To the Editor:
The recent article "These People Aren't Coming from Norway," in the New York Times was extremely disappointing. It is outrageous that the story they chose to highlight in our home state is not one of of the beauty and ingenuity of diversity but the fringe bigotry of a racist radical group in a single Minnesota city.
St. Cloud is not without a complex history of racism. From the early days in which white settlers pushed Indigenous peoples off the land, to its current social frictions, this city has come a long way. As a Minnesotan son of refugees, I have watched with optimism the growing diversity in St. Cloud. From the countless Asian students who have brought vibrancy to the area, to the new African immigrants who have made it home by fostering community and growing businesses, there are plenty of stories of investments New Americans have made in our communities.
But instead, the Times took the low road, giving a single white man an international bullhorn to spew hate, racism, and bigotry. I am sure they are not unaware of historic efforts to diminish marginalized voices.
As a Hmong American, I stand proudly by our diverse communities, who are weaving their creativity, resourcefulness, and entrepreneurship into the fabric of Minnesota, for the better. I stand by their daily efforts to bring culturally specific and appropriate ways to heal and feed each other. I stand by their attempts to strive for daily racial equity policies by finding common ground with neighbors in a new community. I stand by immigrants and refugees who make our state more economically sound each and every day. And I call on the Times to elevate diverse voices and black and brown perspectives in all of the work that they do.
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