, which is true on the stage as well as in life. “A lot of works are about the servant becoming the master.” And on the other hand, he said, “a lot of times the things we do to get power deprive us of power.” Where Yellow Face resembles memoir and feels postmodern, M. Butterfly drew on a venerable opera, Puccini’s Madama Butterfly (as perhaps did Miss Saigon, with its Asian woman falling in love with a white colonial agent, bearing a child with him, and killing herself after losing him). Hwang took a news story about an espionage case involving mistaken sexual identity, bathed it in the opera’s musical passion and borrowed from its plot structure, and came up with a winner. While it has a few funny lines, M. Butterfly shows its characters struggling for high ideals of truth, love and faithfulness, the material of operatic tragedy. Hwang said that in working on the play, “I really came to actually love the music.” And even though M. Butterfly can be taken as satirizing the opera, Hwang said it is important to continue producing and seeing canonical pieces like Madama Butterfly, as well as Shakespeare’s plays and other frankly racist, sexist material from the past. He noted that we should remember that many classic dramatic works were actually viewed as progressive in their time. Having drawn the assignment of updating Flower Drum Song for the civil-rightsconscious era, he said, “I really came to respect the work that Rogers and Hammerstein had done.” “We have to try to understand these works in their historical context,” Hwang

said. “It’s important to understand the ways in which they started or perpetuated cultural imperialism.” He said we should also enjoy them, as he does, trying to “experience them both ways.” Hwang said he writes his plays about difficult ideas that he wants to explore, and race in U.S. society is an important one. “Yellow Face taught me that we have to hold in our mind these contradictory concepts,” he said. We seek a postracial society, and at the same time, we still live with racism and have to go on fighting it. “It’s hard to do both,” he said. “The true task is to balance the two.” He said he did not bring up the topic of race with his two children until they raised the subject themselves. “Young children understand a post-racial world,” he said, and he does not think we should rob them of that innocence. Hwang said he sees Asian theater redefining itself to meet a increasingly open cultural definition of what it means to be Asian. “I like the fact that we’re going into this very wide-open period for what constitutes an Asian-American play,” he said. The term meant one thing in the 1960s, he said, but because of intermarriage and increasing diversity within the boundaries of the term “Asian,” subsequent generations have a challenge to redefine themselves. And it’s not just happening in Asian theater ---- mixing of ethnicities and genres is increasingly acceptable and even popular. Hwang gave the example of the musical In the Heights, which won a Tony this year with an exuberant mix of rap and Latin musical materials. “The more we can get to self-definition,” Hwang said, “I think that’s good. ... I like to think that we choose the categories we need.”

Second Place Arts & Culture Runway Africa

By Anna Otieno, Mshale Special Correspondent Mshale – The African Community Newspaper Published September 20, 2007 WASHINGTON -- Magenta, yellow, coral, gold, kente, stripes, peacock, mesh, cheetah, red, black and green. Rarely have I witnessed this myriad of colors and prints in the same place at the same time and liked it. But this time it was different. This time it was rich and beautiful. This time it was deep and vibrant. This time it was Africa. On Saturday September 15th I headed to the French Embassy in Washington DC to attend Runway Africa – an international fashion show with a humanitarian base. The official title of the event was Inspiration Africa, LLC partnered with The South African Embassy, presents RUNWAY AFRICA 2007, presented by Amarula Cream Liqueur, but I think I’ll stick with “Runway Africa.” It’s simple. I walked into the gratuitously lit embassy and was greeted by photographers, a mini red carpet, international fashionistas, diverse hues, and eclectic music. I sauntered around for a bit scanning people’s outfits and looking for the press room – the press conference was scheduled for 6pm and I had a load of questions to ask: what is Runway Africa? Who are the designers? Where are the proceeds going? What is Africhic? The press conference, however, was cancelled which gave me, my friend Simone, and photographer Andrea a good two hours before the runway show to search for answers on our own. This should be interesting… I first noticed a series of “I AM AFRICAN” posters along the wall – all part of Keep A Child Alive – the recipient of the evening’s proceeds. Iman, David Bowie, Seal, Heidi Klum, Sarah Jessica Parker and other celebrities adorned in

tribal paint and jewelry – all to make the symbolic point that Africa’s issues are our issues...it’s amazing what a celebrity nod will do for exposure and coverage. I admired the posters, yet wondered if this campaign would gain as much attention and support using a regular person like me for the artistic ads. The marriage of celebrity and humanitarianism simultaneously excite and concern me. Excite because it’s amazing when an individual uses his or her celebrity for the benefit of a critical cause such as AIDS in Africa; concern because using celebrity for a cause is all too often the cool thing to do – a fad. And we all know that AIDS in Africa is not a fad. I found myself getting a little off track with my thoughts so I peeled myself away from the posters and continued on… I strolled around more – people-watching, taking mental notes, and looking for a place to sit because my high heels had a one-hour standing limit. As soon as I found a seat and got comfortable, five models strutted out of a room and walked around the lounge area. They arranged themselves in a line and displayed their ensembles: a canary yellow halter dress, kente print leg warmers, a babydoll printed dress, gold jewelry, and more – all items from various designers submitted for the silent auction. I thought to myself, ‘If this is just a taste of what is yet to come, I can’t wait for the runway show!’ Eight o’clock rolled around, the seating process began, the room filled-up, and the anticipation for the show heightened… Demain, demain, demain Si il reste un lendemain Demain, demain, demain Je le veux en paix pour les miens Les Nubians, the French/Cameroonian Afropean Hip/Hop and R&B duo, was blasting on the speakers, setting the tone for the pan-African show that was soon to begin… A series of organizers, sponsors and sup-

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porters got up on stage to explain their roles in the program. With each speaker I understood the unique significance of Runway Africa and the notion of Africhic more and more: humanitarianism, responsibility, creativity, kindness. Elizabeth Santiso, the Vice President and Director of Communications of Keep A Child Alive, read statistics on AIDS in Africa like The World Health Report: Shocking, disheartening, yet truthful. She left the audience with one vital charge of empowerment: “We want you to help save your people in your way.” Yes. How important it is to heal from the inside out. Perhaps the most lasting words were voiced by Tyrone Marc Gunnie, the Second Secretary of Public Diplomacy at the Embassy of the Republic of South Africa. “[Runway Africa] allows a platform to present the wonderful tapestries we have on the continent…it presents us with an opportunity to carve-out opportunities for ourselves…,” he said. And that was the true essence of the evening – a display of Africa’s talents, skills, artistic abilities, and culture – which all have the potential to open-up doors for other considerable opportunities such as economic development, healthcare access, and community empowerment. Gunnie went on to discuss the importance of creating niche markets and not waiting on the government to do so. Was I at a fashion show or a rally? It was a little bit of both and it was the perfect pair. Clarissa Abban, a young and spirited Ghanaian-American and Creative Director & Producer of Runway Africa, clearly poured her heart into this project; for it is one that she had envisioned for years. “I just wanted to manifest the beauty of Africa…We have so much to offer…beyond AIDS and poverty. Take it all in. I’m sure you will all love it,” she passionately explained.

And love it folks did! Independent and agency models worked the runway in various African-inspired designs. The show commenced with designs by Sika. Strutting to Jay-Z’s “Show Me What You Got,” the models presented Sika’s Wonderland line: baby doll dresses, jeans and blazers – all with Afrocentric designs. Sika, created by Phyllis Taylor of London, used her rich Ghanaian roots for inspiration and labor - she has all of her clothes manufactured in Ghana by skilled seamstresses and tailors. Next up was South African lingerie and accessories line Ruby, designed by Robyn Lidsky. And as part of an initiative to create more jobs, Ruby employs 30 women from Cape Town (known as “The Ruby Beading Circle”) to handcraft the beaded jewelry. So where does one go for fun and funk? Harriet’s Alter Ego. Designers Ngozi Odita and Hekima Hapa brought their Brooklyn-based label to the runway with denim, tie-dyes, embroidery, and Kente prints - a taste of tradition with a foundation of flair. In the future, Harriet’s Alter Ego hopes to open a sewing cooperative or factory in Nigeria. Fashion with a cause…I was beginning to see a pattern. Khaki leisure suits, modern designs, and evening gowns…all with serious panache…or shall I say, Africhic? These pieces, which were part of Teddy Legbedion and Patrick Osaghae’s Blokes “N” Divas label, delivered style and edginess. But jaws dropped and hands clapped when Angela Asare, Ms.Universe Ghana, stepped out in a colorful peacock dress capturing the beautiful essence of Africa in just a few graceful strides. The evening ended with the African and Asian-inspired designs of Bezemymailan of Paris – perhaps a symbolic message of where we must go to truly progress collectively. With the “I am African” tribal designs on their faces, the models marched-out to Soul II Soul’s 1989 hit “Back to Life.” It was as though every single culture on the planet was represented in the eclectic

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designs. I could identify several different cultures in one outfit alone – perhaps another attribute of Africhic. At the end of the fashion show, I flipped through the program to read more about the designers, their influences, and their goals. A quote from Aba Kwawu of The Aba Agency piqued my attention: “Africhic is a term that’s used to describe African textile and design, but it’s more than that, it’s the style and grace with which Africans carry themselves.” And it all came together – Africhic is a way of life. Africhic is wearing bold colors and African prints with pride. Africhic is using creativity and style in your daily life to bring creativity and style to others. Africhic is heeding the responsibility of healing your African roots. Runway Africa is Africhic. Africa is not just a continent in need of international attention. It’s in need of appreciation. Culturally, creatively, economically and artistically it has so much to offer the rest of the world – and this is proven through the African influences we witness internationally in music, food, fashion, culture, and more. Take notice – pretty soon you may see the presence of Africhic all over the world. You will certainly see it at Runway Africa 2008.

