Type: Sound Recording Nonmusical / Subject Headings: Ethnicity - Minnesota Digital Library Search Results

1. Interview with Ann Zuvekas

Creator:: Zuvekas, Ann
Date Created:: 1976-07-14
Description:: Ann Zuvekas was director of Migrant Health Services, Inc., from 1974 to 1976. Subjects discussed include: Migrant Health Services, Inc., including its history, organization, funding, objectives, services, innovative projects and achievements, new programs, goals, and areas needing improvement.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

2. Interview with Qi-hui Zhai

Creator:: Zhai, Qi-hui
Date Created:: 1980-01-04
Description:: Qi-hui Zhai was born in Shanghai, China, on December 16, 1927. Her father was a biology professor at Central University in Nanjing and traveled between research institutions in Nanjing, Beijing, and Shanghai during most of her childhood. In 1945 Zhai entered Suzhou University, located temporarily in Shanghai at the end of World War II. The next year she transferred to Yanjing University in Beijing, and she graduated in June of 1949, six months after liberation. She was assigned to the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, and in 1959 the government of the People's Republic of China sent her to Russia for two years of study. For the first year she studied at the Institute of Zoology in Leningrad, and later at the Institute of Biochemistry in Moscow. Zhai arrived in Minnesota in June of 1979, the first of many visiting scholars from China to arrive at the University of Minnesota following normalization of diplomatic relations between the United States and China on January 1, 1979. She worked with Dr. James W. Bodley in the Department of Biochemistry at the University Medical School from mid-1979 to late 1981, conducting basic research on the reproductive system of the ladybug, in an attempt to develop a means of artificial rearing of the insect, a natural enemy of aphids, for control of aphids in agriculture. Subjects discussed include: Zhai discusses her father's background as a pioneer entomologist in China, and his work in establishing biology departments in several Chinese universities after spending thirteen years in study and research at Cornell University in New York - his many publications under the name C. Ping - problems of Chinese scientists in the 1980s in conducting basic research after the interruption of the Cultural Revolution - Zhai's research at the University of Minnesota on yolk protein synthesis in the ladybug, a continuation of her research in Beijing - her impressions of Minnesota - and her family in Beijing. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Zhai is an accomplished scientist from the People's Republic of China, and her visit to Minnesota is significant because it represents a new era of exchange between scientists in the state's research institutions and scientists in China. Her perspective is especially interesting because her father studied in the United States in the 1910s and was instrumental in advancing Western scientific knowledge in China after returning to his homeland in 1920.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

3. Interview with Antonio and Petra T. Zepeda

Creator:: Zepeda, Antonio; Zepeda, Petra Trevino
Date Created:: 1975-07-31
Description:: Antonio Zepeda Cardona was born in San Juan de Allende, Coahuila, Mexico, in 1902. He came to the United States with his family in 1907 and was raised in Rio Hondo, Texas. He was married to Petra Trevino Zepeda in Mexico at age sixteen, and in 1923 they came to the United States. He worked for the railroad for three months then came to Minnesota to work in the beet fields. He died in 1977. Petra Trevino Zepeda was born in Cuatro Cienigas, Coahuila, Mexico in 1906. She helped her father harvest his crops and take them to sell in the marketplace in Piedras Negras. She married Antonio Zepeda at age thirteen. Subjects discussed include: Their childhood and immediate family in Mexico - courtship in Mexico - the Mexican Revolution - crossing the border - job history - their twelve children - people and festivals on St. Paul's West Side - and advice for younger people. Mr. Zepeda also explains techniques for harvesting sugar beets. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: In Spanish, transcribed into English.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

4. Interview with Heladio "Lalo" Zavala

Creator:: Zavala, Heladio; United States
Date Created:: 10/18/2010
Description:: Heladio "Lalo" Zavala was born in Asherton, Texas. Zavala decided to move to Minnesota to attend Moorhead State College and studied social work and Spanish. He became involved with the Latino community by becoming the chairman of Migrant Health Services, executive director of the Minnesota Migrant Council, and CEO of Midwest Association of Farmworker Organizations. Zavala is married with three children. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family background - Latino culture in Texas - agriculture in
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

5. Interview with Robert Zan

Creator:: Zan, Robert
Date Created:: 2011-05-11
Description:: Robert Zan is the son of Mahn Ba Zan who was a prominent leader in the Karen struggle for independence. In turn Robert Zan was a leader in Karen struggles for independence. He is the author of a concise history "Mahn Ba Zan & The Karen Revolution", published in 1993. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Early memories of Burmese atrocities against the Karen - family - his father Mahn Ba Zan founder of Karen National Defense Organization and leader of the Karen resistance - becoming a solider - fighting
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

6. Interview with Arturo Zamora

Creator:: Zamora, Arturo
Date Created:: 1976-07-15
Description:: Arturo Zamora was born in Benjamin, Texas, in 1925, one of eleven children. He came to Cloquet, Minnesota, in 1931 with his parents and settled in 1938 near Hollandale, Minn., where his family has owned a farm since 1940. Zamora has worked at Wilson Meat Packing Co. in Albert Lea since 1945 and operates a restaurant near Albert Lea with his three brothers. Subjects discussed include: Family and early life - work in the meatpacking industry - Club Azteca, League of United Latin American Citizens and Knights of Columbus in Albert Lea - and his restaurant.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

7. Interview with Robert Yu

Creator:: Yu, Robert
Date Created:: 1979-02-01
Description:: Robert Yu was born in about 1915 in the city of Fuzhou, Fujian Province, China. During his childhood his father was postmaster general of China. As the eldest son, Yu enjoyed a favorable position in the family, and his father set aside a considerable sum of money to enable him to study in the United States after graduation from college. While studying at the University of Nanjing, Yu met his future wife, Victoria (Yu), and after their marriage Yu's father agreed to send them both to the United States. Robert and Victoria Yu arrived in the United States in about 1939. Although Robert Yu had intended to attend graduate school after his arrival, he had not made arrangements with any specific university. In Seattle, where they disembarked, they met a Chinese graduate of the University of Wisconsin who suggested that Yu attend the University of Minnesota and offered to accompany them to Minneapolis. After their arrival Yu applied to the University of Minnesota and was accepted as a graduate student in the College of Business Administration, and he later transferred to the College of Agriculture, where he majored in agricultural economics. While Yu was a student at the university, two sons, Robert and Victor, were born to the family. Yu completed his master of arts degree in 1941, but because of the Sino-Japanese War he could not return to China immediately. He took a job for a short time at the Pillsbury Company in Minneapolis and then took a job in Washington, D.C., where a third child, Joyce (the interviewer for this oral history interview, and who was interviewed for the project as well), was born. In Washington Yu worked as a Chinese-area specialist at the Department of Agriculture. During World War II the United States planned (but never carried out) a landing on the Chinese coast, and Yu provided information on Chinese agriculture in the proposed landing area. In 1947, with the war over, the Yu family returned to China, where Yu took a job as vice-president of the Farmers' Bank of China in Shanghai. As rampant inflation and civil conflict made living in postwar China increasingly difficult, the family returned to the United States in 1949 and settled in southeast Minneapolis, the area where they had lived during Yu's time at the university. Yu again took a job with the Pillsbury Company for a short time, but next he became a vice-president of First National Bank of Minneapolis. In 1979 Yu retired from that job and accepted a teaching position in Taiwan. While Victoria Yu also decided to live in Taiwan, where many relatives live, all three Yu children have remained in the United States. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Yu discusses his family background in China - his first trip to the United States, and his fears that he and his wife would be turned away by immigration officials - first impressions in Seattle - Chinese student life at the University of Minnesota's Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses during World War II, when the students were cut off from family resources - political views in the Chinese community in Minnesota - views toward normalization of U.S.-China diplomatic relations in 1979 - discrimination toward Chinese people - and problems of child rearing in the immigrant community. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Yu reflects the views of the intellectuals from northern China (Mandarin speakers), most of whom came either as students to the University of Minnesota or as political refugees settling in Minnesota after World War II. He is particularly perceptive about divisions within the Chinese community and about changing views of Chinese settlers over the years.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

8. Interview with Joyce Yu

Creator:: Yu, Joyce
Date Created:: 1979-06-04
Description:: Joyce Yu was born in 1946 in Washington, D.C., where her father was employed as a Chinese area specialist by the U.S. Department of Agriculture during World War II. Her parents, Robert and Victoria Yu, arrived in the United States from China in about 1939. They lived in southeast Minneapolis from the time of their arrival until 1941, while Robert Yu was a graduate student in agricultural economics at the University of Minnesota. Two sons, Robert and Victor, were born to the family during this period. The elder Yu completed his degree in 1941, but the family could not return to China because of war conditions in the Pacific, and they moved to Washington. In 1947, after Joyce's birth and the war's end, the family returned to China, where Robert Yu accepted a job as vice-president of the Farmers' Bank of China in Shanghai. Postwar conditions in China grew increasingly unstable, however, and the family returned to the United States in 1949, when Joyce was two and a half years old. The Yus settled in southeast Minneapolis again, and Joyce spent most of her childhood and youth in this neighborhood. She attended University High School and the University of Minnesota, from which she received a bachelor of arts degree in sociology in 1968. After graduation she was employed by the university's Office of Student Affairs from 1968 to 1973, and she also completed a year of graduate study in educational psychology. From 1973 to 1975 she worked for VISTA on the West Bank in Minneapolis. In the fall of 1975 she went to Taiwan for a year of study in Chinese language and tai chi (martial arts). Upon her return to the United States, Yu worked as student internship coordinator at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, and in August of 1977 she took a job with the Otto Bremer Foundation in St. Paul, working as a program officer, reviewing and evaluating grant proposals. In 1979 she left the Bremer Foundation to become the director of the Women's Funding Assistance Project for the Ms. Foundation, and in 1981 she was appointed executive director of the Ms. Foundation. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family background - class and regional differences within the Chinese community in Minnesota - family structure and child rearing in the state's Chinese settlement - and the developing ethnic consciousness of young Asian Americans at the University of Minnesota during the 1960s. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: This interview provides valuable information on the northern intellectuals (Mandarin speakers) in the Chinese community in Minnesota, the subgroup in which Yu grew up. It also provides insight into the experience of Chinese families who have settled in the state since World War II, and of Asian students at the University of Minnesota in the 1960s.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

9. Interview with Yang C. Ying

Creator:: Ying, Yang Cha
Date Created:: 1991-11-20
Description:: Yang Cha Ying immigrated to the United States on October 7, 1980. Prior to his immigration he was an assistant to the mayor of Por Far, Laos. Yang Cha Ying also served as a soldier from 1950-1953. Currently, he is retired, though he acts as an advisor for the police when making domestic calls. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Yang Cha Ying describes his life in Laos, particularly the time he spent fighting in the wars, in detail. He talks about his adjustment to life in the United States and his role as an advisor for the police in domestic situations, explaining cultural differences. Yang Cha Ying hopes that the youth of his culture will learn to respect the elderly. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Interview translated by May Herr.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

