Immigrant Experiences

The 2024-2025 Season opened with The Concert Version of the Musical Kristina, which brings the listener on a journey of hope and heartbreak through the eyes of Swedish immigrants, Kristina Nilsson and her family, brought to life by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson, the legendary songwriters of ABBA.

Kristina’s experiences of love, loss, and hope resonate as deeply today as they did over a century ago. We invite you to explore the content below including taking an immigrant’s journey and learning more about the four current largest immigrant populations in Minnesota.

What would you do? Take an Immigrant’s Journey

Every American immigrant, from every era has a story—shaped by laws, demographics, economics, racial attitudes, and decisions made in the name of opportunity and love. Here are eight immigrant stories, told through composite characters but based on real laws and historically documented scenarios. Click the button below to follow their paths, and see how you would respond to the choices they faced. 

The Immigrant Experience

(Used by permission. Produced and designed by Dan Zedek, research and writing by Grainne McEvoy, development by Yan Wu, illustrations by Joel Kimmel, edited by Joanna Weiss and Michael Workman Published on October 24, 2018)

Immigrant Populations in Minnesota

Nearly half a million immigrants call Minnesota home, a population that includes citizens and non-citizens, students and workers, and refugees who fled their home countries. Minnesota has proportionally fewer immigrants compared to the nation as a whole, but we have long been a state shaped by immigration. In 2020, about 8% of Minnesotans were foreign-born, but that percentage was as high as 37% in the late 1800s. Immigration will continue to shape our communities for generations to come. Today, one in five Minnesota children is the child of an immigrant. Most of these children are native-born themselves.
—data provided by Minnesota Compass

Minnesota is home to over 400,000 immigrants from around the world.

Until the 1970s most immigrants coming to Minnesota hailed from western Europe, primarily Germany, Norway, and Sweden. Today, our largest immigrant groups are from Mexico, Somalia, Laos, and India. Click the country names below to learn more.
—Allison Liuzzi, Minnesota Compass

Mexico

Current MN Mexican Population: 91,831

Latinos are the people of Latin America, which includes the Spanish speaking countries of North, Central, and South America, and the Caribbean. Latinos started to arrive in Minnesota in significant numbers in the 1910s, when agricultural companies began recruiting them to the state. Today over 220,000 Latinos live in Minnesota. Most of these individuals are of Mexican heritage, followed by Ecuadorian, Puerto Rican, Salvadorian, Guatemalan, and Colombian.

Both Minneapolis and St. Paul are home to thriving Latino communities and job opportunities have drawn Latinos to smaller cities and towns throughout the state.

Note: “Latino” is a much more important term in the U.S. than it is in Latin America, where most individuals identify themselves by their country of origin rather than as members of a broader Spanish-influenced culture. The term “Latino” includes people from many different countries, cultures, ethnicities, and races. 

Data includes foreign-born immigrants and their native born children. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, (2017-2021), Minnesota Compass

(Minnesota Immigrant Oral Histories, Minnesota Historical Society. https://mnhs.gitlab.io/archive/minnesota-immigrant-oral-histories/collections.mnhs.org/ioh/10001436.html)

Somalia

Current MN Somali Population: 73,099

While a small number of Somalis came to settle in the Northeastern United States in the 1920s, and others came to study in the 1960s, a surge in Somali immigration occurred in the 1990s after the outbreak of civil war in the country combined with years of famine, floods, and drought. Somalia has not had a recognized government since 1991.

Most Somalis who now live in Minnesota came to the United States as refugees, many after first living as refugees in countries like Kenya and Ethiopia. Minnesota is home to the country’s largest population of Somali residents, which numbered 87,853 as of 2008. Most Somalis live in the metro area, particularly in Minneapolis.

Data includes foreign-born immigrants and their native born children. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, (2017-2021), Minnesota Compass

(Minnesota Immigrant Oral Histories, Minnesota Historical Society. https://mnhs.gitlab.io/archive/minnesota-immigrant-oral-histories/collections.mnhs.org/ioh/10000908.html)

Laos

Current MN Hmong Population: 54,518

As of 2008, Minnesota was home to 49,000 Hmong, one of the largest Hmong communities in the United States. More Hmong live in the Twin Cities than in any other urban area in the United States. Originally from Laos, the Hmong supported American troops during the Vietnam War.

Beginning in 1976 and continuing in five waves until 2004, most Hmong have come to the United States as political refugees.

The Hmong have strong kinship and clan ties. Many who originally were resettled in other areas chose to move to Minnesota to be close to family members and other relatives.

Data includes foreign-born immigrants and their native born children. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, (2017-2021), Minnesota Compass

(Minnesota Immigrant Oral Histories, Minnesota Historical Society. https://mnhs.gitlab.io/archive/minnesota-immigrant-oral-histories/collections.mnhs.org/ioh/10000904.html)

India

Current MN Indian Population: 39,857

It wasn’t until the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 that Minnesota officially opened its doors to Indians. From 1965 through the early 1990s, many came for higher degrees and eventually settled into largely professional jobs. In the later 1990s and early 2000s, a technology boom and temporary visas for skilled labor brought hundreds of thousands of Indians; some of whom eventually settled in Minnesota.

The Indian American population in Minnesota has grown steadily since 1980. Over 80% of them are educated professionals who have contributed to the state as doctors, engineers, scientists, and entrepreneurs.

Minnesota continues to receive about 1,000 Asian Indian immigrants each year.

Data includes foreign-born immigrants and their native born children. Integrated Public Use Microdata Series from the U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, (2017-2021), Minnesota Compass

(Minnesota Immigrant Oral Histories, Minnesota Historical Society. https://www.mnopedia.org/ganges-ten-thousand-lakes-immigration-india-minnesota)