__________ Third Place Arts & Culture Hmong Actors Making History Part I: The Bad Guys of Eastwood’s Gran Torino By Louisa Schein Hmong Today Published August 16, 2008 Legendary actor/director Clint Eastwood is making history in the Hmong community with his upcoming film Gran Torino. But this is not only Hmong news. By creating a mainstream Hollywood film

that features mostly Hmong leads and supporting actors (other than Eastwood’s character), he’s giving unprecedented visibility to Hmong Americans. Says veteran Hollywood actor Wa Yang, who worked with Eastwood through a small role in Letters from Iwo Jima, “It’s creating exposure in Hollywood, where no one knows who the Hmong are. Hopefully it will pique interest and one day the story of how we came to the US can be told.” The film is being shot in and around Detroit this month. From the publicity so far, it centers on a grumpy Korean war veteran (Eastwood), who is estranged from his family after his wife dies. He meets his new Hmong neighbors, especially teens Tao and Sue, and eventually gets involved in trying to shield them from the Hmong gang that wants to recruit Tao. Whether he succeeds is the best kept secret, but in the process his friendships with Hmong transform and soften him. How did this production get off the ground? After open casting calls were held in Fresno, Detroit and Minnesota, interested Hmong Americans waited with baited breath to see who would be cast. As days turned into weeks, fear spread that Hmong would be passed over for more experienced Asian actors. But then, in early July, people who least expected it started getting the calls. Elation spread with the news that ten key roles had gone to mostly first-time Hmong actors, and that Hmong extras, production assistants and others were also going to be on set. Eastwood seems to be putting a mountain of faith in Hmong talent, and it looks like he will be well rewarded for it. Working on Gran Torino is stretching the actors - many of whom have backgrounds in other art forms like music - to reach potentials they didn’t know they had. This article is the first of two to introduce the people behind the characters in the production that everyone is following. In this issue, get to know the five guys in the Hmong gang. In the September

1 issue, watch for leads Bee Vang (Tao) and Ahney (Formerly known as Whitney) Her (Sue) plus other cast members. The Boys of Gran Torino Who are the bad guys of Gran Torino? Five Hmong actors, chosen from several states and from five different clans, make up the gang that is menacing Tao. Most of them have little experience acting. Sonny Vue, born in Fresno and now from St. Paul, plays the ringleader, “Smokie.” At 19 years old and only 5’5” tall, he was a surprise pick for the gang’s toughest guy. Even he was surprised. He’d taken an acting class at Vessey Leadership Academy but never been in front of the camera before. He even confesses he has stage fright. Sonny was playing around with his cousin when they found the casting call on the internet. He boasted that he thought he could get Smokie. He describes driving by the HAP open auditions that weekend in May. It was Friday night and the guy was there. “I got a private audition.” They were looking for a Hmong American look. He was wearing a brown t-shirt that said ‘I’m hiding from the cops.’ Everyone was trying out for Tao, the good guy. Instead, he showcased his bad boy persona. “I think it’s the way I talk,” he explains in a familiar Hmong street voice. He sounds like he still can’t believe it. “Exhilarating” is how Lee Mong Vang, Gangster No. 3, describes the experience of Gran Torino. The 26-year-old was born in Dallas, moved to Toledo, then spent most of his childhood in rough neighborhoods on the east side of Detroit. “You grow up all your life thinking you’d never be able to do anything like this. Going on set, seeing Clint Eastwood…it’s really awesome.” Lee Mong ended up in the show because a friend who studied acting told him he was “personable and talented and should give it a try.” An outdoorsman, he remembers with amusement that he skipped the first open call. “I went fishing,” he chuckles. But the second audition reeled him in. He was cast without even a callback. He

knows this had to be a blessing from his deceased grandma who had just passed away before the audition. “I’m her oldest grandchild,” he muses, “She loves me.” Lee Mong had no acting experience but he had done some singing so he had no stage fright. As a self-described jokester, he hopes to introduce some humor onto the set. He says he’s the muscle of the gang since he’s 5’7” and a brawny, heavier guy. Before this experience, he’d been working in manufacturing and studying to do auto cab design. Now he wants to go back to his music and maybe even pursue acting. “Live your life like it’s your last,” he wants to tell the young people out there, “You can’t predict the future, so go for it.” Doua Moua, 21, hails from New York City, where he moved when he was 18 to pursue his acting career. A towering 5’11”, Doua plays Fong, aka Spider, Tao and Sue’s older cousin and an ambivalent member of Smokie’s gang. Born in Thailand, he grew up in Minnesota where he got into acting in middle school. He started college, but dropped out in order to refocus his heart and energy. He got a manager, and started auditioning around New York for both theater and film. His success rate speaks for itself: He’s been in numerous films and theater shows holding large and small parts. “My dream is happening,” says a thrilled Doua, “I have to appreciate every moment that I’m riding this ride.” He wants to be part of a new generation that will make strides in getting Hmong people and Hmong art known. But even as he wants to impact the mainstream, he remembers the sacrifices and hard work of his parents. He wants to give back to his community. No matter where else his career takes him in the future, he affirms, he’d love to have a chance to work with Hmong filmmakers making movies for Hmong audiences. Jerry Lee, 22, 5’9 ½” is a native of Chico, California who moved to St. Paul only in 2002. He’d done choir and acted in a play and a musical in high school and later in

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a 48-hour film festival short. When his girlfriend told him about the casting call, he’d already moved on. He had studied Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement and was going on to do Business Administration. But he decided to try out. He thought about Smokie, his off-the-chart pride. “I can portray myself as someone else,” he recalls. It happened: He got the part of Gangster No. 2. Jerry treasures all his time on set, “Eastwood’s a real humble guy, not what I expected,” he says with reverence. “I’m picking up things from other cast members. And what’s most important is building networks and friends….Kids, never stop chasing your dreams. And hold on to your contacts. Jerry’s personal passion is writing stories and screenplays. He’s written a comedy short to be posted on Youtube. Now he’s working on a feature-length screenplay about sexuality. It focuses on how Hmong culture adapts to the modern world by looking at lesbian and gay Hmong and how hard it is for them to come out. Elvis Thao, 26, plays Gangster No. 1. Born in Kansas, he moved to Modesto and then Milwaukee. “I’m very passionate about my city,” he says, “My heart is set on community issues.” The bald-headed, 5’6” powerhouse burns the candle at both ends. A member of the hip hop group RARE, he is co-owner of Shaolin Entertainment and a veteran of the Hmong music industry. Meanwhile, he takes philanthropy courses, lectures to youth at universities, and runs summer programs for kids. “I’m based on revolution,” says Elvis. He is critical of corporate control in the music industry and “not too fond of Hollywood.” “What I hate is stardom.” If you call his cell phone the voicemail recording taunts: “Yeah, yeah, yeah. So what? So I’m shootin a movie with Clint Eastwood. Woo woo. What’s all the fussin for?” Instead he is inspired by Michael Moore and Don Cheadle, and sees the potential for real life documentary to create change. He almost didn’t

audition for Gran Torino, but people in his network kept calling him. At 8PM on the Friday night before the Minnesota auditions his head was pounding. He got in the car and said “Let’s go or I’ll regret it forever.” And he has no regrets despite the gangster image he’s been hired to recreate. His vision is that audiences will see that they are actors playing characters, that they are examples of professional excellence, at being who they are while they create someone else. The income he makes will be used to promote awareness of the issues he cares most about – from police brutality in Milwaukee to human rights in Laos… “I’m going to be speaking out against gang violence after this,” he adds with determination. Remaking the Image? One of the things that makes this production so historic is that Hmong have been targets of others’ negative images for as long as they’ve been in the United States (or even much longer). Hmong gangbangers…Chai Soua Vang’s killings…Guerilla warriors in Asia…Uncooperative new immigrants in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down. These are the kind of images that Hmong have had to deal with as newcomers to the American scene. The presence of these actors will make audiences see that there is somebody behind the role…and that somebody is a person of substance. In Gran Torino, much of the dialogue is being created through improvising even though the original lines were written by white Minnesotan Nick Schenk (with Hmong input). Hmong actors describe ad-libbing their own lines on camera. They talk about drawing on their own grassroots experiences to make their characters authentic. They’re advocating for cultural accuracy, even when the Hollywood spectacle might be producing distortions. With so many talented Hmong working together, the ground is laid for the creation of three-dimensional people, a much more realistic portrayal of Hmong by Hmong for American audiences. Will it work? We’ll have to wait

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for the movie release… Louisa Schein teaches Anthropology and Women’s and Gender Studies at Rutgers University. She is writing a book about Hmong media. She can be reached at [email protected] Stay tuned for Part II where we meet the star teens, Bee Vang and Ahney Her, along with others. Note: This is one part of ongoing coverage. Three stories were entered in the contest; only one installment is printed here.

__________ First Place Global/Local Connections The other face of Bhutan: a report on the latest refugee arrivals in the U.S. By David Zander Asian Pages Published May 5, 2008 As news media heightens awareness in the Western world of human rights violations in China, Tibet, and Burma, one country’s record seems to have managed to stay hidden, the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan. Westerners have an image of Bhutan as an exotic ideal Shangri-La in the remote Himalayas, a country ruled by a monarchy trying to minimize and control influences from the outside world. Visiting Bhutan is an expensive outlay for tourists. The government imposes a high fee and controls the numbers allowed entry visas. In contrast to this picture, a less idyllic glimpse into life behind the scenes comes from the Bhutanese refugees arriving in the US. Ms. Mangala Sharma, herself a refugee from Bhutan, and a recent arrival in Minnesota, gave a talk to members of the Minnesota refugee consortium, April 10, 2008. She gave a first hand account

of the torture, rape and oppression of ethic minorities in Bhutan, life in the refugee camps and tips to help Voluntary Agencies assist Bhutanese families resettle. Persecution and torture of Ethnic Nepali in Bhutan The Nepali had been living in Bhutan peacefully for over two hundred years, six or seven generations, But conditions started to change in 1988, when the government census revealed the size of ethnic Nepali. They numbered about 35% of the 700,000 total population. Alarmed by the figures, the government forces have wanted to decrease Nepalese influence. The split in Bhutan is polarized between the dominant majority Bhutan in the north and the ethnic Nepali speaking minorities in the south. Over the last two decades, under a policy of ‘one nation under law’ the government enforced on the Nepali the same dress code, religions and same rituals. Following brutal government crackdowns on their demonstrations in 1990, the ethnic Nepali minorities in Bhutan have been fleeing across the border into Nepal. There are now over 100,000 refugees from Bhutan living in seven refugee camps in Eastern Nepal. Some have been there for seventeen years. Bhutanese Refugees Demographic Profile * Hindu (largest group) (60-70%) * Buddhists ( 20-25%) * Kirat (indigenous/animist) (5-8%) * Christians (2-3%) Average family size ranges from 6-8 members. 100% speak Nepali. 35% of the population speak some English. 25% have little or no education, although about 5-7% have University or College level higher education. Resettlement Following the instability in Nepal, one of the world’s largest resettlement operations started in March 2008. The U.S. had announced in 2006 a plan to resettle 60,000 refugees from Bhutan. Over 100