10. Interview with You V. Yang

Creator:: Yang, You Vang
Date Created:: 2000-01-18
Description:: You Vang Yang is the mother of May Hang and is the daughter of Nhia Vang. Her maiden clan name is Vang and she married into the Yang clan. She is sixty years old and has nine children. She is widowed. She immigrated to the U.S. twenty-four years ago. She was born in Xuv Npuv, Laos. She is a White Hmong by birth, Blue Hmong by marriage. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Biographical information and religious affiliation. Childhood-school attendance, duties at home, community service, skills taught, social activities as a child, aspirations as a child. Hmong women's roles-decision making inside and outside of home and clan, women in leadership roles and how they are seen in the community, what women do to support their families, family planning, when women feel respected or disrespected. The war and living in refugee camps-memories of fleeing Laos, of refugee camps, difference in treatment of men and women in the camps. Adjustments since coming to the U.S.-skills needed to adjust, learning English, skills from Laos and Thailand that are adaptable or useable in the U.S., citizenship, leadership roles for women in the U.S. versus Laos, public contributions by Hmong women. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: All interviews were recorded in Hmong. Transcripts in both English and Hmong are available for each interview.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

11. Interview with Xeng S. Yang

Creator:: Yang, Xeng Sue
Date Created:: 1991-11-13
Description:: Xeng Sue Yang is a Hmong man, 44 years old. He was a soldier for the CIA (1960-1975) and farmer in Laos. Since arriving in the United States in 1979, he has lived in Minneapolis. Presently he is a story teller and a musician. He is married to Khou Xiong Yang. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Xeng Sue Yang talks of his life as a CIA soldier in the Vietnam War and his feelings of patriotism. Tales of adjustment to life in the United States are related as well as observations regarding the differences in the legal systems of the two countries. Xeng Sue Yang concludes the interview with a statement of hope to keep his culture alive. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Interview translated by May Herr.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

12. Interview with Toua Yang

Creator:: Yang, Toua
Date Created:: 2012-09-29
Description:: Toua Yang was born in Xhiangkhouang, Laos. He escaped to a refugee camp in Thailand, where he spent ten years before coming to the U.S. At the time of the interview Yang was a mental health case manager for Lyon, Redwood Falls, Yellow Medicine, and Murray counties. Subjects discussed include: Escaping Laos - experiences in refugee camp - adjusting to life in America - family - health issues in the Hmong community - Minnesota's education system and the achievement gap.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

13. Interview with Terry Yang

Creator:: Yang, Terry
Date Created:: 2012-09-16
Description:: Terry Yang was born in 1956 in Luang Prabang, Laos. He and his family escaped to a refugee camp in Thailand in 1979, where they lived for one year before moving to the United States in 1980. At the time of the interview Yang was the President of the Yang Wang Meng Association of United States, a national organization dedicated to connecting the Hmong community, building Hmong leaders, and preserving Hmong culture. He was also on the board for the Walnut Grove PTA. Subjects discussed include: Escaping Laos - experiences in refugee camp - adjusting to life in America - family - Hmong cultural preservation and community-building.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

14. Interview with Sua V. Yang

Creator:: Yang, Sua Vu
Date Created:: 2000-01-22
Description:: Sua Vu Yang is the mother of MayKao Hang and the daughter of See Lee. Her maiden clan name is Vu and she married into the Yang clan. She is fifty-one years old and has five children. She has graduated from high school and completed other courses. She studied for two years at Northeast Metro. She is employed making hearing aids for the deaf. She is separated from her husband whom she married when she was fifteen. She immigrated to America about twenty-three years ago. She lived in Huab Xis Vees, Seng Khouang, Laos. She is a White Hmong that wears Phuam Paj. Subjects discussed include: Biographical information and religious affiliation. Childhood-school attendance, duties at home, community service, skills taught, social activities as a child, aspirations as a child. Hmong women's roles-decision making inside and outside of home and clan, women in leadership roles and how they are seen in the community, what women do to support their families, family planning, when women feel respected or disrespected. The war and living in refugee camps-memories of fleeing Laos, of refugee camps, difference in treatment of men and women in the camps. Adjustments since coming to the U.S.-skills needed to adjust, learning English, skills from Laos and Thailand that are adaptable or useable in the U.S., citizenship, leadership roles for women in the U.S. versus Laos, public contributions by Hmong women. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: The interview was conducted predominantly in Hmong. The Hmong transcript and an English translation are bound together for this interview.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

15. Interview with Nhia Y. Yang

Creator:: Yang, Nhia Yer
Date Created:: 1991-11-15
Description:: Nhia Yer Yang is a shaman, 60 years old. Prior to immigrating to the United States in 1980, he was a soldier and the mayor of his village. He is Xeng Sue Yang's older brother. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Nhia Yer Yang describes his life and his duties as both a soldier and a mayor in Laos. Nhia Yer Yang also discusses his current role as a shaman and the help that he gives to people. He concludes the interview with a concern for the future generations of Hmong people. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Interview translated by May Herr.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

16. Interview with Mao T. Yang

Creator:: Yang, Mao Thao
Date Created:: 1999-11-01
Description:: Mao Thao Yang is the mother of Mai Vang Thao and the grandmother of Bo Thao. She is fifty-two years old, married and has three children, two are living. In Laos, she lived in the village of Tha Cho (Thaj Chauv) and her mother was of the Lee clan. She is of the group of Hmong that lived in Xieng Khouang. Her family was poor and she didn't have an opportunity to attend school. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Biographical information and religious affiliation. Childhood-school attendance, duties at home, community service, skills taught, social activities as a child, aspirations as a child. Hmong women's roles-decision making inside and outside of home and clan, women in leadership roles and how they are seen in the community, what women do to support their families, family planning, when women feel respected or disrespected. The war and living in refugee camps-memories of fleeing Laos, of refugee camps, difference in treatment of men and women in the camps. Adjustments since coming to the U.S.-skills needed to adjust, learning English, skills from Laos and Thailand that are adaptable or useable in the U.S., citizenship, leadership roles for women in the U.S. versus Laos, public contributions by Hmong women. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: The interview was conducted predominantly in Hmong. The Hmong transcript and an English translation are bound together for this interview.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

17. Interview with Kim Yang

Creator:: Yang, Kim
Date Created:: 1999-12-01
Description:: Kim Yang is the half sister of Bao Vang. Born Va Vang in 1969 in Long Cheng, Laos, her family immigrated to the U.S. in April, 1980 from Ban Ve Nai (Npaab Vib Nais). She finished high school and studied computer programming for six months. She has been married for fifteen years and has five children. Currently, she works as a computer programmer. One of her duties is adapting forms to make them easier for the Hmong to use. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Biographical information and religious affiliation. Childhood-school attendance, duties at home, community service, skills taught, social activities as a child, aspirations as a child. Hmong women's roles-decision making inside and outside of home and clan, women in leadership roles and how they are seen in the community, what women do to support their families, family planning, when women feel respected or disrespected. The war and living in refugee camps-memories of fleeing Laos, of refugee camps, difference in treatment of men and women in the camps. Adjustments since coming to the U.S.-skills needed to adjust, learning English, skills from Laos and Thailand that are adaptable or useable in the U.S., citizenship, leadership roles for women in the U.S. versus Laos, public contributions by Hmong women. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: The interview was conducted predominantly in Hmong. The Hmong transcript and an English translation are bound together for this interview.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

18. Interview with Ger Yang

Creator:: Yang, Ger
Date Created:: 1992-04-03
Description:: Ger Yang immigrated to the United States with his family in 1979 at the age of six. Ger Yang is married to Sheng Cha. Presently he is a full time student at St. Paul Technical College, studying to become a lab technician. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Ger Yang talks of his expectations for life in the United States, with special emphasis on going to college and beginning a career. Ger discusses briefly the roles his parents and elders play in their family.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

19. Interview with Ge Yang

Creator:: Yang, Ge
Date Created:: 1992-09-10
Description:: Ge Yang in an 18 year old senior at South High School. He immigrated to the United States with his parents in 1975. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Ge Yang talks about his life in Minnesota, and what it means to be a Hmong man. Ge Yang discusses various aspects of the Hmong culture, in particular the traditional customs of marriage and also the importance of the Hmong culture to him and how it affects his future. He advises all young people to stay away from gangs and to listen to the advice that their parents offer to them.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

20. Interview with Tenzin Yangdon

Creator:: Yangdon, Tenzin
Date Created:: 2005-09-24
Description:: Tenzin Yangdon was born in Rajpur, India. She moved to Minnesota in 1996. Yangdon graduated from high school in Minnesota and is pursuing her undergraduate degree at Hamline University. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Parents, family, being sent to boarding school, differences and similarities between schools in India and the United States, family separation, coming to Minnesota, initial reaction to Minnesota, making friends, deciding to go to college, selecting a college, selecting a career, Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), Middle-Way, autonomy, independence, Tibetan politics, Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), Westerners and the Tibetan cause, community, college experiences, Tibetan Cultural Center, preserving culture, differences and similarities between Tibetan, Indian, and American culture, working on the Minnesota Tibetan Oral History Project.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

21. Interview with Ahmay Ya

Creator:: Ya, Ahmay
Date Created:: 2011-05-11
Description:: Ahmay Ya was born in 1987 in Sanchaung in Rangoon, Burma. She graduated from the University in Burma in 2003-2004. She immigrated to the United States in 2008 as a Karen refugee. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Early life - her father the revolutionary Mahn Nyein Maung - family and how the Karen people name their children - her childhood in Rangoon - her mother working as a trader while her father was in prison - being questioned by the authorities - escaping from Burma - volunteering to help deliver babies, and helping other refugees - coming to the United States alone - getting an education and working in Minnesota - her father's book Against the Storm: Across the Sea" and her father's imprisonment and release - hopes for herself and the Karen - working with the Karen in Minnesota and mental health issues - "
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

22. Interview with Ong V. Xiong

Creator:: Xiong, Ong Vang
Date Created:: 2000-01-17
Description:: Ong Vang Xiong is the mother of Yer Moua and is the grandmother of Mai Neng Moua. She is fifty-four years old and has been married twice. Her first husband was from the Vue clan and her second was from the Moua clan. She had three children with her first husband and two with her second. She was born in Mong Nha, Laos, fled to Thailand and then immigrated to the U.S. in 1990. She is a White Hmong. She received no formal education. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Biographical information and religious affiliation. Childhood-school attendance, duties at home, community service, skills taught, social activities as a child, aspirations as a child. Hmong women's roles-decision making inside and outside of home and clan, women in leadership roles and how they are seen in the community, what women do to support their families, family planning, when women feel respected or disrespected. The war and living in refugee camps-memories of fleeing Laos, of refugee camps, difference in treatment of men and women in the camps. Adjustments since coming to the U.S.-skills needed to adjust, learning English, skills from Laos and Thailand that are adaptable or useable in the U.S., citizenship, leadership roles for women in the U.S. versus Laos, public contributions by Hmong women. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: The interview was conducted predominantly in Hmong. The Hmong transcript and an English translation are bound together for this interview.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

23. Interview with Khou Xiong

Creator:: Xiong, Khou
Date Created:: 1991-11-13
Description:: Khou Xiong is a Hmong woman, 61 years old. She was a mother and housewife in Laos. She moved to Minneapolis in 1979 and presently completes Hmong handiwork sent from Laos, whose profits from sale are returned to Laos. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Khou Xiong talks of her immigration and acclimation to the United States. She notes differences in family relations, particularly in the behavior and attitudes of her children in the United States and those still in Laos. Khou Xiong ends the interview with a piece of advice for Hmong women. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Interview translated by May Herr.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

