They’re coming for the best of us, whose warmth is no stranger to their frigid tyranny
The land of 10,000 lakes has had an extended residency on the world stage as of late. Since the murder of George Floyd in 2020 and the following unrest, we have mourned the likes of Melissa and Mark Hortman after they were murdered in their homes. The recent unnecessary killings of two young children at Annunciation Catholic School have shaken local and national communities. Our governor’s valiant bid for the vice presidency ended with heartbreak in November of 2024. Most recently, undertrained federal employees have descended upon the city to enter private residences and intimidate legal citizens.
Despite being thrust into the spotlight for government-mandated devastation and unwanted federal attention, Minnesotans know that we can stand it because we stand together. We have established strong community ties to depend upon when times get hard. We get outside, we support local, we gather, we grieve together. Coping has become typical. And occasional distractions? Essential.
Organization has been a key part of this survival, including fundraising by local businesses from Linden Hills to Northeast and beyond. Donations for families in need of everyday items and protestors seeking protection and supplies have been given and accepted by community members. Students continue to learn so we can go forth into the world and make it kinder. Parks employees keep our nationally recognized trails and green spaces ready for cathartic walks or bike rides. The great Minnesota get-together brings together our great cultures to bond over food and camaraderie. Mercado Central and the Lake Street Corridor give some of us a tie to home, others a newfound perspective. None of these would exist as we know them without the Americans whom the government considers “illegal aliens”.
Minnesota is a state like any other—borne of immigrants hoping for a better life. It is set apart, however, by the Scandinavians who formed a tough-as-nails community that has leaned on each other to withstand nearly 200 years of harsh winters and humid summers. We know what the government seems to forget: the only way to keep warm is to pull each other close and never turn away a warm soul. This welcoming nature made my existence possible when this cold city received my immigrant father from across the pond some 30-odd years ago. Like many others, he’s since been a dedicated American who goes to work at 5 a.m. every day, gives generously to his neighbors and became a citizen just last January (proud daughter plug).
The honest truth is that our immigrant neighbors make life as we know it possible. But their contribution to your life isn’t what makes them deserve to be here. Their right to be Americans lies in the fact that they are humans who deserve a better life in a country that will love them back.
There is nowhere I would rather live, work, play, learn, explore and love than Minneapolis. And Minneapolis is no Minneapolis at all without our immigrant neighbors. Prince once said that our harsh cold is just enough to keep the bad people out, and thank goodness these neighbors are strong enough to bear it.