refugees have been resettled in Arizona, Georgia, Maryland, New York, Nebraska and Chicago. Anticipated arrival is much higher. Over 12,000 names have been submitted by UNHCR to the U.S. Forty people are expected to arrive in Minnesota in the next few months. About 200 more might come over the next year. Ms Sharma said, “This is a multi-year resettlement program.” As Minnesota does not accept any ‘free cases,’ all the families coming to Minnesota are friends and relatives of the Sharma family. Ms. Sharma described life in the camps in Nepal as very well managed and well structured. As students graduated from the camp schools, they went on to develop teaching skills through teaching the younger students in the camp schools. Ms. Sharma had been very active helping refugees organize their life in the refugee camps and now is an anchor for new arrivals. Cultural conflicts and challenges Ms. Sharma said that the elderly are the most vulnerable. “My greatest concern is that they feel isolated and experience depression.” There are people with physical challenges, and people with a history of mental health issues. There are a significant number of torture victims, and victims of gender based violence. Currently Ms. Sharma is organizing support for the families who are new arrivals. She said that the old caste system still has some impact for social life among the older Bhutanese, and may affect housing arrangements, but caste is a lesser issue for the younger generations. Many Bhutanese are vegetarians. Rice, dhal and vegetables are food staples. They don’t touch beef or pork and would not want jobs in meat packaging. There are strict taboos in the home around kitchens and foods. It will take them time to adjust to new cultural differences even in basics like eye contact, hand shakes and greetings. Refugee Skills and Talents In addition to teaching and interpreting skills, some of the refugees have skills that will help them transfer to employ-

ment here in the U.S. such as tailoring, weaving, sewing and shoe making. Ms. Sharma said they were excited to see the Hmong vendors and Asian produce in the farmers markets in St. Paul, Minnesota, and they welcome access to community garden plots so families can continue farming. Like the Karen and the Tibetan refugees, the Bhutanese families will settle close to each other, develop support groups so that they can help each other. Ms. Sharma is one of the first refugees from Bhutan to reach Minnesota. She is a dynamic spokesperson and an inspiring community leader. To assist in Bhutan resettlement please contact Ms. Magala Sharma at: Sharmamangala@ gmail.com. David Zander is an Anthropologist at the State Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans and can be reached at David.zander@ state.mn.us.

__________ Second Place Global/Local Connections Minnesota’s Lonely Elders By Issa A. Mansaray The African News Journal Published October 18th, 2007 An increasing number of elderly immigrants from Africa and other countries are bored and lonely, said a report Caring for Elderly Immigrants, from the Minnesota Medical Association. Aging may be defined using a functional or formal definition. A functional definition is based on biological deterioration and decreased ability to care for oneself the report said. Elderly immigrant patients may find minor technical tasks difficult and overwhelming. Societies that define aging in this term isolate or abandon elders who are unable to care for themselves. In formal definition, aging is base on external events not necessarily related to physi-

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cal aging that may include the birth of a grandchild or reaching a specific age such as 60 or 80 years, the report said. Elders are mostly isolated in their apartments. Probably alone in the country without any immediate family members, said Dr. Alvine Siaka, executive director of African Health Action Corporation, a local organisation that assists recent immigrants in various issues. Many of these elders lack knowledge of proper diet, especially those that are supposed to eat foods instructed by doctors. Some elderly immigrants are diabetic and need special food, but they are encouraged to eat whatever is available to them. Many need emotional support. The report also shows an increase in population in Minnesota from 1990 to 2000. Much of the increase is because of the growth in ethnic and minorities groups in the Upper Midwest. There are health problems also associated with this increasing immigrant population. Lack of communication, and information training skills for elders are some of the problems. In recent years, from 1900 to 2003, the African-American population increased from approximately 77,000 to 142,000, according to the report. The Latino and Hispanic population also increased from 53,000 to approximately 143,000. In the past 10 years, other ethnic groups, especially from Africa have experienced sharp increases in their population. From the 514,000 colored people living in Minnesota, 24,336 (about 4.7 percent) are aged 60 or older. There is also a Demographic change within the region, especially in Olmsted County, which is typical of Minnesota, the report said. In Rochester, for example, the report revealed that 88 percent of those who moved there during the 1990s were not white. And, about 75 percent of these new residents were not native English speakers. Of the 12,000 people of color residing in Olmsted, 524 (about 4.4 percent) are 60 years or older, the report said.

With such a rapid growth in minority and multicultural populations, Minnesota faces health care challenges to help immigrant elders. Immigrant communities, according Multicultural Healthcare Alliance lack health care access skills, Elderly immigrant patients often have serious medical needs that require special attention from physicians and health care institutions said the report. This requires a review of their needs and basic concepts in understanding and caring for these patients. In 1997, Multicultural Health Care collaborated with Mayo Clinic Rochester, and Olmsted County Public Health Services to address the needs of immigrants. The main goals of the alliance are to help elder immigrants access health care services, and promote cultural competence in local and public health institutions. In June 2000, the alliance initiated a Pathfinder Program to improve health care access for the Somali, Latino, and Cambodian communities of Olmsted County. The program trained bilingual and bicultural workers to help their communities acquire knowledge, and independent skills needed to access health care services. Many in these communities speak little or no English. One of the main issues confronting elderly immigrants is communication. Most elderly immigrants face a language barrier, said Dr. Joyce Onyakaba, head of the Minneapolis based Crown Medical Clinic. Lack of knowledge keeps them away from getting the resources that are available to them. The majority of these elders stick together and that limits information. They are old and the only people they can communicate with properly are their families or members of their communities. Because of language limitations, to fit into the system is big problem to them, said Dr. Onyakaba. Note: This is part one of a two-part series. Both stories were entered in the contest; only the first installment is printed here.

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Third Place Global/Local Connections Korean studies from the ground up: Minnesota program makes beginners its top priority By Martha Vickery Korean Quarterly Published Spring 2008 Second generation Korean Americans and Korean adoptees can be good college classmates in all but one kind of course ---- learning the Korean language. That was the conclusion of Korean language professor Hang-tae Cho more than ten years ago when he took over the leadership of the Korean language program at the University of Minnesota. In analyzing the demographics of the classes, Cho made a couple of decisive steps that changed the direction of Korean language learning at the University, improving it so that today the program is nationally known in one specific area ---- teaching the Korean language to true beginners. The Korean language is a “window into everything Korean,” Cho said, and through that window, glimpses of Korean culture, history and language can be seen. In becoming a department that can offer a Korean Studies degree, the University of Minnesota is striving to offer students Korea-related courses and ways to travel to or live in Korea. The Asian Languages and Literature Department has enriched its offerings by inviting Korean Studies scholars from all over the U.S. and from Korea to visit, lecture, and participate in projects to create interest in Korea as a global subject. In rounding out its offerings, Cho’s department has also put energy into offering topics that are both Korean and Minnesotan, including a history of Korean adoption course offered in 2006 and 2007, the first of its kind in the country.

Although many universities in this country offer Japanese Studies or Chinese Studies, relatively few offer a real Korean Studies departments, where students can get a major or a graduate degree in the topic, according to Cho. The University of Washington is the oldest such program, followed by Harvard University. The University of California (UCLA) and University of Hawaii are also well known. Other universities have Korean language programs in related departments ---Asian Languages or Global Studies, for example ---- but not enough Korea-related culture, history or literature classes to allow for students to obtain a Korean Studies major. The University of Minnesota’s Korean Studies program is somewhere in the middle of this continuum, and has been gaining proficiency and numbers since 1997, when Cho took over a small non-academic class offered as continuing education. The Korean language program joined the Department of Asian Languages and Literature in fall of 2000, and can now offer enough courses in Korean literature and culture classes to allow students to earn a Korean Studies minor. Offering a Korean Studies undergraduate major is still in the future. But it is coming. Before Cho took over at the University of Minnesota, the language course had been taught sporadically since 1993 in the after-hours program University of Minnesota Extension. There were around 10 students per quarter at that time. Cho, who earned his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in linguistics last year, had taught English as a second language in Korea, and linguistics on the university level in the U.S. He had never taught Korean, but he had some ideas of his own about language learning. His main worry at that time was not about teaching, but about marketing ---- who would be interested in learning Korean, and how could his program find those students? The program had “many challenges,” in

1997, Cho said. He soon decided that some hard decisions had to be made which would either kill the program, or save it. One problem was its very low visibility in the University. Another challenge was the dual nature of the language students in the program. “Half of students were Korean adoptee students, and half were second generation students who can speak quite well but cannot read and write correctly,” he related. “So, we were in a dilemma. Obviously, it’s almost impossible to teach to those two groups in one class. But the University requires us to have at least 15 students to offer the class. So, I thought, if I give up one part of the student body, the class will be cancelled.” He found, upon further scrutiny, that the class, as offered, was the wrong level for both groups of students, which explained why the course enrollment had not grown. “A lot of Korean-speaking students thought the language class was just a grade booster, while the adopted Korean students and white American students got very frustrated” because the course went too quickly for them, he said. The level of the course was somewhere between the so-called “heritage” students and (the students who know some Korean through their ethnic heritage) and the true beginner students ---the non-Koreans and Korean adoptees. After the 1998 academic year, he said, he decided to “give up” the so-called heritage students, at least at the beginning level. He simply told the students they would not be allowed to register for the course. This decision bucked the national trend of Korean studies programs, most of which were (and are) designed for the “heritage” students. However, Cho perceived that a program to introduce students to Korean language and culture would be right for Minnesota, because of the higher percentage of motivated beginner students, about 30 percent of whom were Korean adoptees. In exchange for losing the heritage students, he hoped he would gain a class

where the students were more similar to one another in their language level. He talked up the program, encouraging Korean adoptees, Caucasian Americans, Hmong Americans, other Asian Americans and African Americans to enroll. Then, he waited for the enrollment numbers to be announced. Luckily, enough students enrolled that he did not have to cancel the class. A new kind of program, designed for students who never saw a Korean letter before, was underway. Cho uses a three-word slogan in describing his language program “Scientific, Easy, and Fun.” Is it all those things? “Of course, Korean is very scientific. It may not be so easy for students at the intermediate levels, though,” he admitted. The Cho program grew, and it joined the Department of Asian Languages in Literature in 2000. In that department, there were programs in Japanese, Chinese, Hindi, and since 2004, Hmong. The Korean program is the third largest. Joining the department allowed Cho to add courses in Korean literature and culture, which made it possible for students to obtain a Korean Studies minor. In fall 2007, he said, there were 159 students enrolled, and this spring, there are 113, with 29 in the culture course. This does not include the intensive summer course in Korean language at the beginning and intermediate levels. The University of Minnesota is the largest “non-heritage program” in the nation now, and, Cho believes it is the second or third largest Korean language program overall. Ross King, professor of Korean Studies at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and dean of the Korean language program at the Minnesotabased Concordia Language Village, said Cho has “pulled off something close to a miracle” at the University of Minnesota. “His program demonstrates that Korean language programs can get along without heritage learners just fine,” which is a

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step in the right direction in marketing Korean language as a “global language.” A well-equipped Korean Studies program should be able to attract the same students who would also be interested in Chinese Studies, Japanese Studies, or studies in any other important language, King said.

ties have started seeing that they cannot survive just by serving Korean heritage students in college. They have to outreach to the mainstream,” he observed. “In some ways, our program contributes to Korean studies and Korean language education in U.S. by setting a kind of role model for the non-heritage speakers.”