24. Interview with Sinmin and Betty Wu

Creator:: Wu, Sinmin
Date Created:: 1979-12-02
Description:: Sinmin Wu was born June 1, 1931, in the city of Yixing in Jiangsu Province, China. Betty Wu (Yun Aur) was born December 15, 1938, in the city of Tianjin, in Hebei Province. Both left China for Taiwan during the Communist Revolution in the 1940s. They were married in Taiwan in 1959 and soon left for Malaysia, where Sinmin became a teacher in a Chinese girls' high school. Their first child was born in Malaysia. Sinmin went to the United States in 1961 for graduate study in mathematics at Southern Illinois University. He received a master of arts degree and accepted a teaching position at the University of Minnesota, Morris, in 1965. Betty and their daughter arrived in Morris in 1966. Two additional children have been born to the family in the United States. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: The Wus discuss the experience of Chinese Americans in small towns outside the Twin Cities area - their activities and sense of acceptance in university and community affairs - development of their children's identities in an area where few other Chinese live - and the role of Asian families in resettlement of a Vietnamese refugee family in Morris in late 1979 and 1980. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: This interview focused on acculturation in a small town as opposed to an urban area, on family life, and on the concerns of a transplanted Chinese family for the future of their children. It should be noted that although they have no worry about the Americanization of their children, they also want their children to know their own cultural heritage and language.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

25. Interview with Howard Woo

Creator:: Woo, Howard F.
Date Created:: 1981-10-09
Description:: Howard Woo was born in 1905 in San Francisco and came to Minnesota with his adoptive parents in 1906. His father, Yee Sing Woo (Woo Yee Sing, in Chinese name order), arrived in Minneapolis in 1882. He was a pioneer settler, successful businessman, and early leader in the Chinese community. The elder Woo married May Seen Liang (Liang May Seen) in San Francisco and brought her to Minneapolis in 1893. Both were active in the Chinese Sunday School at Westminster Presbyterian Church, a Sunday afternoon meeting place for early Chinese immigrants and their families attending religious services and English classes. Howard Woo attended Emerson School in Minneapolis during his elementary years and graduated from West High School in 1922. He entered the University of Minnesota in 1923 and received a bachelor of arts degree in 1927. He returned to the university to study architecture (which was then available only at the undergraduate level) and received a bachelor of architecture degree in 1931. Also in 1931 Woo married Lolita Young, a Chinese American from Portland, Oregon. Few jobs were available for architects during the Depression, and Woo turned to the family restaurant, known as John's Place, for employment. With the onset of World War II Woo found a job at the Twin Cities Ordnance Plant, as a gauge engineer, and later in the war years he worked as a draftsman for the Maico Corporation, which had a government contract to develop a metal detector for shrapnel. It was not until after the war that Woo was able to use his architectural training. In the early 1950s Woo became a partner in a newly formed industrial design company, Harold Darr Associates. The firm was quite successful but was dissolved in the early 1960s when Harold Darr joined the Char Lynn Company. Woo again returned to John's Place, which had become one of the Twin Cities' most popular Chinese restaurants. He remained at the family restaurant until it was closed in 1967 because the owner of the property wanted to build a parking lot in its place--a great loss to the Twin Cities community. After John's Place was closed, Woo retired to pursue a number of personal interests, including book collecting, particularly first editions and works of fine presses in which the craftwork is of special interest. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Parents' background - his father's many businesses, including the Hand Laundry, Canton Cafe, Yee Sing and Co., and Yuen Faung Low (John's Place) - his mother's curio shop - his early life in Minneapolis - his years at the University of Minnesota - discrimination against Chinese in the Twin Cities during the early years of settlement - and intermarriage among the third generation. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: No oral history collection on the Chinese community in Minnesota would be complete without the testimony of Howard Woo. He was probably the first Chinese child to live in the state, and his father was an important leader of the Chinese community in Minneapolis.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

26. Interview with Michael Hong Wong

Creator:: Wong, Michael Hong
Date Created:: 1979-06-07 - 1979-07-03
Description:: Michael Hong Wong was born in Austin, Minnesota, in 1948. His grandfather emigrated from Guangdong Province in southern China to Albert Lea, Minnesota, in 1927, by way of Canada and Seattle, Washington. At the time of Michael Wong's birth, his grandfather, father, and uncle were partners in a Chinese restaurant in Austin, but a few years later the family moved to Fargo, North Dakota. Because this city was a crossroad in the movement of military personnel during and after World War II, business opportunities were good, and the elder Wongs worked at the Pheasant Cafe, one of five Chinese restaurants in Fargo during the 1940s and early 1950s. When Wong was about five years old, the family moved back to Minnesota, where they established the Wong Cafe in Rochester. Wong attended public elementary schools in the city and graduated from John Marshall High School in 1966. He entered the University of Minnesota the following fall and graduated in 1970 with a bachelor of fine arts degree, majoring in painting. Later he returned to the university for graduate study and received a master of fine arts degree, with a major in photography, in 1975. During his undergraduate years at the university, Wong was actively involved in the Asian American Alliance, organized on the campus during the 1960s. In 1976 Wong returned to Rochester and worked in the family restaurant, while his wife, Isabel Joe, completed an internship in dietetics at Methodist Hospital. In 1977 they returned to the Twin Cities, and Wong taught for two years at the Minnetonka Art Center (now the Art Center of Minnesota). He also engaged in freelance photography and was one of the early members of the Minnesota Asian American Project, a pan-Asian organization in the Twin Cities area. In 1980 and 1981 Wong was employed by Weigen Graphic Center in Minneapolis and also continued his work as a freelance photographer. He has frequently photographed special events in the Asian community, including those of the most recent arrivals, the Indochinese. He also participated in the collection of photographs for an exhibit entitled Asians in Minnesota" that opened in the spring of 1982 at the Minnesota Historical Society and was sponsored by the Society
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

27. Interview with Isabel Suzanne J. Wong

Creator:: Wong, Isabel Suzanne Joe
Date Created:: 1982-06-08
Description:: Isabel Suzanne Joe was born in 1950 in north Minneapolis. Her father was born in China and came to the United States as a young man, returned to China to get married, and served in the U.S. military in Europe during World War II. After the war his wife and their son came from China to join him in Minnesota, and in the late 1940s and early 1950s several other children were born while the family was living in north and northeast Minneapolis. Isabel Suzanne Joe married Michael Wong, whose interview is also part of this oral history project. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Her family's background in China - their reasons for coming to the United States - growing up as the only Asian family in northeast Minneapolis - her brothers and sisters - and various degrees of acculturation within the family. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Isabel's young child is present at the interview and interrupts the interview at times.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

28. Interview with Maurice and Anna Lee Wolff

Creator:: Wolff, Maurice
Date Created:: 1969-06-14
Description:: Anna Lee (Mrs. Maurice) Wolff was born in Minneapolis in 1886. She graduated from Wellesley College in 1908 and married Maurice Wolff in 1909. In 1914 she was the first president of the Women's Auxiliary of the Temple of Aaron. In 1918 she was a founder of the local organization of the National Council of Jewish Women, and for two terms she was president of the Minneapolis World Affairs Council. At the time of the interview she had been a member of a local writers' group for twenty-five years. Maurice Wolff was born in Minneapolis in 1884. His parents were very active in Temple Shore Tov (later Temple Israel). He graduated from high school in 1902 and went to work for the Rothchild advertising agency about five days later. He worked there until 1919, when he went to work in his wife's family's business. Later he was business editor of Lancet Publications, which included the medical journal Lancet. Wolff was president of the Jewish welfare board during World War I and was active in Masonry and skating. He was also a member of the board for Family and Children's Services of Hennepin County and lectured in advertising at the University of Minnesota, College of St. Thomas, and local business colleges. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Anna Lee Wolff--her early life in Minneapolis - activities in public and religious affairs - general absence of anti-Semitism - and her pacifist beliefs. Maurice Wolff--his career in advertising - interests in skating and social clubs - community service - and an absence of anti-Semitism. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: MHS received the interview material in 1972 from Mrs. Nathan Berman of the Minneapolis Federation for Jewish Service. The interview consists of two parts: part one is an interview with Anna Lee Wolff, and part two is an interview with Maurice Wolff.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

29. Interview with Faamati Winey

Creator:: Winey, Faamati
Date Created:: 2012-02-28
Description:: Faamati Winey was born in Samoa in 1976. At the time of the interview she was the owner of four Snap Fitness franchises. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Early life and family - education - meeting her husband - her Snap Fitness franchises - coming to Minnesota - languages spoken at home and learning English - Samoan traditions and history - the village she grew up in - Samoan foods - life in Minnesota and life in Samoa - Samoans and rugby, and playing in Minnesota - Samoans and gambling - her passion for camping, mountaineering, and scuba diving and playing sports - her goals for the future climbing Mount Everest and starting a new business.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

30. Interview with Jane Wilson

Creator:: Wilson, Lucia Jane
Date Created:: 2002-10-11
Description:: Jane Wilson came to Minnesota in the early 1940s. She taught English to Chinese immigrants at the Westminster Presbyterian Church for about twenty years starting in mid-1940s as a function of the Chinese Sunday School program. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Chinese Sunday School held by Westminster Presbyterian church in Minneapolis as a vehicle to teach English and other skills, her role as teacher, and other ways she helped the Chinese and Asian community - various celebrations she has attended.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

31. Interview with Lee Vu

Creator:: Vu, Lee
Date Created:: 1992-09-19
Description:: Lee Vu is an eighteen year old woman who immigrated to the United States with her family in 1989. She is a student at Edison High School. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Lee Vu talks of her family, her studies and her hopes for the future. She lists ways her life is different in America than in Thailand.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

32. Interview with Olga Viso

Creator:: Viso, Olga; United States
Date Created:: 2/16/2011
Description:: Olga Viso was born in Melbourne, Florida. She attended Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida as an art major. Viso later attended Emory University for graduate school and afterwards became a curator at the High Museum. She later held the position as director of the Hirshhorn Museum for twelve years before becoming the executive director of the Walker Art Center. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family background - art as her passion - childhood - education - lack of diversity in Melbourne - Cuban exile - Cuban cooking - museum experience - Latino artists - Latino community - networking - community involvement - local art - immigrants - Walker Art Center as a resource for artists - organizations - global image of the Walker - multiculturalism - and embracing her heritage.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

33. Interview with Diana Villarreal

Creator:: Villarreal, Diana
Date Created:: 1976-08-06
Description:: Diana Villarreal was born in Texas in 1928 and moved to Minnesota in 1955. She is president of the Spanish Speaking Cultural Club, which was formed in 1971 by about four people and grew to a membership of about 25 within its first few years. Subjects discussed include: The Spanish Speaking Cultural Club's philosophies, financing, meetings, goals, activities and plans for the future - her activities since coming into the community - and the ways in which the activities led to her involvement with the club. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Tape speed vacillated in sections, resulting in poor voice reproduction but not severely hampering comprehensibility.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

34. Interview with Bill Villarreal

Creator:: Villarreal, Bill
Date Created:: 1976-07-27
Description:: Bill Villarreal was born in Sabinas, Hidalgo, Mexico, in 1909 and came to the United States in 1923. He settled in Albert Lea in 1948. Subjects discussed include: His early years working in agriculture in the United States - his involvement in clubs and societies in southern Minnesota, including the League of United Latin American Citizens - his role in founding the Azteca Club - the education and careers of his children - the need for Mexican Americans to be organized - and philosophies and viewpoints on progress and reform of society and its subcultures. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: In Spanish, transcribed into English.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

