Laura Deering shares information about her research investigating the Underground Railroad in Southeast Minnesota. The Whitewater State Park Oral History project began in 2017 to commemorate the Centennial Anniversary of the State Park.
Brother Simon-H=a Phan was born in Saigon, Vietnam. Phan left Vietnam near the end of the war by helicopter from the U.S. embassy before the country fell to the Communist Party. Phan and his family sought refuge in Colorado and California. He later made his way to Minnesota to join the Benedictine monastery and completed college in the seminary. He then acquired a Bachelor of Fine Arts in painting and a Masters of Fine Arts in film. He teaches at St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota. Subjects discussed include: Family background - Vietnam War - immigration - childhood memories - family business - seeking refuge from the Communists shelling the air force base - warfare and traumatic experiences - education - Asians in Vietnam and America - film and art - religion - celebrating Vietnamese culture - feeling discrimination as a minority - Vietnam Culture camp - being bilingual in Vietnamese and English - and the Vietnamese community.
Sally Hilleboe Adelson, the first woman in the Fargo-Moorhead area to have her own television show, discusses her involvement with television talk shows. Most of her shows were community based shows. She also did talk shows geared to women in the home and consumer problems.
In this interview, Orville Jensen talks about where he taught before joining the staff at Wilson Campus School, his time at Wilson, and what he did after the school closed. This oral history interview was conducted as part of the Wilson Campus School Oral History Project conducted by the Southern Minnesota Historical Center at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Wilson Campus School was a lab school for the college.
Contributing Institution:
University Archives and Southern Minnesota Historical Center, Memorial Library, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Kilamphong Kounlavong was born in Savanhnakhet, Laos. Subjects discussed include: Escaping Laos in 1975 - living in a Thai refugee camp - coming to Warroad, Minnesota from Thai refugee camps - Lao community in Warroad, Minnesota - going back to visit family in Laos. COMMENTS ON INTERVIEW: The interview is conducted in Laotian but the transcript has been translated into English.
In this interview, Janet Albrecht talks about being a parent of students at the school, different activities that her daughters participated in, and what she thought of the school. This oral history interview was conducted as part of the Wilson Campus School Oral History Project conducted by the Southern Minnesota Historical Center at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Wilson Campus School was a lab school for the college.
Contributing Institution:
University Archives and Southern Minnesota Historical Center, Memorial Library, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Kathy Coyle discusses her career as the anchor of a local television news broadcast, including details concerning the production of local news, the importance of ratings, relations with co-workers, and the advancement of women in television journalism.
JinHee Darmer was born in Pusan, South Korea. She immigrated first to Iowa then moved to Minnesota and graduated from the University of Minnesota. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Coming to the United States - marrying an American - being a single mom - working multiple jobs - her family - college - discrimination in the workplace - her son growing up and his difficulties being half American half Korean - Korean adoptees finding their birth parents - Korean American Women's Association.
Morrison discusses his arrival at the Ponemah school; orders from the agency to break up Native American customs; a smallpox epidemic at Ponemah; and a doctor teaching him to pull teeth, establishing a post office at Ponemah; a storm that left a windfall of trees in the early 1900s; memories of Billy Burce; the dock at Ponemah; vaccinating people against smallpox; the lack of law and order; steamboats and other boats on Red Lake; A. E. Andrews' attempts to settle Upper Red Lake; Morrison's opinion of how the government handles its interactions with Native Americans; gardening habits of the Red Lake Ojibwe; the decline of basket weaving and beadwork on the Red Lake Reservation; local produce theft; his opinion on compelling families to garden; his opinion on the work ethic of Native Americans; and his opinion on the quality of education provided to Native American children; his opinions about reducing economic support for Native Americans; resources available to Native Americans on the reservations; the fishing industry on the Red Lake Reservation; early staff members at the Ponemah school; his store, Chippewa Trading, at Red Lake; early law enforcement on the reservation; his time as a traveling salesman; his time at Nett Lake; his time at Onigum, including WPA work; whether Native Americans can get jobs; Native American population in the Twin Cities, and the regulations and challenges for traders on reservations. This record contains parts of multiple interviews. Please refer to the transcripts for help understanding these.
Deepak Nath was born in the U.S. His parents emigrated from India in the 1960s. He attended school in Minnesota and college in Massachusetts. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Parents, familiarity with parents' language, childhood memories, socializing with other Indians, maintaining ties to India - family values - discrimination, high school memories, religion, future plans, travels to India, Indian films - Babson Dance Ensemble (Massachusetts) - college life and experiences - balancing Western and Indian cultures, advantages and disadvantages of being a child of immigrant parents.
