NewsNight Minnesota; 4052; Thanksgiving Special - Immigrants; SD-Base

So tonight on NEWSNIGHT a special Thanksgiving edition focusing on immigration past present and future. That's NEWSNIGHT for Thursday November 20 8. Good evening and a Happy Thanksgiving thanks for tuning in to Newsnight Minnesota. Tonight a special edition focusing on immigration. The holiday is a reminder that ours is a nation of immigrants and we thought an appropriate time to revisit some of the coverage we've done on immigration issues over the past several months. It will begin with a Minnesota community that's been growing for 20 years now. The mung now while Congress spent the summer debating immigration policy the final wave of immigrants was making its way to the United States. St. Paul is home to one of the largest concentrations of mung outside of Laos. And tonight we begin our series of reports with a look at the history behind 20 years of mung immigration. Here's NEWSNIGHT Tom Cushman. Charlie Young has not seen his brother TIA for 15 years.

There's nothing that can replace 15 years. You must be good fortune and luck that our lives crashed again. I'm so happy there's nothing that can be compared to this moment in my life. It's the happiest moment of all. To a young story like the stories of all 350 mung refugees arriving on this flight begins back in his homeland of Laos in the late 60s and early 70s. The war in Vietnam spilled over into Laos where the CIA paid royalist money to fight the communists in both Vietnam and in Laos. But when the US pulled out of Vietnam in 1975 it wasn't only Saigon that fell all of Laos did too it went Communist royalist mung were hunted down and killed were put in re-education camps where many died. So among people who had fought for the United States fled to refugee camps in Thailand. From there many emigrated to America at the time. We didn't really

have time to get out you know what or what the future. We were just you know safe you know just seeking safety by leaving the country. Ma and her husband to a came right to the United States back in 1976. Mao now works for Ramsay County Public Health. Her husband for a software company. I was working for the U.S. government so we don't really know they're coming to America. All the knowledge is at the get out and he just has to make a decision. You have to get out. So why did some refugees like to come to the United States right away while others like two young state spending almost 20 years living in a tent. Says he stayed behind to care for his father who was an opium addict and as such was not allowed to emigrate to the United States. Mainly it was my father.

He was an opium addict and was relocated to come along with us but he passed away and his body was taken back in apo for burial. So we were stuck with no place to go. It wasn't until the immigration process started up again that we were able to apply to come out. But most monks chose to live in tents for 20 years because they hope the communist Lao government would fall. They were hoping to go back home and resume their old way of life. It never happened. What did happen is that after 20 years the Thai government grew tired of housing the refugees. Now it's forcing the monks reluctant refugees must choose between an old home where they still fear persecution and a new home. Half a world away for Newsnight Minnesota. I'm Tom Cush. Is the number of Hmong arriving in Minnesota swells the refugee camps in Thailand shrink producer of her who himself live in a camp once upon a time spend the summer in

Thailand working with refugees who are preparing for the long journey to Minnesota and those who choose to stay behind. These are the Hmong in Bonn Nepal repatriation center. This camp is located in in the northeastern region of Thailand. It is supposed to be a temporary shelter for the 5000 refugees who are to be returned to Laos in May of this year. The U.S. government decided to offer these refugees the last chance for resettlement in the United States. As many as thirty five hundred had applied and were approved by the Immigration and Naturalization Service. That's all don't he know every day. Clayton departure go through medical check ups and cultural patients. Meanwhile bus loads of others begin their journey to America. Some are coming to be with relatives in Minnesota. If you come and you say you're going to

Minnesota right. Yes we have in the bag. And these are my dears I plan to heal people in the States. A 20 year old luggage and a carry on away. I doubt it's allowed to pick with them as a part of the travel package. The refugees are given blue sweatshirt and Black Kendah shoes the children are having a ball trying them on. This is the first time for everything to them for the opt out but it's the first time in 20 years to experience that life on the outside. It's tough in here because we can't go anywhere. It will be wonderful to live in. How do you feel now are you happy or worried. I'm a little bit worried about finding a job in the U.S. But right now since I can't speak English I'm just worried about getting food in the airplane and how to use the toilet if needed. Not all refugees in the camp want to come to America. Among them is Joe Young the man here dressed in green. He was a second lieutenant during the war in Laos. Every day comes by to see people as