35. Interview with Alberto Villarreal

Creator:: Villarreal, Alberto
Date Created:: 1976-07-12
Description:: Alberto Villarreal was born in Blue Earth, Minn., in 1933 and grew up in Iowa and Albert Lea, Minn. He has worked in a packing house, a foundry, construction, a hospital and a furniture store. Since 1960 he has been a member of the Albert Lea Police Department. Subjects discussed include: Education, work and family history - involvement with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) - and the Azteca Club.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

36. Interview with Val Vargas

Creator:: Vargas, Val
Date Created:: 2011-2-14
Description:: Val Vargas was born in Minneapolis. Vargas grew up in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota and later in New Brighton. She attended Oklahoma City University and studied accounting. She worked at Metropolitan Economic Development Association as a business consultant and owns the Vargas Company. Vargas is the founder and current president of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Minnesota. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Jobs held - family background - Catholic religion - lack of Latino community in Minnesota - Latino culture and foods - Lake Street - being bilingual in Spanish and English - financial struggles growing up - childhood - Chicanos Latinos Unidos En Servicio - Choices - lack of services for Latino community - growing Latino population - emphasis on Spanish language - layoffs - budget cuts - and politics.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

37. Interview with Sandra L. Vargas

Creator:: Vargas, Sandra L.
Date Created:: 2011-03-14
Description:: Sandra L. Vargas was born in Los Angeles before moving to Minnesota. Vargas attended the College of Saint Catherine in Saint Paul studying business administration and later the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University for a mid-career degree on public policy. She held positions working at the State Department of Economic Development and as Minnesota Department of Transportation Director of Administrative Services for the metro district. Vargas is currently the president and CEO (chief executive officer) of the Minneapolis Foundation. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Jobs held - family background - Latino community in Minnesota - immigration - religion - financial struggles growing up - childhood - importance of education - Set-Aside Program - relationships - Hispanic Chamber of Business - racism - English translators - Minnesota Chamber of Commerce - Minority Issues Advisory Council - Chicano Esperanza - Hispanic Women's Development Corporation - Latino parents conference - fellowships - and leadership.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

38. Interview with Nhia Vang

Creator:: Vang, Nhia
Date Created:: 2000-01-21
Description:: Nhia Vang is the mother of You Vang Yang and the grandmother of May Hang. Born in the Yang clan in Xubu, Laos, Nhia Vang reports she is 66 years old. She had eleven children, nine still living. She has lived in the U.S. and been widowed about twenty-five years. She is White Hmong. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Biographical information and religious affiliation. Childhood-school attendance, duties at home, community service, skills taught, social activities as a child, aspirations as a child. Hmong women's roles-decision making inside and outside of home and clan, women in leadership roles and how they are seen in the community, what women do to support their families, family planning, when women feel respected or disrespected. The war and living in refugee camps-memories of fleeing Laos, of refugee camps, difference in treatment of men and women in the camps. Adjustments since coming to the U.S.-skills needed to adjust, learning English, skills from Laos and Thailand that are adaptable or useable in the U.S., citizenship, leadership roles for women in the U.S. versus Laos, public contributions by Hmong women. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: The interview was conducted predominantly in Hmong. The Hmong transcript and an English translation are bound together for this interview.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

39. Interview with Mao Song Lyfoung Vang

Creator:: Vang, Mao Song Lyfoung
Date Created:: 2000-01-27
Description:: Song Lyfoung Vang is the aunt of Pacyinz Lyfoung. Her maiden clan was the Ly clan and she married into the Vang clan. She is eighty years old. She has twelve children, six are still living. One lives in Laos, three live in France, and two live in the U.S. She never attended school. She has been widowed since 1992. She was born in July 1919. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Biographical information and religious affiliation. Childhood-school attendance, duties at home, community service, skills taught, social activities as a child, aspirations as a child. Hmong women's roles-decision making inside and outside of home and clan, women in leadership roles and how they are seen in the community, what women do to support their families, family planning, when women feel respected or disrespected. The war and living in refugee camps-memories of fleeing Laos, of refugee camps, difference in treatment of men and women in the camps. Adjustments since coming to the U.S.-skills needed to adjust, learning English, skills from Laos and Thailand that are adaptable or useable in the U.S., citizenship, leadership roles for women in the U.S. versus Laos, public contributions by Hmong women. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: The interview was conducted predominantly in Hmong. The Hmong transcript and an English translation are bound together for this interview.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

40. Interview with Cher Vang

Creator:: Vang, Cher
Date Created:: 1992-02-03
Description:: Cher Vang immigrated to the United States from Laos in April, 1976. Currently, Cher Vang is the St. Paul Children's Hospital Hmong parent representative/interpreter. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Cher Vang talks about the immigration of his family to the United States. He describes what he thought life would be like in the U.S. before he arrived. Cher Vang also discusses the importance of his job at St. Paul Children's Hospital and what duties his job entails.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

41. Interview with Bao Vang

Creator:: Vang, Bao
Date Created:: 1999-12-17
Description:: Bao Vang is a half sister of Kim Yang. She was born in Long Cheng, Laos in 1973. She is a White Hmong. Her family immigrated to the U.S. twenty-one years ago. She graduated from high school, married at seventeen and has two children. Her husband belongs to the Moua clan. Currently, she works for American Express as a Distribution Coordinator. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Biographical information and religious affiliation. Childhood-school attendance, duties at home, community service, skills taught, social activities as a child, aspirations as a child. Hmong women's roles-decision making inside and outside of home and clan, women in leadership roles and how they are seen in the community, what women do to support their families, family planning, when women feel respected or disrespected. The war and living in refugee camps-memories of fleeing Laos, of refugee camps, difference in treatment of men and women in the camps. Adjustments since coming to the U.S.-skills needed to adjust, learning English, skills from Laos and Thailand that are adaptable or useable in the U.S., citizenship, leadership roles for women in the U.S. versus Laos, public contributions by Hmong women. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: The interview was conducted predominantly in Hmong. The Hmong transcript and an English translation are bound together for this interview.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

42. Interview with Jose Valdez

Creator:: Valdez, Jose A.
Date Created:: 1976-06-21
Description:: Jose Valdez was born in Texas in 1940 and moved to Minnesota to be director of the Minnesota Migrant Council. Subjects discussed include: Council history from 1969 to 1976 - its goals, structure, staff, function and funding - accomplishments - and possible future ventures.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

43. Interview with Carl R. Valdez

Creator:: Valdez, Carl R.
Date Created:: 2010-10-19
Description:: Carl R. Valdez was born in the village of Penn Yan, New York. After high school Valdez joined the Air Force as a Russian linguist. He moved to Minnesota to attend Saint Thomas University and later became a school teacher for 22 years. He has worked in the ministry since 1991 working primarily with the Hispanic community. Valdez is married with six daughters. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family background - jobs held - Catholic religion - father's struggles - importance of education - military experience at the Black Sea - traveling - poem writing - Minnesota winter - issues with the Vietnam War - special education - languages - ministry - Mexican American Cultural Center - Latino community - baptism - Comunidad Latina Unida en Servicio - Lake Street with a strong Latino influence - growing Latino population - immigration topic - racial tension - and bilingual Mass.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

44. Interview with Carlos and Marcelina R. Urvina

Creator:: Urvina, Carlos; Urvina, Marcelina R.
Date Created:: 1975-07-08
Description:: Carlos Urvina was born Nov. 11, 1922, in Piedad, Michoac_n, Mexico, and came to the United States under a contract to lay railroad tracks when he was eighteen years old. He also worked for a streetcar company. At the time of the interview he worked for the Mason Booth Company. Marcelina Urvina was born Feb. 1, 1918, in Dallas, Texas. Although she was a U.S. citizen, her family had difficulties working in the fields. At age twelve she came to Minnesota with her mother and worked the beet fields near St. Clair, Minn., and at the Green Giant Company in Le Sueur, Minn., until she was sixteen. She is now working for Harrison Elementary School as a nurse's aide. Subjects discussed include: Carlos Urvina describes coming to the United States - working for the railroad and as an iron and metal worker - and the beauty of knowing two languages. Marcelina Urvina describes coming to Minnesota - troubles her mother had as a result of not speaking English - working in beet fields - bringing up their children - the importance of a good education - and Mexican customs in the home. Both emphasize the value of education and bilingualism. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: In Spanish, transcribed into English.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

45. Interview with Jigme Ugen

Creator:: Ugen, Jigme
Date Created:: 2005-08-31
Description:: Jigme Ugen was born in Kalimpong, India. He moved to Minnesota in 2000. Ugen has worked with many political organizations including the 2002 senate campaign for Paul Wellstone. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Parents, family, Indo-Tibetan Buddhist Cultural Institute (ITBCI), Australia, identity conflicts, similarities and differences between Tibetan, Indian, and American culture, politics, Senator Paul Wellstone, immigration difficulties, assimilation, workers rights, unions, parenting, preserving culture, challenges, Tibetan Cultural Center, community, stereotypes, Tibetan politics, future of community, Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC), Service Employees International Union (SEIU), Tibetan language, joint family living.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

46. Interview with Gyatsho Tssering

Creator:: Tssering, Gyatsho
Date Created:: 2005-07-29
Description:: Gyatsho Tssering was born in Sikkim. He was one of the principal founders of the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA) in Dharamsala, India. Tssering moved to the United States in 1999 to join his wife. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Parents, family, Tibet, Buddhism, Indian Foreign Services, community, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives (LTWA), Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Tibetan Government in Exile, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, raising children, Tibet House, Tibetan Museum, early Tibetan communities in India post 1959, Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota (TAFM), preserving Tibetan culture, challenges, future of community.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

47. Interview with Tenzin Tsering

Creator:: Tsering, Tenzin
Date Created:: 2005-08-26
Description:: Tenzin Tsering was born in Dharamsala, India. He attended school in Mussoorie, India before moving to Minnesota in 1998 to attend DeLaSalle High School. He is pursuing his undergraduate degree at Hamline University. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Parents, family, wanting to come to the United States, first impressions of school in Minnesota, differences and similarities between schools in India and the U.S., English, future career, Chinese language, selecting a college, college experiences, Students for a Free Tibet (SFT), activism, including youth and college, Hamline University, attending college with other Tibetan students, starting a political organization, community, preserving culture, Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota (TAFM), citizenship, challenges of being an international student, race, Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), Westerners and the Tibetan cause, China, roots, identity, Middle-Way, differences and similarities between Tibetan and American culture, Tibetan politics, religion.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

48. Interview with Namgang Tsering

Creator:: Tsering, Namgang
Date Created:: 2005-08-20
Description:: Namgang Tsering was born in Tibet and later moved to India. He studied engineering at the University of Bangalore. Tsering moved to Minnesota in 1993 as part of the United States Tibetan Resettlement Project. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family, parents, school in India, grades, difference in engineering and technology between India and the United States, raising children, community, Buddhism, moving to the US, Minnesota weather, decision to come to the U.S., transportation, adjusting to life in Minnesota, Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (RTYC), preserving Tibetan culture.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

