Cultural Diversity
While Minneapolis Saint Paul is known for is Scandinavian and Nordic roots, it’s an increasingly diverse community. From 2000 to 2005, the non-white and Latino population grew 21% in Minnesota. Minority growth accounted for 62% of the total gain in population during these 5 years – giving it one of the fastest minority growth rates in the country.
The area’s original Native American and European heritage is clearly apparent in some of the metro’s most beloved landmarks and signature foods: Take Minnehaha Falls and Polish “Kolachis” as examples. Yet, recent immigrants have added richness and vibrancy to neighborhoods and communities. For instance, Minnesota is home to the largest Hmong population outside Laos, adding Southeast Asian foods, music and culture to the metro area. Influence from a significant local Ethiopian community can be seen at Midtown Global Market and the Mall of Somalia in Minneapolis is the first of its kind in the country.
A NEW GENERATION
Minneapolis Saint Paul’s immigrant populations are young and growing. More than 10% of all children in Minnesota schools speak a language other than English at home. Children speaking 80 different languages attend Minneapolis public schools. More than 2/3 of students in the Saint Paul public schools are children of color.
Organizations like Neighborhood House – home to the recently completed Paul and Sheila Wellstone Center for Community Building – provide programming and services for immigrant families such as family enrichment, empowerment initiatives, seniors programming and culturally specific education.
DIVERSITY IN THE ARTS
With more than 100 theater companies and 57 museums in the metro area, Minneapolis Saint Paul cultural offerings are diverse in every way. Each summer, Minneapolis Mosaic celebrates all of the ways we express ourselves and our cultural traditions through the arts. The missions of numerous local theater groups are focused on presenting culturally diverse work. Here's a sampling:
- Theater Mu is the Midwest's foremost pan-Asian performing arts organization.
- Penumbra, located in Saint Paul, produces thought provoking, relevant, and illuminate the human condition through the prism of the African American experience.
- Pillsbury House Theatre (housed in a Minneapolis inner-city neighborhood) is a multicultural company of artists.
- SteppingStone Theatre celebrates diversity while providing youth with an appreciation for the arts.
- Mixed Blood Theater is a multiracial theater promoting cultural pluralism and individual equality.
- The Tony Award-winning Children’s Theatre Company regularly presents innovative work of cultural significance. This year, it featured a play by Dakota playwright Larissa Fasthorse and staged a production of Bud, Not Buddy about an African American orphan during the depression.