that leave the camp his son and most of his relatives now live in Minnesota. He has several reasons for not taking this last chance to come abroad. But he also would rather stay in Thailand than be forced back to Laos. First is that I have two wives. I can't divorce that I just go to the United States. Secondly since I've already wasted 21 years here waiting to return to Laos when it's safe it is now too late for my family to have a decent job or education in America. In other words America is not too late for me but I am too late for America. Like 100 other Hmong men in the camp I also think the same is too young in the Hmong culture. Family decisions are usually dictated by men. So the 500 women and children in their families have no choice but to follow. Nonetheless the camp is targeted to close by the end of this year. Every day the farewell party in the camp gets smaller. Those who choose to come to America

have no second thoughts but only hopes for the future of their children. So far some have already been united with their families and making us old at their new home. Meanwhile others are still on the way here. By the end of this year the Mung refugee camps in Thailand will be all but empty. But it's taken 20 years to get to that point. The monk who first arrived in Minnesota back in 1985 found themselves very alone in a very strange world. But that has changed as the community has grown and settled in Tom Cushman and young. Look at how the immigration experience has changed from Minnesota's Mung. For some this is just another new experience in a brand new world.

But for others this day has been 20 years in the making. These are the newest Minnesotans our most recent wave of immigrants a century ago Scandinavians cultivated Minnesota's farms and Eastern Europeans settled the Iron Range. But for the past 20 years it's been the monks turn and instead of arriving on boats and trains they come by plane 350. On July 18th alone get up like I'm so happy there's nothing that can be compared to this moment in my life. It's the happiest moment of all young has not seen his brother cha for 15 years. There's nothing that can replace 15 years. He must be good fortune and luck that our lives crossed again. Is ruling an exhausting trip of a very long and exhausting trip. The trip to and Mao tower made 20 years ago they were some of the very first mung people in Minnesota. Scary and different. I mean the

building the roads already. Surprised me already you know I don't know how. How could I survive I mean that a lot of thing going through my mind but it was really a scary was scary experience not knowing anyone and going to a country that everything is so different from things that you were used to was just you know a very unpleasant experience for me at the time I didn't speak English too so that made it worse. When the towers arrived here back in 1976 the scene was much different. There were no family reunions. There were no other mung people here at all unlike the new arrivals. The towers were alone. I think their experiences will be different. Beyond that there are more. There's there is in my community here in Minnesota and there are people in different social services who would be able to help them so I hope that you know

their experience will be different from ours different but still far from easy two days after the airport reunion. We caught up with them today and his wife See seemed almost stunned. He hardly even wanted to go for a walk in his new neighborhood. Yet if you'd gone just a few blocks further to University Avenue he'd see how his predecessors have changed the Twin Cities. Just 25 years ago none of these Asian businesses were here. And there's another difference now to the new arrivals find a community determined to show that they can meet the new standards of personal responsibility and avoid placing the burden of immigration on government. Works for Ramsey County Public Health has already started the work. We're just you know we had the opportunity to to come here for. Now it's time for us to contribute to help to help you know because we went through the experience and hopefully we're a better helper to commerce on young is

to young sister in law. She agreed to house and feed Tia and their two kids until the new refugees can make it on their own. Family this is my family. It's our responsibility to help them. So that's we're fine with that Monk helping Monk couldn't have happened 20 years ago when they came to does country everything. You know you have to US towel. My first job was cutting grass and planting trees around the church and then I would back then was kind of tough. And even now still top to what I I think we had just to look at now and instead of cutting grass for someone else who works in his own yard now he and now have a beautiful home in the suburbs and two kids in college. For them the American dream is coming true. It's been a fun experience and been a struggle but as your struggle you also learn along the way and you don't depend on a lot of

people to see share the American dream. I hope someday to achieve what to and now have an orgy almost got me. I came over here because I had no place else to go. Now I hope for a better opportunity for my children in this country. You know it isn't easy but it's not easy and no one says you would try your best if you don't succeed try it again and don't you know I think the important thing is not to give up. In St. Paul I'm Tom Cushman for Newsnight Minnesota. Much of the congressional debate over immigration reform had to do with exactly how easy it is for people to enter this country illegally or illegally and once they're here how easily they can get access to government funded social services as part of this fall's sweeping changes to the nation's welfare system.

Some immigrants will be among those who stand to lose benefits and that has some folks in Minnesota's mung community both worried and confused. NEWSNIGHT Ken Stone has the story. This is the message that he was given in 1060 CIA and American military were recruiting the Hmong in Laos to fight the communist hanging on his wall today as a commendation from Congress thanking Lee for his 15 years of service in the war. After American forces pulled out in one thousand seventy five Ligue came to the US virtually at gun point forced out of his homeland by Communist soldiers. He's now 63 years old. He and his wife are living with one of their sons and his family. His son is working and speaks English. But your POW knows very little English. He said that he feel betrayed. We needed an interpreter to talk with them. Up until now Lee was eligible for a monthly government check. Now around 500 bucks a month to give you an idea how confusing America is for him. He doesn't even know what kind of check it is.