49. Interview with Francis J. Tsai

Creator:: Tsai, Francis J.
Date Created:: 1979-01-04
Description:: Francis (Frank) Tsai was born in 1948 in South Bend, Indiana. His father, Hong-ji Tsai, had graduated from Purdue University in engineering in about 1937 and had stayed on to work for the Studebaker Corporation. During World War II the senior Tsai joined the United States Marines and was stationed as a liaison officer in Shanghai. While in Shanghai he married the daughter of family friends. After the war he returned with his wife to South Bend and the Studebaker Corporation. The company's executives planned to send Tsai's father back to Shanghai to manage a planned Studebaker plant in that city, but with the Communist victory in China in 1949 those plans were abandoned, and the family remained in South Bend. In 1951, when Frank was about three, the family moved to Benton Harbor, Michigan, and six years later they moved to the Twin Cities area, where Tsai's father had been offered a job by the Honeywell Corporation of Minneapolis. Tsai grew up in the Minneapolis suburbs of Glen Lake, where he attended the Immaculate Heart of Mary Elementary School, and St. Louis Park, where he attended Benilde High School. He graduated from the University of Minnesota with a bachelor's degree in child psychology in 1970, and in 1972 he received a master's degree in public health from the university. During 1972 and 1973 Tsai worked as a health educator at the Neighborhood Health Center in San Francisco's Chinatown, a project funded through the Office of Economic Opportunity in Washington, D.C. He returned to Minneapolis in the fall of 1973 and accepted a position at Northeast Community Organization, working on a health planning project under a grant from Hennepin County. From 1974 to 1976 Tsai served as a public health counselor for the Minneapolis school district, and in 1977 he accepted a position as health analyst for the Minnesota Department of Health. While working at the state health department, Tsai began to work with early organizers of the Minnesota Asian American Project, a pan-Asian organization designed to serve the needs of the Asian-American community. In 1978 he became the first president of the organization and spearheaded efforts to establish an Asian cultural center in the Twin Cities. He left the state health department to work full-time at South Side Community Enterprises, where he focuses his efforts on raising funds for the project. In 1979, when adequate support for the project failed to materialize, Tsai accepted a job in Chicago as director of a feasibility study for the Cooperative Health Plan, a private, for-profit stock company offering a prepaid health plan. Later, after implementation of the company's health plan, he became director of the company. Subjects discussed include: Family background in Shanghai - child rearing in the immigrant community - intermarriage of second- and third-generation Chinese - the structure of the Chinese community in Minnesota - political attitudes - discrimination - and initiation of the pan-Asian Minnesota Asian American Project (MAAP), and efforts of its members to develop an Asian cultural center in the Twin Cities. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: As president of MAAP, Tsai had contact with leaders of various class and regional groups in the Chinese community, as well as with leaders of other Asian groups. His perspective on the Chinese and larger Asian community therefore reflects his broad experience with both the older Asian immigrant groups and those who have arrived recently. He is also very perceptive in his observations concerning the second and third generations.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

50. Interview with Hedy Tripp

Creator:: Tripp, Hedy
Date Created:: 2012-02-17
Description:: Hedy Tripp was born in 1948 in Singapore. Subjects discussed include: Early life in Singapore - family history - going to school in Singapore - getting married and divorced - coming to the United States - getting remarried in the United States - moving to Saint Cloud, Minnesota - worries about racism in Saint Cloud - teaching - comparing the educational systems in the United States and Singapore - working for groups such as the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum - having breast cancer - calling Minnesota home.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

51. Interview with Roberto Trevino Jr.

Creator:: Trevino, Roberto Jr.
Date Created:: 2010-12-15
Description:: Roberto Trevino Jr. was born in Eagle Pass, Texas. Trevino moved to Willmar, Minnesota for better educational and financial opportunities. He received a bachelor's degree in business administration from Baylor University. Trevino was the director of human resources at a turkey processing plant in Marshall, Minnesota. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family background - farm work - religion - growing Latino community in Willmar, Minnesota - financial struggles - differences between Willmar and Moorhead - racism - childhood - family reunion - bilingual in Spanish and English - retaining traditions and cultures - economics - Ecumenical Council - County Fair Board - immigration - Willmar Area Multicultural Marketplace Group - politics - and community involvement.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

52. Interview with Jose H. Trejo

Creator:: Trejo, Jose H.
Date Created:: 2010-04-11
Description:: Jose H. Trejo was born in Rosita, Mexico. Trejo and his family moved to Minnesota from Texas for better opportunities. He attended Austin Community College majoring in biology and later Mankato State University majoring in Spanish Studies. Trejo proceeded to teach at Red Wing High School for four years. He was the town supervisor for Eureka Township in Polk County, Wisconsin and served as director for Buckbee Mears Company. Trejo would later hold many more positions including working for the North American Free-Trade Agreement, as associate director for Metropolitan Interfaith Council on Affordable Housing, as director of the Saint Croix Falls Chamber of Commerce, for the Minnesota Human Trafficking Task Force, for the Cooperative Council on AIDS and HIV Prevention, and for the Agricultural Committee of the United States Department of Agriculture. He is currently working as director of the Breaking Free organization. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Jobs held - organizations - civil unrest - immigration - politics - trip moving to Minnesota - Minnesota weather - importance of education - discrimination in school - financial struggles - scholarships - teaching Spanish - bilingual in Spanish and English - active Latino community - civil unrest in Saint Paul - community involvement - Christian Science program - Neighborhood Watch - Spanish Speaking Affairs Council - Minnesota Migrant Council - lawsuits - funding - Minnesota Hispanic Chamber of Commerce - Chicano Liberation Front - Minnesota Hispanic AIDS - Hispanic Women's Conference - Migrant Health Program - Latino Employment Program - President Carter - human rights - diversity - and leadership.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

53. Interview with Eh Thweet

Creator:: Thweet, Eh
Date Created:: 2011-05-11
Description:: Eh Thweet was born in Burma in 1986. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Early life - Burmese military burning his village - struggle to pay for school - running from the Burmese army - finding food - landmines - fleeing to Thailand - living in a refugee camp in Thailand - religion - religious persecution - taking children from Burma to Thailand - coming to the United States - working for Catholic Charities - hopes of further education in Minnesota - Karen folktales.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

54. Interview with Marissa Theis

Creator:: Theis, Marissa
Date Created:: 2011-11-02
Description:: Marissa Theis was born in San Simon, Pampanga, Philippines. Subjects discussed include: Early life in the Philippines - her family - leaving the Philippines for Saudi Arabia to work - working as a domestic worker in Saudi Arabia to financially support her family back in the Philippines - meeting her husband in an online chat room - coming to the United States and arriving in Baudette, Minnesota - running a business with her husband - her family coming to visit her in Baudette from the Philippines.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

55. Interview with Sia Y. Thao

Creator:: Thao, Sia Yang
Date Created:: 1999-12-01
Description:: Sia Yang is the mother of Khias Yang. Her clan name is Yang and her husband's clan name is Vang. She is fifty-five years old and has seven children, five are living. She is widowed. She did not attend school. Her family immigrated to the U.S. in April 1980. She was born in Phuam Yav, Laos. She is a White Hmong. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Biographical information and religious affiliation. Childhood-school attendance, duties at home, community service, skills taught, social activities as a child, aspirations as a child. Hmong women's roles-decision making inside and outside of home and clan, women in leadership roles and how they are seen in the community, what women do to support their families, family planning, when women feel respected or disrespected. The war and living in refugee camps-memories of fleeing Laos, of refugee camps, difference in treatment of men and women in the camps. Adjustments since coming to the U.S.-skills needed to adjust, learning English, skills from Laos and Thailand that are adaptable or useable in the U.S., citizenship, leadership roles for women in the U.S. versus Laos, public contributions by Hmong women. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: The interview was conducted predominantly in Hmong. The Hmong transcript and an English translation are bound together for this interview.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

56. Interview with Mai V. Thao

Creator:: Thao, Mai Vang
Date Created:: 1999-11-01
Description:: Mai Vang Thao is the mother of Bo Thao and the daughter of Mao Thao Yang. She was born Mai Vang forty-eight years ago in Luang Phrabang, Laos. She married when she was twenty years old and has five children. She and her husband immigrated to the U.S. twenty years ago. She is of the Stripe Hmong clan and practices traditional spiritual beliefs. For various reasons, she received very little schooling. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Biographical information and religious affiliation. Childhood-school attendance, duties at home, community service, skills taught, social activities as a child, aspirations as a child. Hmong women's roles-decision making inside and outside of home and clan, women in leadership roles and how they are seen in the community, what women do to support their families, family planning, when women feel respected or disrespected. The war and living in refugee camps-memories of fleeing Laos, of refugee camps, difference in treatment of men and women in the camps. Adjustments since coming to the U.S.-skills needed to adjust, learning English, skills from Laos and Thailand that are adaptable or useable in the U.S., citizenship, leadership roles for women in the U.S. versus Laos, public contributions by Hmong women. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: The interview was predominantly conducted in Hmong. The Hmong transcript and an English translation are bound together for this interview.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

57. Interview with Bo Thao

Creator:: Thao, Bo
Date Created:: 2000-01-17
Description:: Bo Thao is the daughter of Mai Vang Thao and the granddaughter of Mao Thao Yang. She was born in Luang Phrabang, Laos in 1974. She is a Stripe Hmong. Her family immigrated to the United States in December 1979. She has a bachelor's degree in family social science. At the time of the interview, she worked for the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry and was working on her master's degree. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Biographical information and religious affiliation. Childhood-school attendance, duties at home, community service, skills taught, social activities as a child, aspirations as a child. Hmong women's roles-decision making inside and outside of home and clan, women in leadership roles and how they are seen in the community, what women do to support their families, family planning, when women feel respected or disrespected. The war and living in refugee camps-memories of fleeing Laos, of refugee camps, difference in treatment of men and women in the camps. Adjustments since coming to the U.S.-skills needed to adjust, learning English, skills from Laos and Thailand that are adaptable or useable in the U.S., citizenship, leadership roles for women in the U.S. versus Laos, public contributions by Hmong women, cultural clashes. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: The interview was conducted predominantly in Hmong. The Hmong transcript and an English translation are bound together for this interview.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

58. Interview with Lisalan Thai

Creator:: Thai, Lisalan
Date Created:: 2010-12-22
Description:: Lisalan Thai was born in Da Lat, Vietnam. After experiencing the Fall of Da Lat and Saigon she left Vietnam with her son. She settled in Minnesota with the help of four Catholic churches and an adoptive family. She is a real estate agent. Subjects discussed include: Childhood - family - Fall of Da Lat - Fall of Saigon - immigrating - being "adopted" - divorce - going back to school - real estate - the American dream.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

59. Interview with Maria Cristina Tavera

Creator:: Tavera, Maria Cristina
Date Created:: 2011-01-08
Description:: Maria Cristina Tavera was born in Minneapolis, to Maria Garcia Morales and Patrick James O'Brien, who met in Mexico. She grew up in Stillwater, Minnesota because her father was from Minnesota and wanted the family to move to the United States. Tavera studied Spanish and Latin American Studies at the University of Minnesota for her bachelor's degree and later her master's degree focusing on Latino art. She believed her artwork could enrich the Latino community. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family - Latino community and culture - art - TRIO programs - Day of the Dead - education - Lake Street Latino growth - student organizations - immigration - bilingual (Spanish and English) - and developing a cultural center.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

60. Interview with Chanmany Sysengchanh

Creator:: Sysengchanh, Chanmany
Date Created:: 2012-01-29
Description:: Chanmany Sysengchanh was born in 1983 in a refugee camp in Napo, Thailand. His parents were refugees from Laos. At the time of the interview he was working for Saint Cloud University as part of a pre-college program for minorities. Subjects discussed include: Early life and family - coming to Minnesota as an infant - his parents silence about their struggles in Laos and Thailand - living in a large Lao community in south Minneapolis from an early age - going to school, and not speaking English - excelling at school - struggling to identify as Lao or American - working for Saint Cloud State University and the importance of higher education - helping kids get into college - being a positive Asian role model in the school environment - his writing and poetry - being the first in his family to graduate high school - how tempting it was to sell drugs or steal - thinking college was out of his reach - Asians clubs and support groups - his influence on a younger generation of Lao kids - his hope for more Lao civil engagement in the community - being happy that he ended up in Minnesota.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