King, who has been applying the same marketing principle to the Concordia Language Village’s Korean program, geared toward middle school and high school students, said foreign language programs in general, and Korean in particular, tend to be under-emphasized and under-funded in both the U.S. and Canada. “Koreans love to brag that Korean is taught in 140 institutions in North America, but that number is meaningless,” because the language is not taught for the number of years necessary to allow students to build their language proficiency to a third or fourth year level, he said.

Because in 1997, most Korean language classes were taught to students who already had some background in the language, Cho found that the textbooks were also inappropriate. They did not begin at the beginning of how English speakers learn Korean. There have been improvements in revisions of various textbooks over the last 10 years, however, and Cho is now co-authoring a new revision of eight textbooks and their corresponding eight workbooks “to make the material more accessible to non-heritage speakers,” he said. This textbook is used by about 70 percent of college-level Korean language programs nationwide, he said.

The fact that Cho has built the language program “from the bottom up” means he is doing it “the right way,” King said, by building language proficiency first, starting with the beginning learners, and adding culture and literature courses later on, after the language program was established. Slowly, Korean Studies is building legitimacy as a university field in North America, King said, but it has been a long struggle. “Always, we have been in the shadow of programs in Chinese and Japanese. Always, we had to fight to be taken seriously. But fortunately, that’s changing. In the last few years, universities have discovered that they cannot be regarded as a top-flight Asian Studies department without Korean Studies. Although Cho was making a risky decision in 1998 by eliminating the heritage students, in retrospect, he can see that he was on the leading edge of a trend. At that time, about 80 percent of the Korean language students at the college level were heritage students, but that percentage is now falling off. “A lot of universi-

Although language learning is the most basic part of Korean Studies education, the depth and breadth of Korean-related topics offered is also important in offering a top quality program ---- that is the next challenge at the University of Minnesota. Over the last five years, the program has been able to offer one or two Korean literature or culture courses every semester, Cho said. These course have been offered through temporary arrangements with graduate students majoring in areas like speech communication and comparative literature, and by visiting professors in foreign policy from Korea. During fall 2007 and spring 2008, post-doctoral student Ji Yeon Lee has been teaching a course on women in literature and film. Before that, Ph.D. candidate Kim Park Nelson taught a course on the history of Korean adoption, the first such course in history. Lee said there has been a lot of interest in her course Making Women in Korean Literature and Film: Representations of

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Women, Men, and Gender Issues. She attributes the interest, in part to the general interest in Korean popular culture, particularly films and TV dramas. The course includes readings of depictions of women and men and their roles in Korean society, both ancient and modern. The readings include fiction, memoirs, myths and some related films on parallel themes to the readings of the week. Her students have been demographically diverse as a result of the wide popularity of Korean media in U.S. culture. I never had this many male students and this many Caucasian students,” said Lee, who has a Harvard Ph.D. and has taught at Dartmouth College and the University of British Columbia at Vancouver. “I have a lot of Asian American students, especially Hmong students, who watch a lot of Korean dramas.” For an instructor, there is a dark side to having so many students who have watched purported representations of Korean society on TV. Dramas are more or less cartoons of Korean life, and students are often loathe to accept the more complex or conflicting representations found in literature and films, Lee observed. “Students will often say “I know this because I saw it in a drama. But it’s not always correct. Yet, they already have their understanding of what Korea is about or what Korean women are about, and it’s difficult to correct those assumptions. Because they are reconfirming their beliefs in drama after drama! When I show something else, and try to shake it up a little bit, it’s sometimes hard.” Lee said she’s even been accused of being out of touch. “Sometimes, they argue that I came to the U.S. 10 years ago, so I don’t know!” Kim Park Nelson, who taught the first-ever course on the history of Korean adoption in 2006 and 2007, is earning her Ph.D. in American Studies at the University of Minnesota. Her thesis is entitled Korean Looks, American Eyes: Korean American Adoptees, Culture, Race, and Nation. Part of the Ph.D. research makes use of 73 oral

histories of Korean adoptees about their own life experiences. She is finishing up her Ph.D. now, and will probably leave Minnesota after she completes her degree this spring. Nelson said the two years she taught the course was a significant time in her life and a unique opportunity to teach a topic she has been researching. “It was an opportunity for teaching that I will probably never have again, and I am so grateful to have been able to do it,” she said. Nelson said the tradition of Korean Studies, part of the so-called “area studies” discipline, started with predominantly white, male academics who first learned about Korea culture, history and language through their time in the Peace Corps. In contrast, Asian American Studies was inspired by ideas of the civil rights movement, like African American or Native American Studies. These ethnic studies disciplines were designed as a grassroots approach to teaching a people about their own history. In Korean Studies, in contrast, students have traditionally learned about Korean culture as outsiders looking in, she explained. Her course, she said, was taken from the Asian American studies model, and was designed to suit the needs of adopted Koreans, many of whom had never heard their own history before. “I designed the class to tell adoptees about the 50plus year history of Korean adoptees. I wanted to give them an idea of what was written about them, and for them to read what people in their own group have had to say about their own experiences.” There were some challenges, including the difficulty in marketing this course or any new course among the huge array of new courses offered every year. How to find the Korean adoptee students and market the course to them was a marketing puzzle they never quite solved. They posted flyers about the course, but the publicity proved to be inadequate. There was also a lot of literature and film to choose from written by adopted Ko-

reans, however, some of the older books are out of print, since they are not used in college courses as a rule. She had to eliminate some readings because of lack of availability of the books. Overall, she said, the class was an academic success as well as a personal accomplishment. Although the class was not offered this spring, Cho is strategizing about how to make it a permanent offering. Last year, in addition to a three-yearlong Korean language program, and one graduate-level seminar course in SinoKorean (Chinese writing which is used in more advanced Korean written language), the program offered one Korean culture course. Starting with the 2008 academic year, a seventh and eighth semester of Korean will be offered. The full four years of language is key to students’ readiness to study literature in the original language, Cho said. The staff of five, from a variety of backgrounds, adds to the strength of the program, he said. With the higher-level courses added, the program can also accommodate students who study abroad in Korea, and rejoin the program for their third or fourth year of undergraduate coursework, he said. It will also allow some of the “heritage” students and other higher-level students back into the language program. Students can also take Korean Studies courses at the University of Minnesota while attending Macalester College, University of St. Thomas, Augsburg College and other universities. The changing demographics of the Korean Studies students are both a challenge and an opportunity. The Korean language program grew, in part, because of the interest of Korean adoptees. “In the past, about 30 percent of students were Korean adoptee students. In recent years that number is drastically dropping. …Now, Korean adoptee student population is 10 percent of student body in the program,” Cho said. It has to do with the phase-out of the number of Korean adoptees, he said, which started in 1988.

However, the number of students overall in the program has not decreased, a fact which indicates more students from a variety of backgrounds are interested in Korean studies. “We have more Vietnamese American, Chinese American, Hmong American and African American students too,” he said. To make the Korean Studies program interesting to future Korean Studies majors, the program must make a leap to the next level, Cho said. “We cannot grow just as we did for last 10 years. It’s not about who will get more students. Now it’s an issue of quality. In the past, I have focused on quantity, just to survive and build a solid foundation. To build quality, to make the program solid and valuable, we need more Korean culture and literature.” The key to offering the coursework for a good Korean Studies major is the addition of at least one new faculty member with broad knowledge of Korean literature, history and culture. The Asian Languages and Literature Department is obtaining the funding for the position from the Korea Foundation, Cho said. It should be a win-win fit for the person, he remarked. The candidate should need the opportunities offered by the growing program, and the department should be able to benefit from their background in adding courses and collaborating with other Asian Language and Literature faculty. The list of candidates for this position is a short one, Cho said, because there are few native Korean scholars in this field able to lecture in English, and few “home-grown” Korean Studies scholars able to read literature and history in its original Korean language form. In increasing the breadth of the program, additional cultural programs have been added in recent years. The Asian Languages and Literature Department, as a member of the Consortium for the Study of the Asias, offers opportunities for Korean Studies scholars to visit the University of Minnesota’s campus, for

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students to go to Korea on a Korean Studies summer trip funded by Department of Education, and for a semester abroad program in Seoul. At the moment, Cho said, there is plenty of money to fund foreign studies because the Departments of Defense and Education are both offering funding for studies having to do with so-called “critical languages,” which include Korean, Farsi, and Arabic. Opportunities to travel are important, Cho believes. Over the 10 years of the program, he has seen the study abroad program change students’ lives for the better. For every student, the study abroad program offers an opportunity to experience a culture that is very different from Minnesota. Students often decide on an area of academic interest because of something they experienced during their time in a new culture. Some have gotten jobs in Korea and some have even settled down there, he said. “They can better understand themselves after studying in Korea, and have better and clearer picture of their own future.” Many Korean universities offer students opportunities to take courses in East Asian economic topics, cultures or literature taught in English. The course offerings are varied, and students can transfer that credit to the University of Minnesota. In general, Korean Studies is a young field of study. The oldest programs date only from the ‘70s, and many of the U.S. scholars in the field are Japan Studies scholars who come to Korean Studies through studying Japanese texts about colonial era Korea. Others read only translated English texts, and many of those are written by scholars who have a Japan-centric outlook, Cho remarked. Few U.S. scholars of Korean history or literature are able to read texts in the original language. “That’s why we need to invest in Korean language education in the U.S. and that’s why should serve the true beginners of Korean language so that they can read and have access to real

Korean documents. Not just Englishwritten things. It’s a serious problem.” Beyond raising up Korean-literate scholars for the future of the field, Cho looks more broadly how to prepare students for a more global society. While, in the recent past, a global outlook was not needed to get a high-end job, “Now, even at the manager level at someplace like 3M, that person has to be ready to work abroad, and has to be ready to manage foreign workers,” Cho asserted. The participation of many Carlson School of Management students in the Korean Studies program attests to the awareness of the business community of preparing for a global society. Being in the position of preparing students to meet the society’s future needs is challenging, and even risky. But, Cho thinks, it is the responsibility of universities to anticipate these needs. “I am a country boy. I grew up in a very rural area. My parents were not educated. My mom was basically illiterate. My father could not really advise me about the future. I was sometimes complaining about that. But, I am starting to recognize that it’s impossible for parents to advise their kids. Students need to choose what path to take.” This kind of advice needs to come from students’ professors and advisors in their field of study, he said the university should guide students to the topics they will need and help them get exposed to strategic experiences and influences. Cho is in the position of not just teaching language and not just planning a program for the future, but in encouraging, guiding, and sometimes gently pushing his Korean Studies students toward a future that will be tougher and even more competitive and interconnected than it is today. Cho works on the principle that learning the Korean language will be at least a horizon-broadening experience, and at best, a life-changing choice.

