from edenprairienews.com
Faces of Change tells immigration stories
Immigration, past and present, is the subject of a new exhibit at the Eden Prairie Library
By John Molene
A new look at immigration – past and present – is the subject of a new multimedia exhibit and presentation at the Eden Prairie Library. “Faces of Change” is a photo and essay exhibit designed to document the changes in a small rural Minnesota community, which has undergone a large influx of refugees in the last decade, and the changes in the immigrants who came to the community of Pelican Rapids. The small Minnesota town of about 1,800 residents went through dramatic changes when an influx of some 700 refugees moved there in the 1990s. This exhibit documents some of the changes the community went through. The exhibit is being sponsored by the Eden Prairie Human Rights and Diversity Commission. Along with the exhibit, will be two local presentations. One is a DVD put together by a group called Solution Finders that included Eden Prairie Somali teenagers, while the second presentation features maps and materials from the Eden Prairie Historical Society tracing the arrivals of Eden Prairie’s first immigrants. A public event highlighting all of the media displays will be held at the library from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on Nov. 29. Refreshments will be served. The library is currently displaying the Faces of Change self-guided tour. “It’s a very nice visual exhibit showing how immigration is impacting rural Minnesota,” said Molly Koivumaki, Housing and Community Services Manager for the City of Eden Prairie. Adding a local perspective to the Faces of Change exhibit helps tie together how immigration has affected Eden Prairie, both past and present, Koivumaki said.
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