61. Interview with Joo Ho Sung

Creator:: Sung, Dr. Joo Ho
Date Created:: 1980-02-07 - 1980-11-20
Description:: Joo Ho Sung was born in 1927 in Taejon, Ch'ungchong Province, Korea. He was educated at Yonsei University and Medical College and arrived in the United States in July of 1954 to take residency at Beth Israel Hospital in Neward, New Jersey. After completing his residency he enrolled in July of 1957 at the Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York City for graduate study in neuropathology. In July of 1961 he was appointed assistant professor at that institution, and in January of 1962 he was appointed assistant professor in charge of the neuropathology laboratory at the University of Minnesota Medical School. He became an associate professor in 1966 and a full professor in 1969. He was a leader in Minnesota's Korean community from 1962 to 1972. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: History of Koreans in Minnesota, with a focus on the period from 1962 to 1972 - development of community organizations including the Korean Student Association, the Korean Association, the Korean Medical Association, the Korean Bible Study Group, the Korean Christian Fellowship, the Korean Church of the Twin Cities, the Korean Community Church, and later denominational churches in the Korean community - exchange programs between the University of Minnesota and Seoul National University in the 1950s - and the role of Koreans in the 1970 Aquatennial in Minneapolis. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Sung was chosen by Korean leaders in Minnesota as the community's spokesman to assist Minnesota Historical Society staff in compiling a history of Koreans in the state. His interview provides valuable insights into the dynamics of the community.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

62. Interview with Augusto and Rebecca Sumangil

Creator:: Sumangil, Augusto
Date Created:: 1978-12-08
Description:: Augusto (Tito) and Rebecca Sumangil immigrated to the United States from the Philippines in 1969 as young professionals. Augusto grew up in Manila, on the island of Luzon, and is an accountant. Rebecca's home was in Antique Province, in the Visayan Islands of the central Philippines, and she is a registered nurse. Both found jobs very quickly in the Twin Cities, and Augusto is now employed by the Northrup King Seed Company, while Rebecca works at St. Barnabus Hospital. They have a young daughter, Anne, born in Minnesota. The Sumangils have been active in the Fil-Minnesotan Association, and Augusto is the editor of the organization's newsletter. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: The Sumangils discuss their early impressions of Minnesota and contrast the good reception they have had with the discrimination encountered by the old timers" in the Filipino community in the Twin Cities during the 1920s and 1930s. They also discuss the problems of child rearing faced by immigrant parents and point out that like many other young professional from the Philippines
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

63. Interview with Dr. Vasant Sukhatme

Creator:: Sukhatme, Dr. Vasant
Date Created:: 2004-10-11
Description:: Dr. Vasant Sukhatme was born in India and came to Minnesota in 1978 after finishing his PhD in economics. He became president of the India Association of Minnesota [IAM] in 1996. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Childhood - education - coming to Minnesota - marriage - finding a teaching job at a college - meeting members of the Indian community in the late 1970s - early involvement in IAM - volunteering for the Festival of Nations - reasons for joining the IAM board - activities involved in while serving on the IAM board - the fiftieth anniversary celebration of India's independence - serving as president of IAM - involvement in the Trustee Advisory Council - future vision of IAM - outsourcing - membership of IAM - involvement in the School of India for Languages and Culture [SILC] - second generation Indian-Americans - challenges faced by IAM - politics - service projects, fundraising and volunteer efforts - and future aspirations for projects IAM might take on.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

64. Interview with Kim Sueoka

Creator:: Sueoka, Kim
Date Created:: 2012-03-09
Description:: Kim Sueoka was born in Kaua'i, Hawaii. She was a trained musician and singer. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Early life in Hawaii and family history - picture brides and how her family came to Hawaii - education - singing and music - traditional Hawaiian music - coming to the Evansville, Indiana to study music therapy - coming to Minnesota - identifying herself as a Japanese American - working as a freelance singer and as part of the Rose Ensemble as a story teller and performer - religion - going back to Hawaii - comparing living in Minnesota to Hawaii - controversy around singing ancient Hawaiian songs - goals for the future, to be and making her career in the arts work financially.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

65. Interview with Chitra Subrahmanian

Creator:: Subrahmanian, Chitra
Date Created:: 2001-11-11
Description:: Chitra Subrahmanian was born in India and immigrated with her parents to the U.S. She attended SILC as an older student and now serves as the principal of SILC. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Personal background; participation in SILC; carpooling; experiences as a student; social connections; SILC Achievement Project; SILC Day; Festival of Nations; visits to India; benefits of attendance; experiences as an administrator; comparing and contrasting professional and volunteer administration; focus groups; facilitating knowledge transfer; school board; committee work; preschool program; outreach to adopted children; vision for future.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

66. Interview with Bounlorm Soumetho

Creator:: Soumetho, Bounlorm
Date Created:: 2012-09-22
Description:: Bounlorm Soumetho grew up in Laos but escaped to Thailand after his land was taken from him at the end of the Vietnam War. He was a former president of Lao Community of Worthington, Minnesota, and at the time of the interview was chairman of the Lao Buddhist Organization of Southwest Minnesota. Subjects discussed include: Family, marriage, financial struggles, education, unemployment, immigration to Thailand and the United States, Vietnam War, Minnesota's Lao community.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

67. Interview with Sung Won Son

Creator:: Son, Sung Won
Date Created:: 1979-12-19
Description:: Sung Won Son was born in Seoul, Korea, in 1944. He was the fifth in a family of six children. His father was a banker. Son arrived in the United States in 1962 to study at the University of Florida. After his graduation in 1966 he entered a graduate program at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan, and completed a master of arts degree in economics. He also earned a doctorate in economics at the University of Pittsburgh. From 1969 to 1974 he taught economics and business at Slippery Rock State College in Pennsylvania, and in the 1970s he served as senior economist on the President's Council of Economic Advisors in Washington, D.C. In 1974 Son joined the Northwestern National Bank of Minneapolis, becoming the senior vice-president and chief economist in 1977. Son was married to the late Barbara Stevens and is the father of two daughters. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Son discusses the reasons he came to the United States, and to Minnesota in particular - the harsh Minnesota winters as a factor in the open social climate for Asians in the state - the unusually high number of large business corporations with headquarters in the Twin Cities - the lack of significant discrimination against Asians - and the unique situation of the early Korean community, considered to be well-organized and stable compared to larger Korean settlements on the West Coast. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Son is well-known in Minnesota and elsewhere as an economic forecaster and has made numerous television and radio appearances. His analyses of national and state economies also appear frequently in the press.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

68. Interview with Sister Jancy and Sister Tresa Jose

Creator:: Sister Jancy
Date Created:: 1995-01-21
Description:: Sister Jancy and Sister Tresa Jose were born in India where both attended school and college. They immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1970s at the request of their church superiors. Both attained graduate degrees from a Minnesota university while working. Sister Jancy is the assistant principal and Sister Tresa Joe is a teacher at a Catholic school in Minnesota. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Their decisions to become nuns - travel to Minnesota - family reactions to their immigrating to America - arriving in Minneapolis - teacher education in Minnesota - involvement with Malayali groups - differences between life in the United States and life in India - learning American teaching techniques - keeping in touch with family in India - being viewed primarily as nuns rather than as Indians - sharing responsibilities around the house - learning to drive - cooking American and Indian meals - values - changes in Catholic teachings - retirement plans - and trips back to India.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

69. Interview with Kim Sin

Creator:: Sin, Kim
Date Created:: 2012-02-18
Description:: Kim Sin was born in TakTo, Cambodia in 1977. He started the Cambodian Association of Rochester, Minnesota. Subjects discussed include: Early life in Cambodia and family - living in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge War - living in a refugee camp - coming to Minnesota - adjusting to living in Minnesota as a child - being behind in school - starting the Cambodian Association of Rochester, Minnesota (CARM) - involvement in the community and assimilating - never quite being treated as an American - accepting his own identity - future generations of children coming to Minnesota - starting a non-profit organization - helping out all people, not just certain groups - judging people fairly.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

70. Interview with Noi Sinkasem

Creator:: Sinkasem, Noi
Date Created:: 2012-02-17
Description:: Noi Sinkasem was born in Bangkok, Thailand on September 20, 1961. At the time of the interview she owned a Sawatdee Thai restaurant in Saint Cloud, Minnesota. Subjects discussed include: Early life and family in Thailand - education - coming to the United States - applying to immigrate and waiting - going back to school in Minnesota - moving to Saint Cloud, Minnesota - owning Sawatdee Thai food restaurant in Saint Cloud - difficult owning a business and being a minority - her children.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

71. Interview with Bash Singh

Creator:: Singh, Bash
Date Created:: 1995-01-12
Description:: Bash Singh was born in a city formerly in India and now in Pakistan. She attended school and college in India. She came to the U.S. and lived first in Tennessee and then moved to Minnesota in the early 1970s. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Experiences living in Saudi Arabia - discrimination in Tennessee - the move to Minnesota and adjusting to cold weather - operating her candy store - marriage - instilling Indian values - religion, Sikh Association of Minnesota - other family members' experiences in Minnesota - membership in the Indo-American Club and the Association of American Physicians from India (AAPI) - volunteer work - connections to family in India - retirement plans - the importance of family values, personal values - the American Dream.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

72. Interview with Valeria Silva

Creator:: Silva, Valeria
Date Created:: 2010-10-25
Description:: Valeria Silva was born in Antofagasta, Chile. She moved to Saint Cloud, Minnesota for more opportunities. Silva attended British University and Saint Cloud State University to study English and become a teacher. She worked as an LPN (licensed practical nurse) before she landed a teaching position. Silva continued her education receiving her master's degree and is the superintendent of Saint Paul Public Schools. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family background - physical developmental problems as a child - education - childhood - financial struggles - Salvadorian revolution - sneaking out to meet Fidel Castro and making it on the front cover of a newspaper - difficulties learning English - strict schools - relationships - friendships - scholarships - inspiration to become a teacher - teaching in poverty stricken areas - English as a Second Language - experiencing different cultures - wedding ceremony - views of Mexican community towards other South American countries - Association for Latino Administrators and Superintendents, and importance of family.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

73. Interview with Dr. Abul H. Siddiqui

Creator:: Siddiqui, Dr. Abul Hassan
Date Created:: 1994-08-22
Description:: Abul Hasan Siddiqui was born in India. After graduating from medical school in India, he traveled to England and Scotland for research and graduate work. He has worked in several countries, and in the mid-1970s, he accepted employment in the United States. He has retired, but maintains licensure and contact with the medical community. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: His medical education and research - decision to come to the United States - adjustment to life in Minnesota - marriage and family - the Muslim community in the Twin Cities - comparisons between practicing medicine in Saudi Arabia, India and the United States - personal values - multi-generational cohabitation.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