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Honorable Mention Global/Local Connections Volunteering Matters By Lisa Steinmann Park Bugle Published September 2007 “Beautiful” is the word Dr. Fritz Morlock uses most often to describe the abandoned children of Cochabamba, Bolivia. He encountered them last March when he and his wife, Lynda, traveled to Bolivia as members of an annual humanitarian and educational expedition that provides dental care in clinics serving homeless and orphaned children in Cochabamba. During a two-week period, they worked in clinics that are part of Amanecer, a program run by the Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul that offers shelter, education, and medical and dental services. Foreign volunteers like the Morlocks work alongside Bolivian doctors, dentists and nurses. Fritz Morlock learned about the program through the work of Dr. David Crane, of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin. Crane runs a seminar program, Dental Seminars & Symposia, that includes international continuing education and humanitarian endeavors for dental professionals. The program works with the International Smile Power Foundation and supports its mission to restore and sustain dental health around the world. When he retired a year and a half ago, after over 20 years as chief of dental services at HealthPartners’ St. Paul clinic, Morlock found himself with some dental supplies he no longer needed. Crane’s international program came to mind. When Morlock contacted Crane and mentioned the donation he wanted to make, Crane said he wasn’t interested in simply taking the supplies. He said to Morlock, “You need to come down [to Bolivia] and be a part of the program.”

“It took us a little time to decide,” says Morlock. Neither he nor his wife speak Spanish. Although retired, they are active in the community and stay busy helping care for parents and grandchildren. Ultimately, they decided they “could and should” travel to Bolivia. Morlock describes the Amanecer facilities as “orphanages” but explains that since most of these children have parents, they will never qualify for adoption. Because of poverty and related problems — alcoholism and domestic abuse — children are often abandoned or run away from home. Some fall into drug abuse, delinquency or prostitution. Children as young as two, three and four years old are found wandering in bus stations and at public markets. Staff or the police bring the children to Amanecer, where they are placed according to their ages and needs. Morlock spent time filling cavities and performing root canals for teenage boys who came for one of Amanecer’s day programs. The boys are provided with meals and a place to clean up and do homework. If they stay off drugs, they can move into a residential facility and study vocational skills. Some of the boys Morlock treated would arrive “high” for their dental exam. Morlock says that “huffing glue” is a big problem. He saw kids sitting on the streets of Cochabamba with their T-shirts pulled over their faces as they breathed in glue vapors.

They also brought quilts created by Wisconsin students who learned about the children of Cochabamba through an educational program designed by a U.S. artist who volunteers with the Bolivia program. Students draw pictures on scraps of fabric that are sewn together into quilts to send to the Amanecer homes. The Morlocks were honored to bring the 2,000th quilt with them to Cochabamba. “The children were beautiful, friendly, easy to work with,” says Morlock. “They loved attention. They climbed all over us.” So much for retirement. The Morlocks are planning another trip to Bolivia. It’s the kind of volunteering that Fritz Morlock says is a case where “we gained more than we gave.”

__________ First Place Community Service Security officers strike for a living wage — and respect: Seventy percent have no health insurance By Lauretta Dawolo Towns Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Published February 28, 2008

Lynda Morlock worked at a residence for girls and women with children who are extremely poor and striving to make a better life for themselves. Her skills as a St. Anthony Park block nurse came in handy as she helped in this program that offers assistance with health, education and employment.

Twin Cities security officers called a one-day strike for Monday, February 25, against the three largest security contractors in the area — Securitas, American, and ABM. According to officials of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), the strike was called after these companies and others walked out of negotiations last Saturday night without addressing affordable health insurance for security officers and their families.

The Morlocks brought along tubs of supplies donated by Marcus Dental Supply and HealthPartners.

Multiple rallies of hundreds of striking workers and community allies were also held Monday in order to highlight the

need for affordable health care for all Minnesotans and the lack of action by security contractors on this key issue, according to the union. “No one ever wants to have to go on strike, but we have been given no other choice,” said Donna Alexander, a security officer for Securitas in Minneapolis and a member of the union bargaining committee, in an SEIU press release. “We have to stand up now for what’s right for us and right for our community — affordable health care for our families and for all Minnesotans.” Javier Morillo-Alicea, president of SEIU Local 26, and several dozen security officers gathered at the Minneapolis City Hall rotunda last week with this central message to security contractors: “Let’s get the job done, or we will strike.” That “job” is a new contract that should include livable wages, affordable healthcare, and respect. On February 9, members of SEIU Local 26 voted to authorize the bargaining committee to call a strike at any time due to unfair labor practices. SEIU has maintained that they’ve been willing and ready to negotiate since December 1, 2007, but the contractors have been “dragging their feet” and have even cancelled one bargaining date. Up until now, the SEIU security officers’ bargaining committee has come to the negotiating table seven times. On February 23 they returned to the table and again failed to reach an agreement. With political allies such as Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak, Congressman Keith Ellison, Rep. Willie Dominguez, Rep. Joe Mullery, and even Frannie Franken, wife of U.S. Senate candidate Al Franken, security officers have been rallying support and haven’t stopped yet. Minneapolis and St. Paul council members gathered together in the Minneapolis City Hall rotunda on February 21 to support the workers’ efforts. Council Member Lee Helgen announced that St. Paul passed a resolution entitled “Support for Twin

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Cities Security Officers.” Twin-Cities security officers have been working without a contract since January 1, 2008. After the union administered a survey to identify priorities for the next contract, they discovered that only a small percentage of its security officers were able to afford health care. Security officers are not only fighting to protect people every day on the job; they are also fighting for their livelihoods. At an average hourly wage of $11.76, 10 percent have filed for bankruptcy, and only two percent have family healthcare coverage. Seventy percent of security officers have no health insurance coverage or medical assistance for the families from any source. Henry Loewe, a security officer for 20 years, works for ABM Security in Minneapolis’ parking ramps. Loewe explained that he is part of the two percent of security officers who pay for the provided health plan — the coverage is too expensive for most officers to afford. Loewe said he does so only because has no choice: His wife, whose story he freely shared, has a breathing disorder that has kept her in and out of hospitals and nursing homes over the past year. Renita Whicker, who also works for ABM security in LaSalle Plaza, says she’s been in security since 9/11. “I started out in airport private security because I felt as a citizen I should do what I could to help with public safety,” she said. Whicker, who sits on the bargaining committee, talked about the extent of their request and its importance. Besides affordable health care, security officers are asking for better training, living wages, a three-to-five-year contract, an annual pay increase to keep up with inflation, and night differential pay for second- and third-shift workers who, in many cases, are exposed to more dangerous situations. Another request workers have is for dignity and respect. Many workers like

Loewe feel that by virtue of waiting nearly two months for a new contract, they are not valued and even become “insurance buffers” for large companies. “They knew since October to have the paperwork [ready] for a new proposal. We’re not being taken seriously and respected at all,” said Whicker. Other officers have expressed feelings of being intentionally silenced from speaking about public safety issues on the job. According to SEIU, the turnover rate of private security officers in the Twin Cities is over 100 percent. The reason is partially due to low wages and benefits for a job with fairly high risks. Twin-Cities security officers have been bargaining with security contractors ABM, Securitas, Allied-Barton, American, Viking and Whelan for months. If unfair labor practices continue, the workers are prepared and authorized to strike, continuing their unified protest: “Stand for…security.” Lauretta Dawolo Towns is the news director at KFAI-Fresh Air, Inc. She welcomes reader responses to [email protected]. Note: This is one part of ongoing coverage. Three stories were entered in the contest; only one installment is printed here.

__________ Second Place Community Service Catholic Charities opens new facility By Natalie Zett The Park Bugle Published December 2007 The four-story rectangular building — with a hint of Bauhaus — at 902 Hersey St. stands out in an otherwise industrial zone north of University Avenue and east of Raymond in south St. Anthony Park.

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Inside, the sparking floors, vibrantly colored hallways and spacious rooms bring dorm life to mind, belying the fact that this dual-purpose facility, operated by Catholic Charities, houses chronic substance abusers and the homeless. The building is new but Catholic Charities has a long history in this area. They operated a nearby facility at 2300 Wycliff St. for 20 years. According to Bill Hockenberger, program supervisor, that building was overcrowded and inadequate. City, county and state officials worked with Catholic Charities to create a new facility, one that’s more home than institution. The result is the St. Paul Residence and St. Anthony Residence, which were completed in September. According to Tracy Berglund, director of housing at Catholic Charities, the new facility is one building that serves two different populations. The 60-unit St. Anthony Residence is for late-stage alcoholic men. The St. Paul Residence, also 60 units, serves homeless men. Half of these units come with a lease. One need look no further than Bill Hockenberger for an example of how Catholic Charities can change a life. “I’m a chronic alcoholic myself who has been in recovery since 1995,” he said. For Hockenberger, the residents at the facility aren’t simply clients. “I pretty much drank with these guys,” he said, “and I’ve been around the corner with them. I even went to school with some of them.” Hockenberger said he went through six attempts at treatment before one finally “took.” He started working at Catholic Charities in 1995 as a janitor and eventually moved up to his present position. “Working here helps keep me sober,” he said. Hockenberger said that “harm reduction,” the treatment model used at St. Anthony Residence, differs from the

total abstinence approach of Alcoholics Anonymous. “These are late-stage alcoholics,” he said, “and our goal is not to stop them from drinking. We’re working with them on reducing the harm by moving them away from drinking rubbing alcohol to drinking vodka, for instance. Then we might get them to cut down on the vodka.” Berglund added, “We do this because it’s humane. Many of the men who are unable to stop drinking end up going through treatment and failing over and over.” Berglund said that St. Anthony Residence is less expensive than most of the alternatives. “If they weren’t here, they’d be using detox, and that’s $218 a night,” she said. “Or they end up in ER at $500 a night. If they land in jail, that’s $80 a night, and if they need an ambulance ride, that’s $800.” In contrast, it costs $46 a night to house someone at St. Anthony Residence, which is funded by Ramsey County. Residents get three meals a day and case management services. “We meet them where they are,” said Berglund. “We’re not trying to change anybody. We have people who sober up and move on to an independent living situation. That’s not typical and we don’t expect it, but it is possible. This is a costeffective and humane way to address a problem that has been with us throughout our history.” Berglund said that Catholic Charities’ harm reduction model has been implemented by other groups, including the city of Duluth, which has a similar facility called San Marcos. Hockenberger said that most St. Anthony residents come to realize that “this is the end of the line for them. If the county has a client coming in every seven days to detox, instead of spending thousands of dollars on detox, we offer a setting where

they can do maintenance drinking. As long as they follow house rules, we have a nice safe place for them.”

give a tour of his room, which includes a bed, wardrobe, refrigerator and nightstand.