Most likely it's a social security disability check because he did not learn English. He was unable to take a citizenship test and because he's not a citizen. Sometime in the coming year the checks will stop. You come here not because of what he wanted but because you know what happened and he wants something better for his family that's why he came here is because he wanted something better for his family and that's why he's here he's here. And if they decided to cut his lifeline where he doesn't know where to turn and then they just tell him so that he has some time compare him to himself you know to commit suicide or something like that. No one knows for sure how many chirp our leaves are out there. We were unable to find any government agency that could give us an accurate count of how many monk in Minnesota are illegal immigrants and how many are American citizens.

The folks at the Ramsey County Department of Human Services aren't quite sure how many are going to lose their benefits. Their best guess about 3000 mung will lose Social Security payments over the next 12 months. About 7000 will lose their food stamps. That I should have done. Diana and maybe we can talk about the contract me MUA is frustrated that no one seems to know how many of her people will be affected just as there are many mung in Minnesota like Lee. There are many like me. She came to this country as a child with her parents after the Vietnam War. I'm done for the day. She's now in her last year at law school. She already has a bachelor's and master's degree all three of her brothers and sisters are in college or planning to go. That's a one hundred only I don't think that's our only Moolah was at this meeting in St. Paul held by the women's association of mung and Lao. She was able to tell these people in their own language what welfare reform would mean to them because this is a great mistrust of the system. The schoolmistress system and they

feel like we came to this. Country we left everything and came to this country. We were to come to this country taking care and then we come to all these little rules that we have to jump through all these qualifications that don't make any sense to us. And most worry about the elderly the disabled the young people at least we could still try to find jobs and if they are able they can they can fend for themselves. Only we're not we're not have any assistance at all. If they don't have sons and sister daughter in laws or extended families who can who is capable of taking care of them they're going to be out in the street. Laura Washington D.C. MUA believes the solution for many is citizenship. But she also knows it's a huge hurdle for many elderly people years ago to help prepare her for the citizenship test. I made three cassette tapes. I'm like the 350 questions I ask to potentially ask you when you go to get your

citizenship and I taped it. The question in English and then I tapes the answer. For two years my mother listened to those three tapes and memorized every single question and every single answer to those questions. My mother my father and when I went to take the test every single question they were able to answer the question because they were that it's really hard and if you don't have the support and if you don't have you know some kind of system in place to kind of enforce that. Yang knows that many of these people don't have that kind of support. So many of these elderly people they still feel foreigners in this country. They've been you know 10 20 years. Your play the first white man he's there talk and they talk to or they would never even have a real candid conversation with. So they still feel very isolated. Sure parly is 63 years old. Under the rules because of his age and because he's lived in the U.S. for more than 10 years he can now take a citizenship test with a monk translator but to him the test

still seems an insurmountable task. And he's afraid that even if he takes the test and passes the government will just change the rules again. Yeah with that from what he gathered from American you know words what they said to him and so forth he feel like now that he's here in the country it seemed like they were just you know telling him like playing a trick on him he said like you know I had asked him to climb the ladder to get to the next level but in doing so they just yank the ladder under him and he just wanted to know are they actually speaking as an adult. Are they just playing a game just like children do. That's what you like to know. The commendation Lee got from Congress was issued just five months ago. It quotes JFK his inaugural speech and the long history of the world. Only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in

its hour of maximum danger. Congress which gave me the commendation last May is now telling him to pass the citizenship test or get a job with a number of the changes proposed in the original welfare reform legislation have been postponed pending the outcome of a suit brought by New York City against the feds. The city argues that it's unconstitutional to withhold benefits from legal residents who pay taxes. We spent most of the show focusing on the monk community. Now we'd like to take a little bit broader look at immigration to Minnesota who's coming and why. Joining me are barber Ron again from the state demographers office in Margarita who's executive director of the state's Chicano Latino Affairs Council. Welcome to both of you.