74. Interview with Abdi Sheikh

Creator:: Sheikh, Abdi
Date Created:: 2004-06-04
Description:: Abdi Sheikh is from Somalia and came to Minneapolis in 2001. He attended Abraham Lincoln High School and transferred to Wellstone International High School. After high school graduation he plans on attending Normandale Community College. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Attending Koraning School in Kenya; moving to Nairobi from Somalia; troubles with the police in Kenya; learning English and Swahili; thoughts on America pre-immigration; leaving friends in Kenya; immigrating to the United States; struggling in high school; transferring to Wellstone International High School; being interested in religious history; high school graduation; plans to attend Normandale Community College; recreational activities in the city.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

75. Interview with Ved Sharma

Creator:: Sharma, Ved
Date Created:: 1998-12-16
Description:: Ved Sharma was born in India where he completed undergraduate and graduate work. He immigrated to the U.S. in the early 1970s and completed more graduate work. He came first to Missouri and then moved to Minnesota, where he teaches at a university in the outstate area. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Birthplace - parents - religion - education - family values and traditions - marriage - university studies - early work experiences - experiences in Missouri - early adjustments to out-state Minnesota - Indian community in out-state Minnesota - Indian associations - travels to India - personal values.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

76. Interview with Dr. Maryam Beltran Shapland

Creator:: Shapland, Dr. Maryam Beltran
Date Created:: 2011-01-25
Description:: Maryam Beltran Shapland was born in Quezon City, Philippines. After graduating magna cum laude from St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota she went to medical school at the University of Minnesota. She lives in St. Paul, Minnesota with her husband and two children. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Growing up in the Philippines - education - immigrating and fitting in - theatre - college - multiculturalism - medical research - volunteering - dating and getting married - raising a family - keeping the Filipino languages alive.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

77. Interview with Nathan M. Shapiro

Creator:: Shapiro, Nathan M.
Date Created:: 1976-05-12
Description:: Nathan M. (Nate) Shapiro was born in Minneapolis in May of 1911. His father had come to Milwaukee several years earlier and then moved to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, to work as a coppersmith for Leinenkugel Breweries. Next his father moved to Minneapolis, established an auto repair business and later owned a confectionary. Shapiro graduated from North High School and worked at a Snyder's drug store, later becoming its manager. When Prohibition ended in 1934, he and his brother Monroe (Curly) opened Curly's nightclub. When his brother died in 1945, he sold it and went into the theater business and later the insurance business. He married his brother's widow and adopted their son and daughter. Shapiro was a regional officer in the Sertoma Club and a community fund raiser. He was also a close friend of Hubert Humphrey and active in the Democratic Farmer Labor Party. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family background, including his grandfather's supervision of a distillery in Russia and his work as a peddler - his own childhood and education - business experiences - the breakup of a theater owners' monopoly in the 1940s in Minneapolis - concerns about child-rearing and Jewishness - anti-Semitism - intermarriage and strong concern for the relationship between the Gentile and Jewish communities (he and his children are Unitarians) - friendship with Hubert Humphrey - leadership in the Sertoma Club - and activity in the DFL. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Schwartz was very ill with cancer at the time of the interview.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

78. Interview with Vishant Shah

Creator:: Shah, Vishant
Date Created:: 1997-04-03
Description:: Shah's parents came from India to the United States where he attended high school and college in Minnesota. He works as an institutional investment consultant. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family life - importance of education to family - cooperation within the Indian community in the Twin Cities - learning Indian languages - growing up in Minnesota - frequent trips to India - an appreciation for one's roots - memories of elementary school - value of hard work and intolerance of violence - family relationships - Jainism - involvement in the School of India for Languages and Culture - high school memories - outdoor activities - traveling abroad - high school and college experiences - tracing Gandhi's footsteps - race relations on campus and in the United States in general - realities in dealing with both American and Indian culture in the second generation.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

79. Interview with Shanti Shah

Creator:: Shah, Shanti
Date Created:: 2004-10-29
Description:: Shanti Shah moved to Minnesota in 1974 and began meeting members of the Indian community. She was involved in the School of India for Languages and Culture [SILC] and the India Association of Minnesota [IAM] and became president of IAM in the 1990s. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Moving to Canada - getting married - coming to Minnesota and meeting members of the Indian community - becoming involved in IAM and SILC - funding for SILC - participation in the Festival of Nations and working in the cafT and the exhibit - participation of Indian children in the Festival of Nations - inception of the Festival of India - European views of India - involvement in the Trustee Advisory Council, which is part of IAM - serving on the board of IAM - gender roles - involvement in the Asian Indian Women's Association [AIWA] and the Minnesota Asian Democratic Association [MAIDA] - events involved in while serving as IAM president - importance of the arts - reasons for the success of IAM - and the younger membership of IAM.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

80. Interview with Shanti Shah

Creator:: Shah, Shanti
Date Created:: 2000-03-19
Description:: Shanti Shah was born in India and immigrated to the U.S. as an adult. She is one of the original founders of SILC and has served as a teacher, administrator and board member. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Personal background; participation in SILC; experiences as a teacher, language instruction; facilitating outdoor activities; establishing SILC; first day; motivation; music instruction; enrollment changes; teaching methods; curriculum development; challenges and rewards of teaching; geography instruction; volunteers; organizational changes; social connections; outreach to adopted children; Festival of Nations; contributions of SILC to Indian community.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

81. Interview with Rajiv Shah

Creator:: Shah, Rajiv
Date Created:: 1997-08-22
Description:: Rajiv Shah was born in Uganda. He and his parents came to the United States, where he attended school in Minnesota and college in Massachusetts. Presently, he is the director of a nonprofit program and is attending medical school. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Parents' background - familiarity with parents' language - childhood memories of Africa, United Kingdom, and Canada - discrimination - family's values - volunteering experiences - future plans - travels to India - advantages and disadvantages of being a child of first generation immigrants.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

82. Interview with Edward P. Schwartz

Creator:: Schwartz, Edward P.
Date Created:: 1976-02-25
Description:: Edward P. Schwartz was born in Minneapolis in 1903. He was a newspaper reporter, weekly newspaper publisher and publicist, particularly for show business. He inherited and expanded his father's business (Schwartz Printing and Ad Art Advertising). Schwartz played a leadership role in the Variety Club of the Northwest and the Variety Club Heart Hospital. He was also involved with the fund drive for building Mount Sinai Hospital, with Temple Israel and with Democratic Farmer Labor politics. He was also a founder of the Henry Miller Society. Schwartz and his wife, Mae, were married in 1928, and they have one daughter. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family background - his working career - intermarriage - anti-Semitism in local business and city affairs - the 1930s Depression - Temple Israel - the Variety Club of the Northwest and the founding of the Variety Club Hospital - Mount Sinai Hospital - the 620 Club and other Minneapolis restaurants - DFL politics, Hubert Humphrey's early career - and the Henry Miller Society. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Schwartz bar mitzvahed with Ernie Fliegel, who was also interviewed for this oral history project.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

83. Interview with Lourdez Ortega Schwab

Creator:: Schwab, Lourdez Ortega
Date Created:: 2009-05-10
Description:: Lourdez Ortega Schwab was born in El Paso, Texas before moving to Minnesota. Schwab worked at Housing Redevelopment Authority helping low income families. She currently works in a bank where she enjoys educating the Latino community about finances. Schwab also is serving in the Navy Reserves and is married with three children. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family background - childhood - opportunities in Minnesota - farm work - different racial perceptions from Minnesota to Texas - importance of education - relationships - immigration - Latino community - educating about banking - jobs held - Heartland Community Action Agency - being bilingual in Spanish and English - West Central Collaborative - mercado - Latino culture and foods - businesses - diversifying community - religion - citizenship - family ties - fishing memories - difficulties translating English to Spanish for her parents - quincea
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

84. Interview with Florence Karp Kunian Schoff

Creator:: Schoff, Florence Karp Kunian
Date Created:: 1976-04-29
Description:: In 1904 Florence Karp's parents came to the United States from Russia, where her father was a university student, and Karp was born in New York City on May 28, 1906. After two years in New York, the family moved to South Dakota to raise sheep. Five years later they moved to Edmonton, Alberta, to take up another land grant, but they lived in the town. In 1922 they moved to Minneapolis, where Karp's parents became superintendents of the Jewish Home for the Aged (later the Sholom Home). In 1926 Karp graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in music. That year she also married Paul Kunian, and they had two children, Michael and Diana (Mrs. Bruce Lewis). She was active in Reform Judaism at Temple Israel and was a leader of the Zionist women's group Hadassah and of the Minneapolis Federation for Jewish Services. She also was an early supporter of Hubert Humphrey and a Democratic Farmer Labor Party activist and fund raiser. Paul Kunian died in 1964, and in 1973 she married Francis Schoff, a non-Jewish widower. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Early life on the South Dakota sheep ranch - working her way through the University of Minnesota - her courtship and marriage - her parents' background, motivation for emigration, and religious and political beliefs - her own religious and political beliefs and activities - the Depression - anti-Semitism - and Israel.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

85. Interview with Maurice Schanfield

Creator:: Schanfield, Maurice
Date Created:: 1977-01-13
Description:: Maurice Schanfield's father came to Canada from Romania in 1883, landing in Montreal and working on the Canadian Pacific Railroad until reaching Winnipeg - from there the family hitchhiked to Minneapolis. Schanfield was born in 1904 in Minneapolis. His father died in January of 1911, leaving a widow and four small children. Schanfield entered his uncle's insurance business, attended the University of Minnesota, married his wife, Norma, in 1943 and has four daughters. Although refusing to join organizations, he is active in Alcoholics Anonymous. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: The early Jewish immigrant neighborhood in south Minneapolis - the Depression - religious training and beliefs - anti-Semitism - education - experiences with card gambling and alcohol addictions - intermarriage and child-rearing - and religious faith and peak experiences. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: His sister Esther Schanfield Rosenbloom was also interviewed for this oral history project.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

86. Interview with Bless Say

Creator:: Say, Bless
Date Created:: 2011-05-11
Description:: Bless Say was born in Burma, August 8, 1950. She came to the United States in 2008. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Early life - family - school in Burma - dangers of being Karen in Burma - farming - Karen communities in Burma - fleeing to Thailand - refugee camps - moving to Minnesota - citizenship - working in Minnesota - learning English.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

87. Interview with Kusum Saxena

Creator:: Saxena, Kusum; United States
Date Created:: 1994-09-30
Description:: Kusum Saxena was born in India where she graduated from college and did postgraduate studies. In the late 1950s, she and her husband immigrated to the U.S, living first in Massachusetts and later in Minnesota. Saxena is a physician. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Her childhood and education - her medical education - marriage - the decision to immigrate - early years in St. Paul - balancing demands of home and career - cultural differences - Hindu Society of Minnesota - Hindu Mandir (temple) - American Indian community - discrimination - social activities - career and professional activities - domestic violence - recent changes in the Indian community - national pride - her work history - maintaining ties with family in India. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Attached to the end of the transcript is an appendix with family, education, honors, immigration and work history, as well as a dedication for the document.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

88. Interview with Phiengtavanh Savatdy

Creator:: Savatdy, Phiengtavanh
Date Created:: 2012-01-14
Description:: Phiengtavanh Savatdy was born in 1981 in Vientiane, Laos. She enlisted in the Army National Guard, and attended St. Cloud College. Subjects discussed include: Early life in Laos - nicknames given to her as a child - coming to the United States - coming to Minnesota and going to public schools in Minneapolis - being different and wanting to fit in - educational achievements - becoming a citizen and enlisting in the National Guard - coming home from Iraq and going to college - being active in extracurricular groups in college - not being active in the local Lao community - personal, and career goals and goals for the Lao community.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