Neena Gada was born in India and immigrated to the U.S. as an adult. She is one of the founding members of SILC. She has served as a teacher, administrator and board member. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Personal background; founding of SILC; purpose and goals of SILC; first day; organizational structure tuition; student and staff recruitment; managing an all volunteer organization; teaching materials; experiences as a teacher; rewards and challenges of teaching; school board; enrollment; secularity; outreach activities; maintaining ties; important visitors; discipline; special events; Festival of Nations; programming for adopted children; parental perspective; SILC experience and trips to India.
In this interview, Gene Broughten talks about his time at Wilson Campus School, the changes that happened in 1968, and what he did after Wilson closed. This oral history interview was conducted as part of the Wilson Campus School Oral History Project conducted by the Southern Minnesota Historical Center at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Wilson Campus School was a lab school for the college.
Contributing Institution:
University Archives and Southern Minnesota Historical Center, Memorial Library, Minnesota State University, Mankato
Mark Reisetter shares about his experience serving in Vietnam and the therapeutic benefits of fly fishing. The Whitewater State Park Oral History project began in 2017 to commemorate the Centennial Anniversary of the State Park.
Roger Hamilton discusses his career in journalism as a local newspaper writer, and his activities as the director of public relations at Moorhead State College (later Moorhead State University) from 1962 to 1981. His reflections include much on the history of the college newspapers, the MiSTiC and the Advocate.
Interview with former Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge Gary L. Crippen on his life and his legal and judicial career. He was appointed to the Minnesota Court of Appeals in 1984, served until 2002, then served as a senior judge until 2015. The interview includes his family background, education and his experience of being one of the first judges on the Court of Appeals.
Bingkun Chen was born December 4, 1961 in Hegang in Heilongjiang province China. He earned a PhD in pathology from Kochi University in Japan and an MBA from the University of Minnesota. At the time of the interview he was working at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Subjects discussed include: Early life in China - religion - early education and medical school in China and then Germany and Japan - coming to the Minnesota to work for the Mayo Clinic - working for the Mayo Clinic - family in Minnesota - going back to China - living in Rochester, Minnesota - the Chinese community in Rochester - being grateful - diversity.
Tenzin Khenrab was born in Bhandara, India. He grew up in Dharamsala attending the Tibetan Children's Village (TCV). Khenrab moved to the United States in 1997. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Parents, family, siblings, Tibetan Children's Village (TCV), difficulties adjusting to American teaching styles, college experiences, youth, future education plans, English, working in the United States, adjusting to food in the U.S., music, Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), activism, community, citizenship, differences and similarities between Tibetan and American culture, Tibetan Green Book.
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.
Stan Cowan was involved in the communications field in Moorhead and Fargo from 1921 until 1967. He started the business section of the Forum in 1949, which he continued for 17 years. He held an interest in aviation and saw Hector Airport instituted. He was the first president of local PTA, active in Trinity Church and other civic organizations.
Reynold "Ray" Steffenhagen (1920-2008) of Lake City, Minnesota discusses working in the family business of Sugar Loaf Dairy, Guernsey cows, pasteurizing and bottling milk, working for the Lake City Post Office, and being drafted into the army during World War II.
Martha Noyola was born in Houston Texas - her parents are immigrants from Mexico. She graduated from the University of California-Berkeley and works as a multicultural academic advisor for St. Cloud State University. She has served on the board of the Multicultural Center for Central Minnesota, and worked or volunteered for the Latino Coalition, Community Development Coalition, and National Latina Health Organization, and Catholic Charities. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Early life - family decision to come to the United States - crossing the border - education and fitting in at school - going away to college - gender roles in family and school - volunteering - family expectations of going to college - moving to Minnesota - racism in small town Minnesota - Latino community in and around St. Cloud - Catholic Charities - nonprofit work - working for St. Cloud State as a multicultural advisor - establishing a community within St. Cloud - being a mom and raising children in a predominantly white community - hopes for the Latino community to become more visible in central Minnesota.
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.
Manuel Guerrero was born in Indiana and was brought up in Catholic schools. Guerrero attended the University of Notre Dame and later law school at Indiana University. He practiced law in Marion, Indiana and was elected as a state court judge. He landed a professor position to teach criminal justice at the University of Minnesota. Guerrero pursued his second law degree in juvenile law at Georgetown University, but afterward moved back to Minnesota. He gave back to the community by heading the Chicano Latino Resource Center and forming the Minnesota Latino Federation. He aspires to have the Latino community become more educated and involved in Minnesota. SUBJECTS DISCUSSED: Family support - immigration - baseball - scholarships - Latino culture - lack of diversity - his education path - Latino community - Chicano Studies Department at the University of Minnesota - growing diversity in Minneapolis - drug use and poverty in Latino communities - racism differences in the metro area compared to rural cities in Minnesota - and a Latino voice in politics.