Berglund said the staff helps residents get to medical appointments and makes sure they get the benefits they’re eligible for.

“It’s pretty nice being here,” he said, “kind of like being in a penthouse. Until now, I’d been pretty much going back and forth between Dorothy Day and Union Gospel.”

“They receive preventive medical care, so they’re staying in good health and are not taxing the system,” she said. “Giving them safe, secure housing is the biggest thing because then they’re off the streets and less likely to come to harm.” Berglund said the Catholic Charities philosophy includes the idea of empowerment. “We don’t do something for someone if he can do it himself,” she said. She added that case managers meet with clients to set measurable goals. The case managers also meet as a team to review clients’ files. Rooms are checked twice a day. “No one disappears here or slips through the cracks,” she said. Berglund started with Catholic Charities in 1999, running a shelter in Minneapolis for 100 men. She laments the lack of affordable housing in the Twin Cities. “I feel a passion for trying to build a solution to homelessness, and that solution is permanent housing,” she said. “We also need services and supportive housing for those with mental health and chemical health problems, low income and bad credit history. We need to provide options besides a mat on the floor.” She said the St. Paul Residence, which is for homeless men, has received 85 applications, 51 of which are from the Dorothy Day Center, a Catholic Charities facility in downtown St. Paul providing temporary shelter, food and services for the homeless.

Jim said he started using drugs at age 13 but now has four years of sobriety. “I’m going to be seeking some employment and eventually some permanent housing,” he said. “I’m going to get back on my feet and get going again.” Though the building was designed to be functional, said Hockenberger, attention was paid to appearance as well. Hallways are red, yellow and blue, and there are plenty of windows. Other amenities include a lounge and computer room, as well as a hospice for those making the final journey. Catholic Charities is a 501c3 organization that’s open to those of all faiths — or no faith. “We have an ecumenical spiritual care department for those who want it,” said Berglund. “Sometimes, if there’s no family available, we’ll do memorial services and provide plots for people. We want to serve the whole person: mental, physical and spiritual.” Both Hockenberger and Berglund encouraged neighborhood residents to visit the new facility. “We’ve been very involved with the St. Anthony Park community for 20 years,” said Berglund. “Overall folks are pretty accepting, and we also want to be part of the neighborhood.” The St. Anthony and St. Paul Residences are located at 902 Hersey St. More information is available at 646-0934 or www. ccspm.org.

Jim, one of the first men to move into the St. Paul Residence, came from the Union Gospel Mission. He was happy to The First Minnesota Ethnic and Community Media Awards  27

Third Place Community Service Teens take a stand against human trafficking: End Slavery Now will advocate for invisible victims of a rising crime in Minnesota By Martha Vickery Korean Quarterly Published Summer 2008 Two Woodbury High School students have taken on a project to organize both an educational conference for teens about human trafficking and a benefit concert for Twin Cities area organizations that help victims of the crime. The project, dubbed End Slavery Now, is the creation of sisters Joan Park (15) and Grace Park (17), and now includes a planning group of about 24 teen girls who will hold an educational conference July 25 and 26, with an expected attendance of 50 to 60. The participants in the conference will also be invited to participate in a fundraiser concert to benefit the organizations that work with victims. Human trafficking is real in Minnesota, according to Yae Joon Kwon, an advocate for the anti-human trafficking program administered by the Korean Service Center in Minneapolis. Kwon has been raising awareness among youth, in community groups and in law enforcement in educating about this emerging crime since she took the job in January. Minnesota has been named as one of the 13 states in which human trafficking incidents are the highest. The existence of an international border and a large rural area, contribute to human trafficking here, according to information on the website of Civil Society, a local legal advocacy group that works directly with human trafficking victims. The highest-profile law enforcement action on human trafficking in the recent

past took place in December 2007, Kwon said “where there were 100 women, all of Chinese and Korean descent, all in the uptown and the St. Louis Park area. The women slept in massage parlors and were not allowed to leave. Their visas and passports taken away. They were under video surveillance. They did not speak English ---- their clients were upper-middle-class men between age 35 and 55.” Internationally-trafficked victims are often kept under control through “debt bondage,” Kwon said, where the captors tell the victims they have to work off their debts of flight tickets, visa fees, or other costs incurred by the trafficker to bring them to the U.S. The captors may tell the victims their family will be told and/or that children or other family members will be hurt if the victims do not cooperate. “They feel like they have no other options,” she said. “Oftentimes, they are physically abused or raped. They are in an environment where they are under threat.” This past December’s bust was “good” she said, in terms of law enforcement reaction to the situation. “The police treated the women not as prostitutes, but as potential victims. Often, when police see a woman who seems to be a prostitute, the woman is treated as a law breaker. Now that [police] are becoming more educated, they are taking the necessary steps to treat the women as victims, and get them the help they need.” Trafficking also shows up locally in ways that are more difficult to identify and respond to, such as through so-called “international marriage brokers,” Kwon said, where individual women, some from Korea, are purchased as wives through internet commerce sites. They end up in rural areas of Minnesota where they are kept away from other people, not permitted to travel, to learn English, and especially are not allowed to have any connection to their ethnic community in the U.S. They are basically prisoners at home, she explained. The lines become “fuzzy” she said, between trafficking and

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domestic abuse. These cases are referred to Civil Society; the Service Center provides support when asked. Civil Society’s website also notes that there are an estimated 20,000 trafficked persons brought into the U.S. annually. In addition to being used in the sex industry or in “servile marriage,” the website notes, trafficking victims are often involved in industries where they are “invisible,” including domestic servitude, sweatshops, restaurant and hotel businesses, farm work, construction, and begging and peddling. Grace and Joan said they were compelled to do something to aid trafficking victims after seeing a film that dramatized their situation and after hearing a presentation that Kwon made to the youth group at their church, Korean Presbyterian Church of Minnesota. Their mother, Mee Ock Park, who works at the Korean Service Center, recommended they organize a youth concert. After Kwon’s presentation at church “only a couple kids were interested --- my sister and me and one other girl, Angela Hwang. We met as a group …and we did some on-line stuff. We decided we would do a retreat. It was originally going to be for Korean girls, but as it went on, we decided to do it for everybody because the more people we have, the better. After meeting a few times, we decided we wanted to have more people in the planning committee. The three of us grew into 24 people.” The End Slavery Now conference, open to all high school students, will take place at Woodland Hills Church, 1740 Van Dyke St., in St. Paul. Attendees will register at 2:30 p.m. on Friday July 25 and will stay overnight at the church. The conference will end at 11 a.m. the next day. It will include awareness games, discussions, and speakers who work in different areas of human trafficking, including victim advocacy, law enforcement, education, and research and policy matters. The group will also make hygiene kits,

Grace said. The kits will contain donated soaps, shampoos, and cosmetic items, and can be handed out by the organizations working with the victims. Early in their research process, the two girls inquired about making contact directly with victims and were advised not to do that, Grace said. “We were told that if we did, and the traffickers found out what we were doing, they could be hurt or we could be hurt too.” Instead, any proceeds the teen group can generate will benefit local organizations that reach out with hotlines and professional outreach workers. Joan said they want conference attendees to each make two bracelets that will contain a bead with an inspirational word, such as “hope.” The conference attendee gets to keep one bracelet, and its twin will be given to a victim through the Civil Society advocacy organization. “It is a way to make a connection.” Another subcommittee of the organizing committee will collect children’s clothes and books, to be given to the victims’ children.

which will become a decoration at the benefit concert for victims of human trafficking, which is tentatively set for August 23. The concert performers will be other students invited by the planning committee members, she said. Kwon said that she did not know anything about human trafficking when she was a teenager, and that these teens are taking a big step to create a conference to educate about this topic. “With any issue like this, it’s important and crucial that law enforcement and policy makers are educated about it, but it’s equally important that next generation start thinking about these issues. Ideally, I would love to have someone involved at a young age and become the next advocate or lawyer who helps victims …It’s a huge problem. It won’t end in one generation.” For more information about the conference, contact [email protected]

__________

Honorable Mention Community Service Grace and Joan are also creating a simulation game that will raise the consciousness of the participants about the frustration and lack of choices of the women and children who get caught up in human trafficking rings. “We will have the lights off so that it represents the darkness the victims are experiencing, and how they don’t know what to do and what is happening to them,” Grace said. Often the victims of human trafficking know nothing about what they are getting themselves into until it is too late, she added. In fact, she said, they often are told and believe that they are accepting a legitimate job. The conference will also include an open mike session or small group sharing which will give participants a chance to voice their thoughts about what they learned. The participants will also draw a huge poster, with their names, and words of encouragement or poems,