89. Interview with Rudolph Saucedo Jr.

Creator:: Saucedo, Rudolph Jr.
Date Created:: 1976-08-09
Description:: Rudolph Saucedo, Jr., was born on the West Side of St. Paul in 1951. He was an active member of the Brown Berets, an organization of young Chicano men, from 1968 to 1973. He died in 1979. Subjects discussed include: History, goals and activities of the Brown Berets - community feelings toward the group - police harassment and other problems encountered - leaders - and the group's future.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

90. Interview with Ramedo J. and Catalina Saucedo

Creator:: Saucedo, Ramedo J.; Saucedo, Catalina
Date Created:: 1977-04-06
Description:: Ramedo Saucedo was born in St. Paul in 1930. Catalina Saucedo was born in Maxwell, Texas, in 1930 and moved to St. Paul in 1943. They were married in 1956 and have two children. Subjects discussed include: Ramedo Saucedo discusses life on St. Paul's West Side - his education at the University of Minnesota and several graduate schools - his teaching career at University and Southwest High Schools in Minneapolis, including the Hispanic Cultural Enrichment Program in that school system - and his work as the state's Mexican consul. Catalina Saucedo discusses her work at the consulate and her career as accountant, tax consultant and real estate agent as well as her participation in the Mexican-American community in St. Paul. They also discuss travels to Mexico. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Ramedo Saucedo compiled Mexican Americans in Minnesota: An Introduction to Historical Sources"
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

91. Interview with Frederico "Fred" Saucedo, Junior

Creator:: Saucedo, Frederico Jr.
Date Created:: 1976-08-11
Description:: Frederico "Fred" Saucedo, Jr., was born March 1, 1934 on St. Paul's West Side and grew up there as the youngest of six children. He joined the Marine Corps in 1952 and was president of the men's club at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church. He married Sylvia Ruiz, and they have four children at the time of this interview. Subjects discussed include: Personal history - history of the men's club at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church - role of the Catholic church in the Mexican-American home and family
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

92. Interview with Federico Saucedo, Senior

Creator:: Saucedo, Federico Sr.
Date Created:: 1975-12-22 - 1977-10-16
Description:: Federico Saucedo, Sr., was born in Real de Catorce, San Luis Potosi, Mexico, in 1891. He came to the United States and settled in St. Paul in 1916. Subjects discussed include: He recalls family history and the Mexican Revolution and discusses early Mexican families in St. Paul and organizations such as the Anahuac Society, El Comite Patriotico, and the Comite de Reconstruccion. He also describes his work in silver and coal mines in Mexico, with a railroad in Illinois, and in a meat-packing company in St. Paul from 1922 to 1952. Note: Interview is in Spanish.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

93. Interview with Tendell Sangmo

Creator:: Sangmo, Tendell
Date Created:: 2005-07-27
Description:: Tendell Sangmo was born in Tibet. She moved to India in 1960 with her parents. Upon arriving in the United States, Sangmo first lived in Ithaca, New York. She then moved to Minnesota in 2000. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Parents, family, attending school in India, attending secretarial course in Delhi, working for the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), first jobs in the United States, finding housing in Minnesota, attending nursing school, working as a nurse in Minnesota, parenting and the challenges thereof, community, Tibetan Woman's Association (TWA), preserving culture, transportation, Tibetan youth, challenges, Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), activism in the community, busy lifestyle, similarities and differences between Tibetan, Indian, and American culture, dangers of assimilation, Tibetan Cultural Center, Tibetan language, Tibetan Green Books, Tibetan Government in Exile, children dating in the U.S., Miss Tibet Contest, future of community, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Buddhism, Tibetan Children's Village (TCV), English.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

94. Interview with Ida Levitan Sanders

Creator:: Sanders, Ida Levitan
Date Created:: 1976-02-16
Description:: Ida Levitan Sanders was born in Russia in 1900 and arrived in Minneapolis in 1905. She married Max Sanders - they had two children, David and Mrs. Deera Tychman. She is an active member of Talmud Torah Auxiliary and Alumni and is a founder of Young People's Synagogue and Beth El Synagogue. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Early childhood experiences - secular and religious education - the founding and early history of Minneapolis Talmud Torah - anti-Semitism - the Depression - her home and neighborhood - and child-rearing experiences.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

95. Interview with Leticia Sanchez

Creator:: Sanchez, Leticia; United States
Date Created:: 2013-04-02
Description:: Leticia Sanchez was born in Eagle Pass, Texas, in 1953. At the time fo the interview she resided in Crookston, Minnesota, where she worked for the Minnesota Migrant Council's Domestic Abuse Program. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family - language and bilingualism - generational differences in the Latino community - raising children - racism in education - community support programs.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

96. Interview with Lalo Sanchez

Creator:: Sanchez, Lalo
Date Created:: 1975-07-23
Description:: Lalo Sanchez was born in Dallas, Texas, and moved to Minnesota after serving as a military policeman during World War II. He organized his first soccer team in Minnesota in 1947, and as coach of the Azteca Soccer Club, which he organized in 1969 with youth players from the West Side community, he has received many awards for himself and the team. Azteca won state championships in 1973, 1974 and 1975. Subjects discussed include: Soccer, including the following topics: league structure in Minnesota - awards received by Azteca - type of training required - reasons why Humboldt High School should have a soccer team - and discrimination and exclusion by the Minnesota Soccer Association.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

97. Interview with Van Tong Sam

Creator:: Sam, Van Tong
Date Created:: 1980-09-09
Description:: Van Sam was born in Saigon on August 10, 1959. His grandparents had immigrated to Vietnam from southern China in the late nineteenth or early twentieth century, and both his father and mother grew up in northern Vietnam. In 1954 they fled to South Vietnam after the country was divided. Van's father first joined the South Vietnamese army and later became a clerk/bookkeeper at the U.S. Embassy. When the South Vietnamese government collapsed in 1975, the family was endangered by his association with the U.S. Embassy, but Van's father felt he was too old to flee the country. Instead he moved the family to the countryside, where they would be less suspect, and sent his two eldest children, Van and an older sister, out of the country. Through a friend of his sister money was borrowed to pay the equivalent of $5,000 each for passage on a small boat that deposited them on an island in Malaysia on October 14, 1978. They remained in the Pilau Bidang refugee camp for ten months before they were accepted for resettlement in San Francisco by the International Rescue Committee. Van and his sister both got jobs in San Francisco, but after his sister married, Van decided to join a friend from the camp in Malaysia who had settled in Minnesota. He arrived in St. Paul on January 6, 1980. After several months of study in special classes for Indochinese refugees at the Gordon School in St. Paul, he passed the English examination for the University of Minnesota and is now a student there. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Van discusses his family background in Vietnam - persecution of ethnic Chinese in Vietnam after 1975 - his loneliness for his parents and seven brothers and sisters remaining in Vietnam - the many hazards of the boat trip and the difficulties of refugee existence in Malaysia - and resettlement, first in San Francisco then in St. Paul. He also discusses briefly the history of Vietnam, and the development of Vietnamese community organizations in the Twin Cities. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Van Tong Sam represents one of the many ethnic Chinese in Vietnam who departed from that country beginning in 1978. It should be pointed out that during the interview Van said his brother-in-law came to the United States three years after he and his sister arrived, but he meant to say three months, not three years.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

98. Interview with Rudolph F. Runez

Creator:: Runez, Rudolph F.
Date Created:: 1979-01-17
Description:: Rudolph Runez was born in 1902 in the city of Caba, in the province of La Union, in northern Luzon, Philippines. He was the third of seven children of a government official in La Union, and although the family was not wealthy, all the children had good educations through secondary school, and several of them later went to the United States to continue their studies. Rudolph's older brother Sixto arrived in Minnesota with a cousin and two others from Caba in 1918, and Rudolph arrived in 1922. After three years of study at the University of Minnesota and the College of St. Thomas, Rudolph married Ruby Knutson, whose parents were Norwegian immigrants, and soon afterward left college to support his family. Even with several years of college education it was difficult for Filipinos to find employment in the Twin Cities, and with the onset of the Depression in the late 1920s almost the only employment open to them was service work in hotels or jobs as butlers in the homes of wealthy businessmen. From 1928 to 1938 Runez worked as a butler in the home of the John Pillsbury family in Minneapolis, and later he also served as butler in the home of the John Ordway family in White Bear Lake. With the onset of World War II he found a job in defense work at the Gray Company in Minneapolis, and he continued to work for the company until his retirement in 1967. While Runez was a student at the University of Minnesota, he was active in the Philippinesotans, a club organized by Filipino students, and the Cosmopolitan Club, which included a variety of foreign students. In 1925 he was one of the organizers and the first president of the Cabenan Club, a regionally based organization comprised of immigrants from Caba, and later he was the first president of the Filipino American Club. Both Ruby and Rudy Runez have been active participants in the First Lutheran Church in White Bear Lake since 1939, and since his retirement has been on the church's board of trustees and board of deacons. He has also been active in the Masonic Fraternity. The Runezes have two daughters, both of whom married men of Scandinavian heritage. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Runez points out that every year from 1918 to about 1928 several Filipino immigrants arrived in the Twin Cities from Caba, La Union, and that many of them were relatives or friends of the Runez family. He also points out that among those who remained in Minnesota, a large number eventually married daughters of Norwegian immigrants who had arrived in an earlier era. Runez discusses racial discrimination that caused interracial couples to experience severe hardships in finding jobs and housing, and the rude remarks and stares of bigoted individuals when the couples appeared in public. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: Runez and his many relatives and friends who eventually immigrated to the Twin Cities illustrate the system of chain migration common to many immigrant groups, a system in which those who arrive first encourage others to join them in the new land through letters and offers of assistance. He also exemplifies the many Filipino students who were not able to complete their studies in the United States because of economic hardship. In the Twin Cities many of them married women of Norwegian or Swedish ancestry and became permanent residents of Minnesota. They were denied American citizenship until after World War II.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

99. Interview with Esther Schanfield Rosenbloom

Creator:: Rosenbloom, Esther Schanfield
Date Created:: 1976-02-26
Description:: Esther Schanfield's family came to Minneapolis in the early 1900s, prospered and became community leaders. She studied music at the University of Minnesota and the Julliard School of Music in Boston. She married Eli Rosenbloom in 1924, and they had two sons and one daughter. She was involved in the Jewish community's cultural affairs in the 1940s and is an active Zionist whose daughter lives in Israel. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family background - arts in the Jewish community in the 1940s - and her honeymoon tour of the United States and Europe. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: In much of the interview Rosenbloom speaks of herself in the third person. She would not discuss her childhood, anti-Semitism or the Depression. Her brother Maurice Schanfield was also interviewed for this oral history project.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

100. Interview with Juan Rodriguez

Creator:: Rodriguez, Juan
Date Created:: 1976-07-14
Description:: Juan "Johnnie" Rodriguez was born in Crystal City, Texas, on Aug. 27, 1930, and worked as a migrant worker in Minnesota from 1941, at age eleven, until 1948. He entered the military during the Korean War and returned to Minnesota in 1954, settling in Moorhead as an employee on a wheat farm. His later activities included being director of Migrant Health Services, Inc. Subjects discussed include: Personal history - migrant work - his work at Migrant Health Services, Inc. - farm duties and responsibilities.
Contributing Institution:: Minnesota Historical Society
Type:: Sound Recording Nonmusical
Format:: Oral histories

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