Thank you very much Barbara figures show that nearly 1 million new immigrants come to the U.S. every year. Is Minnesota a prime destination. No it's not. The reason is that we're not a coastal city and most people usually come to places in Texas or New York or Florida or California. So the people who come here a lot of them come as a second stop on their trek to the United States coming in 1904 that was the last year that we have data for about 800 people came from Vietnam and about the same number of people came from the former Soviet republics. And then the third country of origin was mainland China. We had about 450 people come from there. Margarita in terms of people that are coming from say Spanish speaking communities the Hispanic population Minnesota is said to be growing Is that true. Oh absolutely. There's a lot of immigrants coming from Mexico South America Central America Costa Rica on Dora's. They're absolutely here. Their numbers are growing. Why are they coming here

though for jobs mostly. A lot of them come here for jobs I mean the situation in Mexico right now is not very good economically for them. It's much better to come here and work in factories or work in in farms do field work. They can't find jobs in Mexico so they're coming here and they're working for very low wages here in this country and even in Minnesota. Barbara why are the other groups of folks coming to Minnesota. Part of it may be that there are social service agencies here that welcome them and make it easier for them to make the transition to life in the United States. It may be that there are a large number of Africans who are here and they probably had relatives who came in then. It's kind of a chain reaction effect some people come and then others follow them so they come to the same place. That's certainly true of the Mung population in Minnesota. Margarita in my introduction to our conversation I talked a little bit about welfare reform on the congressional level and certainly legal immigrants are worried about welfare reform. And you just I understand got out of a meeting a focus group

with legal immigrants. What's what are they talking about out there. Well they're very upset about the changes right now. Legal immigrants are not going to be able to get SSI which is Supplemental Social Security which is mostly for disabled veterans or elderly folks or kids with disabilities they're not going to be able to get food stamps. And people are very upset about that. They're saying well how can we go out and work a minimum wage job and still take care of our five kids and pay our bills is just impossible so if there are going to be these kinds of changes you're if you want people to go out and work you're going to have to provide child care and you're going to have to provide a livable wage so that people are able to pay their bills otherwise they just cannot make it through life with the kind of wages that they're making out in the factories or are out in the fields. What does the council do for these folks to do anything. Yes we do a lot. We talk to them and we let them know that we're there for them and we let them know that they can become involved in the political process and that they need to go to the legislature during the session and talk to legislators and testify at hearings

about what these changes will do because the state does have the option to pick up the slack for some of the federal cuts. And if these people show up in great numbers of the legislature and explain what their situation is it's very likely that the state will pick up some of the slack for some of the federal cuts. Let me ask you something about movement on the congressional level. There's talk that the next session there might even be more tightening of legal immigration to the United States. What do you hear about that in the community. A lot of worries about that as well. There is people are very upset about that I mean this country was made up of immigrants. This country was built on immigrants and the contributions of immigrants are great and we need to start focusing on the achievements of the contributions of the immigrants rather than on the negatives. It is not true that immigrants come to this country to abuse the welfare system they come here to work for very low wages and if those immigrants do not come I do not know who is going to do some of that work because the permanent residents of the United States people that live here do not want to do some of these jobs they don't want to work at the target processing

companies and they don't want to make minimum wage. You mentioned turkey processing companies in Berber clearly there are a lot of those sorts of businesses in greater Minnesota us when we talk about influx is immigrants to Minnesota. You see more in greater Minnesota versus the urban areas. Well the data from the INS indicates that most of them live in the metropolitan area. But if we talk to people out in rural Minnesota that tell us that they have a lot of immigrants coming from Mexico. A lot of Hispanic people coming into their communities we also have a lot of Southeast Asians people coming into some of those communities as well. And how is it changing the face of greater Minnesota traditionally known as a pretty white it's making some here and big changes in those areas. Worthington has had some problems or gang problems in some small cities that we wouldn't expect to see gang problems. And the other thing though that's happening is for example the mayor of a Delia likes to talk about the minority community in his city and he likes to point out that if it weren't for that

minority community community their school would have had to be consolidated in their Main Street would have been become a ghost town. So they've really revitalized some of the small communities just because of the numbers and adding to the economic base of those small towns. Likewise though Margarita we have about 30 seconds left with these new immigrants coming into greater Minnesota. There have been some concerns about racism and racist attitudes. But what's a council doing to battle that. We educate people. We get them together we get them talking and we educate the mainstream community about Latinos and we educate Latino is about mainstream community. Back again on Monday at its regular time in the mean time back in 1994. TOMORROW IS GOOD NIGHT. Minnesota is made possible by the contributors to the two campaigns program

funded with major grants from the Blanton Foundation and the McKnight foundation arts reporting on NEWSNIGHT Minnesota is made possible with grants from the National Endowment for the arts and from Target stores Dayton Hudson foundation.