Framework for the future, or failure? By Anna Pratt The Bridge Newspaper Published March 3, 2008 City officials are collecting public comments on the framework through March 17. For more information or to download the Framework for the Future, visit www.ci.minneapolis.mn.us and search “NRP beyond 2009.” The City Council will review the public comment on April 3. A second draft of the framework is due sometime this summer. As the City of Minneapolis prepares for the end of the 20-year Neighborhood Revitalization Program (NRP) in 2009, it has released a “Framework for the Future” that proposes a major reworking

of that existing community-engagement model. While city officials claim the new plan will empower people, some community members argue it represents a shift from grassroots activism to centralized city control, and they’d like to see a continued, fully funded NRP instead. Critics of the plan have even taken to calling it a “framework for failure” that would diminish citizen participation, while proponents are optimistic about streamlining the way residents get involved with local government. A framework work group — consisting of city officials and NRP staff — charged with addressing NRP’s “focus, funding and governance” delivered the eight-page framework to the City Council late last year. According to the report itself, the Framework for the Future “represents broad agreement on the outlines of a structure for the continuation of the NRP” and its “connection to the broader community participation work of the city.” (The NRP question is one part of a larger retooling of community engagement, undertaken by the city since 2006.) Under the proposal, $2 million would go to support the administration of neighborhood groups every year. Right now, they receive about $1.6 million annually for administrative costs, according to the report. Funding would flow to groups based on need and size, as it does now, said Ward 13 Council Member Betsy Hodges during a Feb. 4 informational session that was open to the public. The framework also proposes establishing a pool of discretionary dollars called the Neighborhood Investment Fund (NIF), from which organizations could draw dollars through either a local planning process or a competitive micro-grant program. However, funding sources for NIF haven’t been identified, said Hodges. Currently, neighborhood organizations receive about $3.25 million for discretionary purposes, according to city information. The framework would also create a new

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community participation governance board, similar to the existing NRP Policy Board, to provide oversight to various community-engagement actions. However, the framework doesn’t stipulate the number of seats; some spots would be filled by neighborhood elections, with other representatives appointed by the City Council or mayor. The ratio of elected to appointed seats is unclear. While NRP is currently administered by an agency separate from the city, the framework proposes a community participation division in the city coordinator’s department, with a $1 million budget to administer money and services to neighborhood groups. An extended hand, or a power play by City Hall? The NRP has funneled $300 million through city-designated neighborhood groups for improvements in housing, parks, schools, environmental initiatives and other programs, while supporting some organizations with funding for part- and full-time staff. However, NRP funding — which comes from tax increments of local development projects — has dwindled since changes in state property tax laws in 2001. In October, the City Council agreed to secure at least 70 percent of NRP’s second, and final, 10-year phase allocations — about $73 million. NRP can be credited for increasing the number of active neighborhood organizations in Minneapolis; before its inception in 1990, only 46 the current 72 neighborhood organizations existed. Ward 6 Council Member Robert Lilligren, who serves on the framework work group, said that, despite NRP’s accomplishments, the program has polarized the city and community, which should be working in tandem. “Neighborhood action plans should be influencing capital, policy and programmatic decisions in City Hall,” he said. “Right now, it’s very internal to neighborhoods. They don’t affect broader city decisions.”

Lilligren acknowledged that, while “there’s a perception in neighborhoods that City Council members want to hog money and authority, we want more coordinated ways of working together, not to co-opt neighborhood authority … At the core of this is trust, or distrust, between City Hall and neighborhoods, or City Hall and NRP,” he said. Advocates of a growing “save NRP” movement, however, claim that the framework adds an extra layer of bureaucracy that shifts power away from the neighborhoods to City Hall. Wendy Menken, president of the Southeast Como Improvement Association (SECIA) board, said volunteerism will go down if people feel they are only advancing the city’s agenda. She questioned the rationale behind the framework. “The only reason to take apart an effective working system is that the city wants to retain control of money or citizen processes,” she said. “Where is the cost-benefit analysis for this?” A Coalition of Neighbors 4 NRP is circulating a petition to sustain NRP; the Longfellow Community Council (LCC) and SECIA have both signed it. Meanwhile, voters at 20 of 139 precinct caucuses in Minneapolis passed resolutions on Feb. 5 to keep NRP alive; the resolutions are expected to move on to city- and state-level conventions, said Menken. Hodges said the proposed framework would bring more transparency because, “it would more closely resemble the funding structure of the entire enterprise … it would be more tied with Minneapolis government.” She also introduced the idea of opening representation on the board to NIF donors, a point that Ward 2 Council Member Cam Gordon disagrees with. Although he does support the framework, Gordon said the community participation governance board would need to be primarily devoted to community members to be truly “resident-controlled,” as the framework states.

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“Right now, there are some foundations represented on the NRP Policy Board. I even question how appropriate that is,” Gordon said, pointing out that residents don’t represent a majority on the Policy Board, which he would also like to keep intact. Gordon and other city officials say the framework’s provision for a community participation division will better coordinate staff and neighborhood representatives, providing a clear path for people to get help or learn about the city’s decisionmaking. Still, how much power the governance board would have is debatable; work group members disagreed about who should hire and supervise the director of the new community participation division. Without that kind of authority, some community members at the meeting pointed out, it takes on more of an advisory role. To that, Ward 1 Council Member Paul Ostrow responded, “The NRP Policy Board structure today is advisory. Every action comes before the City Council,” he said. “If it’s independent, it’s not accountable to the city structure.” Neighborhood organizations react Incorporation into the “city structure” would also mean the new division would be pitted against police and fire departments for resources, making it vulnerable to cutbacks every year, critics say. With 81 neighborhoods, each group could receive something around $24,000 of the $2 million promised for administration (some will get more or less), estimated Justin Eibenholzl, environmental coordinator for SECIA. That will barely cover costs above and beyond hosting meetings, he said. Wendy Menken, SECIA board president and a volunteer, said the framework’s plan could mean as much as a 75–90 percent reduction in the group’s capacity. Currently, funds from NRP and the city comprise about half of its total annual budget, which ranges from $120,000–

$165,000 in any given year. Grants make up the other half, and only about 20 percent or less of NRP dollars are used for administration, according to NRP guidelines. “Over the years, we’ve managed to leverage almost dollar per dollar, at the core level,” said Menken. SECIA has two full-time workers and one part-time staffer; grants help pay for the salaries of Eibenholzl’s full-time position, for example. If the city became its sole funding source, the impact would be two-fold, said Menken. “We’d be hardpressed to have full-time staff … much less the discretionary money to leverage those dollars,” she said, adding that the change could cause SECIA to revert back to a volunteer-driven operation, like it was pre-NRP. “It could kill some neighborhood organizations in some communities,” she said. “I could see whole neighborhoods giving up and saying they’re not going to fight anymore. That’s what it was like before NRP. Back then, the whole goal was to react to whatever city was doing. There wasn’t time or energy or capacity to do creative things.” Without getting into the details of the proposal, Melanie Majors, LCC’s executive director, said the whole process has her and other neighborhood leaders scrambling. She believes the question of neighborhood funding is important enough to warrant more discussion over a longer timeframe. “This is about the stability of the city in the future,” she said. “This is really an example of the city not really caring much about what happens in neighborhood organizations … There’s a lot of disenchantment about the city’s ability to facilitate community engagement.” Unlike many of his fellow neighborhood representatives, Sheldon Mains, president of the Seward Neighborhood Group (SNG), said NRP should change, and he supports at least some aspects of the framework. That way, the real decisionmakers aren’t hidden from public view. Plus, neighborhoods already count on a

council member for any sort of influence. “I actually kind of like it being directly inside of city government. It may help with coordination,” he said. NRP Director Bob Miller said he is glad the city is acknowledging the importance of neighborhood groups, but he believes the city is taking a step backwards. “Other people would like to emulate what we’re doing, yet we’re moving in the exact opposite direction,” he said. “No one else anywhere put this much control in the hands of citizens for this long … Look at what people did with it, how it influenced their attitudes toward their neighborhood. It had a significant impact on people.”

__________ First Place Commentary/Editorial Obama authenticates hopes of 1965 Voting Rights bill By Matthew Little Minnesota Spokesman Recorder Published February 14, 2008 Forty-three years after its enactment and 54 years after the Civil Rights Movement that, under the leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., included the right to vote as one of its demands, reflections of the Voting Rights Acts of 1965 are again visible. More than any time since its passage, in my judgment, the true meaning of that law is on display today. The bold, undaunted and resourceful pursuit of the presidency of the United States of America by Barack Obama exemplifies in so many ways the very essence of the Voting Rights Act’s intent. Not since its passage has this been demonstrated more clearly. Regardless of the results of this political campaign, with all of its many nuances affecting its outcomes, voting in America

will never be the same. Barack himself is the example. He has given proof to the old cliché that, as our Constitution so clearly states, any American citizen with the ability, the credentials and the will to do so can run for the highest office in the land. More specifically, the Constitution through its 15th Amendment, passed in 1870, provided that the right to vote shall not be “denied or abridged on the basis of race, color or previous condition of servitude.” However, intimidated by White terrorist organizations such as the KKK, the Knights of the White Camellia, and later the White Citizens Council, states and regions passed legislation to obfuscate the 15th Amendment. The NAACP and other organization of the day had brought lawsuits against many states and had gained a few historical victories; but, the issue could not be solved on a piecemeal basis — there would have to be a national law enacted by Congress to solve the problem once and for all. This was not to come to fruition until the massive Civil Rights Movement of the ’60s. Lest we forget, however, the achievement was not without pain, sacrifice, and in many cases even death — the fire hoses in Montgomery; the storm trooper-like state highway patrol on horses who trampled the peaceful marchers crossing the Edmund Pettus bridge in Selma; vicious dogs turned loose on peaceful marchers; the death of the three civil rights workers in Mississippi; and many other actions depicted in the famous documentary Eyes on The Prize. It was these incidents and the international outcry that forced President Johnson to call for a strong Voting Rights Act that would preserve the dignity of the U.S. Constitution. A cadre of Minnesota civil rights activists can admit with some pride to having played a minimal role in this drama. After

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having participated in the historic March on Washington, in which Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his immortal “I Have a Dream” speech, we were so imbued as a group that there was a strong compulsion to maintain connection with the national movement and help in any way possible. It was decided that our contribution would be aiding with the voter registration in the South — specifically, Mississippi. With the aid of some legal interns among our group, we were able to incorporate as The Minnesota March on Washington Committee and started raising funds for the mission. We solicited funds from individuals, but our primary funding source was from the sale of campaign-like buttons depicting a black and white handshake. We called them “Brotherhood Buttons” and sold them for a dollar each. We chartered a bus and solicited idealistic young people from the U of M and some out state colleges to travel south and participate in voter registration. The Faith Community was extremely helpful in this regard. Perhaps our biggest surprise was that so many young people answered the call — not only helping with the fundraising, but signing up to make the trip. That makes me not so surprised today to find that Barack Obama is surpassing all other candidates with young voters. Today, when I observe the Obama victories in southern states like South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama, states that were among the most stringent in disenfranchisement of Black voters, its hard not to perceive that maybe, just maybe, a portion of Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream is gradually coming to realization. But the Obama surge cannot and must not be taken in any way as an anti-Hillary rap, for the Civil Rights Act of 1965 provided a source of liberation for women also. Anyone who has even casually observed the political process in this country must acknowledge that female

participation in politics has increased precipitously since its passage. Previously, women were primarily relegated to sealing envelopes, preparing lunches for fundraisers, etc; and today, state and federal governments are becoming almost gender-equal. The U.S. House of Representatives has a female majority leader (as does the state of Minnesota), and now we have Hillary Clinton as a viable candidate for president of the United States. It is certainly undeniable that the Voting Rights Act was the motivating factor for these advances. Barack Obama’s support by so many across the country could turn out to be illusionary, but it certainly seems to have the earmarks of what Dr. King dreamed America could become. Matthew Little welcomes reader responses to [email protected]. Note: Three columns were entered in the contest; only one installment is printed here.

