You can count on one hand the talking points most commonly associated with Minneapolis–St. Paul: the late musician Prince, Mall of America, and never-ending winters. What may not be as well-known is the metro area’s surprising cultural diversity.
Minnesota has sizable populations who have roots in Scandinavia, Germany, Ethiopia, India, and Mexico. The Twin Cities are home to the biggest Somali community in the U.S., as well as the highest urban concentration of Hmong people, who have links to Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and China. With chef Sean Sherman—aka the Sioux Chef—of the Oglala Lakota Nation garnering national accolades for Owamni, his Indigenous fine-dining restaurant, the spotlight has also swung onto the area’s Native American community.
We asked residents from three of the Twin Cities’ diaspora groups to share slivers
