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Social Issues

Red Lake students score lower than other Indian kids on standardized test

Statistics show Minnesota's American Indian children typically perform below average on the state's basic skills tests. The most recent scores have people on the Red Lake reservation especially worried. Students there scored significantly lower than Indian students anywhere else in the state. Red Lake School District officials say there are lots of reasons for the poor scores, including geographic isolation, widespread poverty, and a lack of commitment to education by some parents. School officials are now trying to figure out how to move forward.

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Jobs for Hmong refugees a priority and a challenge

Last month, Tong Her stepped off a plane in the Twin Cities after an 8,000-mile trip from Thailand. He arrived with his wife and nine other relatives -- the first in a wave of Hmong refugees coming to Minnesota over the next few months. Her told a reporter his first priority is finding work, something almost always easier said than done.

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Coming to America

This Fourth of July weekend, we ask for MPR listeners to call in with their stories about coming to America.

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Fragile families

A new program partly funded by Minnesota marriage license surcharges would encourage parents of babies born in Minneapolis or St. Paul to pursue marriage, or at least a more permanent relationship.

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'A quiet friction' over new immigrants

Immigrants make up about 10 to 12 percent of the population around Albert Lea in Freeborn County. Many of the most recent arrivals are from Africa -- Ethiopians, Sudanese, Nigerians. For generations, Mexicans got jobs here as migrant farmhands. Gradually, some began to stay, as jobs in meatpacking plants expanded in Albert Lea and nearby towns. Mexicans are the region's largest immigrant group. But some area residents still object to the numbers of immigrants living in the area.

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United States tightens Cuba embargo

The Bush administration has imposed new sanctions against Cuba. The tightening of the 42-year-old embargo is intended to increase pressure on the Cuban government.

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Hmong may join waiting list for English classes

The thousands of Hmong refugees who are expected to arrive in Minnesota will face a major obstacle: learning English. But many English language learning classes are already full in the Twin Cities and have waiting lists. Educators say they're concerned an already stressed system could cause problems for the refugees.

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Hmong children enroll in school

Seven children were among the 11 Hmong refugees who arrived in the Twin Cities earlier this week. Some of those kids are now beginning the process of enrolling in St. Paul schools. School officials say they hope to make that process as routine as possible.

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Dr. James Dobson

Dr. James Dobson says that the legalization of gay marriage could have dire consequences for America. He argues that unless legislatures take action--and quickly--they will jeopardize not only the institution of the American family, but of the health insurance industry and social security as well. Dobson, a psychologist and best-selling author whose latest book is "The New Strong-Willed Child," founded Focus on the Family in 1977. He hosts a daily radio program heard on more than 3,000 stations in North America and in 15 languages on about 3,300 stations in more than 116 other countries. He speaks live from the National Press Club in Washington.

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Oh Freedom Over Me

Forty years ago Monday, civil rights workers James Cheney, Andrew Goodman and Michael Schwerner disappeared in Mississippi. They were brutally beaten and shot. Cheney, Goodman and Schwerner were three of about a thousand young Americans, black and white, who came together in Mississippi for a peaceful assault on racism. It came to be known as Freedom Summer, one of the most remarkable chapters in the Civil Rights Movement. In this American RadioWorks documentary, correspondent John Biewen brings us the voices of those who fought for democracy that Freedom Summer.

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