__________ Second Place Commentary/Editorial

* Don Harris, deputy chief of police; * Don Banham, inspector of the Fourth Precinct; * Valorie Woorster, inspector of the Second Precinct, soon to be appointed a deputy chief and brought downtown; * Lee Edwards, head of Homicide; * Mike Davis, commander of Internal Affairs; * Lt. Larry Doyle, head of the Office of Compliance and responsible for recruitment, training and hiring; * Lt. Mario Arradondo, commander of the STOP unit (Street Tactical Operations Patrol), soon to be detailed to the FBI academy in Washington, D.C.; * Mike Roberts, a 28-year veteran officer, most senior and longest serving Black police officer in the history of the department, looked at for appointment to sergeant; * Patrol Officer Tony Adams, 16-year veteran, like Roberts born and raised in North Minneapolis, being considered for appointed rank of acting sergeant; * Sgt. Charles Adams, Tony’s brother and a respected homicide detective being recognized at a Washington, D.C., conference as one of the top homicide detectives in America; * K9: For the first time in the history of the department, African American officers are assigned to the K9 Corp.

Why Blacks are not allowed to command: The bleaching of the Minneapolis Police Department

Much of this had been put in place by the previous chief, William McManus, now chief of police in San Antonio, Texas.

By Ron Edwards Minnesota Spokesman-Recorder Published August 16, 2007

Eight months ago, in our January 17, 2007, column, we warned of “the end of diversity in the MPD” as signs suggested that the McManus Doctrine of Diversity was about to be reversed.

Twelve months ago, the Minneapolis Black community stood proud at the diversity finally achieved in the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD). At long last, the police department was joining the Minneapolis Fire Department, renowned as the most diverse fire department in the United States. The MPD command structure a year ago was as follows:

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It was. Pride turned to anger as: * Harris was demoted from deputy chief to lieutenant; * Banham was demoted from inspector to lieutenant; * Davis was given the status of a junior lieutenant; * Arradondo was not returned to his post as head of the STOP unit;

* Lee Edwards became inspector of the Fourth Precinct, losing the position of head of Homicide to the African American community; * The Homicide unit lost two Black investigators, leaving just one (but for how long?); * The first African American supervisory sergeant was no more; * Lt. Arradondo will be removed from his command in two months; * Deputy Chief Val Woorster will be retiring, according to some, at the end of December. And so, by January 2008, as this city prepares to receive the Republican National Convention in September 2008, we will have a command structure that will be as White as the new driven snow that will rest on the ground of this city straddling the Mississippi River. The Strib reported that Lee Edwards helped make some of North Minneapolis’ most crime-ridden neighborhoods safer, and in only nine months. Abraham Lincoln, told of winning General Ulysses S. Grant’s drinking, said, “Send him another bottle.” It appears that only City Council Member Ralph Remington (DFL, 10th Ward) understood the coming of the apocalypse, the night of the crystal, the raging fire of nullification and reversal. The Black “command” structure in the MPD is being cleansed, with none in line being groomed for command. Radio callers, somehow clueless before about such racism, now understand our longstanding warnings. The hopes and faith that we were moving toward not only equality but fairness and justice and a level playing field, have been betrayed. Stay tuned. Business as usual: Blacks need not apply The deadline has taken place. The bids are being let. The bridge is going to be rebuilt (and some say completed just before the beginning of the Republican National Convention), with the new

bridge getting 10 lanes. It’s going to rejuvenate the economy; yet, it’s also going to make damn sure that African Americans get neither contracts nor jobs. Welcome to Mississippi Plantation North, where Minnesota Nice hides Minnesota Ice, the freezing out of the African American. We understand that some power brokers are upset with us in this column. But, facts are facts. They will lead to the harsh judgment of history. Don’t be mad at us; be mad at yourself for not standing up and asking for a piece of the American Dream. Oh my, how we need Nellie and Cecil and all the other great voices of social change and social justice carrying the banners upholding the right of the Negro, the Black, the African American, to be included in Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech, declared again in that Memphis church the day before Black America’s dream of inclusion was again shattered when his life was taken. Today’s power brokers are angry because we don’t cry out for Massa to continue to beat us, and because we have the audacity to seek opportunity, diversity and justice in the name of the Bill of Rights, the Constitution and God. Pray for yourselves, White Minnesota, for the day of reckoning will come for the pain and the denial that you inflict upon us under your doctrine of exclusion. Ron hosts “Black Focus” on Channel 17, MTN-TV, Sundays, 5-6 pm. Formerly head of the Minneapolis Civil Rights Commission and the Urban League, he continues his “watchdog” role for Minneapolis. Order his book, hear his voice, read his solution papers, and read his between-columns “web log” at www.TheMinneapolisStory.com. Note: Three columns were entered in the contest; only one installment is printed here.

Third Place Commentary/Editorial Why we take a stand on anti-immigration language By Barb Kucera Workday Minnesota Published November 20, 2007 MINNEAPOLIS - Northland Poster Collective has a bumper sticker that reads “An injury to Juan is an injury to Al.” In a lighthearted way, that twist on the classic labor motto captures the meaning behind a resolution adopted at this year’s International Labor Communications Association convention. Delegates to the New Orleans convention discussed the way language is being used in the current debate about immigration and how labor media can play a role in both educating union members and building solidarity. The resolution notes that phrases such as “illegal immigrant” and the grammatically incorrect usage of “illegals” as a noun promote divisiveness and bigotry. In our resolution, ILCA urges all ILCA members and labor communicators in general to instead use the terms “undocumented immigrant” and “undocumented worker.” The resolution was introduced by Workday Minnesota, which has long followed this practice. Why is this important? It’s not just a matter of semantics. As the National Association of Hispanic Journalists notes, “illegals” and other pejorative language “crosses the line by criminalizing the person, not the action they are purported to have committed.” Millions of people in the United States have engaged in illegal acts, from failing to pay a parking ticket to committing murder, but they are not referred to as “illegals.” As the NAHJ also notes, “Under current U.S. immigration law, being an undocumented immigrant is not a crime, it is a

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civil violation. Furthermore, an estimated 40 percent of all undocumented people living in the U.S. are visa overstayers, meaning they did not illegally cross the U.S. border.” While it’s important for labor communicators to be accurate, it’s equally important we get the whole story. Our publications, websites, radio and video productions provide a perspective on the issues that is woefully lacking in the corporate-owned media. That’s why avoidance of terms like “illegal immigrant” is particularly important. Remember the heavily hyped myth of the “welfare queen” in the Reagan era? She’s disappeared – replaced by those “illegals” who are trying to take your job. As long as workers of different backgrounds view each other with suspicion and even hatred, we can’t get together to solve our problems. The constant drumbeat about “illegal immigrants” by politicians, talk radio, CNN’s Lou Dobbs and thousands of others also clouds the real issue that working people need to address. Despite the rhetoric, immigration is not the central question. It’s globalization. We live in a global economy where millions of people are forced to leave their homes and their countries to find work to feed their families, while millions more are witnessing steep declines in their wages, benefits and working conditions. Meanwhile, corporations pile on the profits, destroying communities, the environment and people’s lives with impunity. Is this the kind of world we want? As long as working people stay mired in name-calling, they’ll never ask that question. Barb Kucera, editor of Workday Minnesota, is also a member of the Executive Council of the International Labor Communications Association. The complete text of the ILCA resolution and guidelines from the National Association of Hispanic Journalists are available at www. ilcaonline.org

Honorable Mention Commentary/Editorial In our own words... Pratt students response to the I-35W bridge collapse The Bridge Newspaper Published November 2007 This month, The Bridge debuts a new semi-regular section, “In our own words…” In this section, we hope to feature contributions from people in our neighborhoods — not so much opinion pieces as personal essays and reflections on topics or events. As part of the column, we will feature every three months — in partnership with the Southeast Minneapolis Council on Learnng (SEMCOL) — area schoolchildren responding to a question or questions on a particular topic. This month, we asked students from Sue Beiersdorf ’s fourth-grade class at Pratt School in Prospect Park what they thought about or had been talking about at school or at home in regards to the collapse of the I-35W bridge. We will feature students from other area schools in the future. Tayasir Dahir It looked and sounded like an earthquake. My mom went over that bridge at about 3:14 or 3:30. My aunty was friends with that Somali lady that died. And the worst thing is she had a baby in her stomach. And she had a 2-year-old in the back seat. My aunty almost went on it, but she changed her mind. I feel so very sorry for the people that came from work that died and went through that horrible moment. Eva Shellabarger Well, what I think about the 35W bridge collapse is that there were a lot of close calls. Even my mom was about to drive on it. You would think that it would never happen, but it did. I saw the bridge in the water from the Stone Arch Bridge.

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I feel sad about the people who died. When will it get rebuilt again? I guess the bridge was weak and no one knew that it would someday fall. Melaina Bordeaux My mother was coming from work and she was about to go on the 35 West bridge, but something in her mind kept saying to stay away from the 35 West bridge. So she did and she took Broadway. But when I was at home I watched the news and it said that the 35 West bridge had just collapsed. I said in my mind, “That’s the bridge that my mother takes.” And before I was about to cry I heard keys in the door. So I stopped and it was my mother, and I was so happy that she was alive. So I ran up to her and gave her a big hug and she said, “Why are you hugging me?” and I showed her the TV. And then she said that she was lucky to be alive and then she started telling how she knew why not to go on that bridge. She said something bad would happen and something did, the bridge collapsed. So I started knowing when I cried how much I loved my mother. So here’s my advice: give your mother nothing but love.