Summit - University in Saint Paul in Ramsey County, Minnesota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Karen People in Rondo / Somalis in Rondo
Photographed By McGhiever, July 13, 2021
1. Karen People in Rondo/Somalis in Rondo Marker
Inscription.
Karen People in Rondo, also, Somalis in Rondo. .
Karen People in RondoSaw Sunshine Timothy. Many Karen families are now living in the Rondo neighborhood. The first Karen Church opened in Rondo in 2007. The majority of Karen refugees in Minnesota are Christians and so churches have become the heart of the community. We gather there to worship, to have weddings, to celebrate the Karen New Year, and for other cultural activities., Who are the Karen?, Over two thousand years ago, the Karen settled in a place we called the Green Land (Kaw Lah in Karen) in Southeast Asia. This area became part of Burma (Myanmar). Before the British colonized Burma in the 19th century, the country was controlled by many different ethnic groups, the largest of which was the Burmese. The British used a divide and conquer strategy by favoring the Karen and other ethnic minorities over the Burmese., When Japanese forces occupied Burma during World War II, the Burmese Independence Army collaborated with them to fight against the British. However, the Karen sided with the British and fought against the Japanese. In return, Japanese soldiers committed many atrocities such as massacres and rapes, against the Karen people., On January 4, 1948 the British granted independence to Burma. But on February 11, 1948, over 500,000 Karen people gathered peacefully to demand a Karen state. The Burmese Prime Minister refused and said if the Karen wanted a state, they would have to fight for it. On January 31, 1949, the Karen responded by starting a revolution., In 1976, Burma launched a major offensive against the Karen resistance movement, forcing many to flee to Thailand., In 1999, some Karen refugees in Thailand resettled to Minnesota and many more followed in 2004., More than 14,000 Karen people live in Minnesota, making it the largest Karen community in the U.S. We came here because Minnesota is adept at welcoming refugees, such as the Hmong, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Oromo and Somali., Top: members of the Emmanuel Karen Baptist Church outside the church, 400 Oxford Street North Middle: students walking to school in a Karen refugee camp, Thailand Bottom: traditional Karen Don dance, Karen New Year celebration, 2017 All photos courtesy Emmanuel Karen Baptist Church,
Somalis in RondoMukhtar Ibrahim. In recent years, Somali-Americans have established a presence in the Rondo Neighborhood. Two big reasons are the availability of affordable housing and easy access to public transportation. To accommodate the needs of this growing community, Somali-Americans have established business and religious centers in Rondo., The Islamic Da'wah Center was the first mosque to be purchased by the Somali Community in Saint Paul's Rondo Neighborhood. The center, opened in 2007, is led by Imam Hassan Mohamud, a prominent Somali-American imam, who spearheaded the purchase of the mosque for $1.3 million. As of 2018, contributions by community members have paid off nearly 80 percent of the building's cost. Somali entrepreneurs have opened multiple businesses that cater to the new growing community near the mosque on University Avenue., Across from the Rondo Community Library, the Global Food Market, also opened in 2010. As the Somali-American population increases and its needs grow, business leaders hope to open a Somali-owned mall in Rondo., Somalis are an ethnic group of about 20 million people from East Africa and most share a common religion, culture and language. About 60 percent live in Somalia, while most others are in nearby countries. Hundreds of thousands fled to Ethiopia and Kenya after a civil war destroyed Somalia's central government in 1991., Somali refugees began arriving in the United States in the early 1990s. At first they went to many different states, but Minnesota soon attracted the largest concentration, making the Twin Cities the capital of the Somali diaspora. The main desirable factors are the state's abundance of jobs, affordable public housing, social services, and educational opportunities. Like many refugees before them, the Somalis are gradually regaining their footing., Top: Islamic Da'wah Center, 478 University Avenue West Middle: prayers at the Islamic Da'wah Center Bottom: Global Food Market, 611 University Avenue West
Karen People in Rondo Saw Sunshine Timothy
Many Karen families are now living in the Rondo neighborhood. The first Karen Church opened in Rondo in 2007. The majority of Karen refugees in Minnesota are Christians and so churches have become the heart of the community. We gather there to worship, to have weddings, to celebrate the Karen New Year, and for other cultural activities.
Who are the Karen?
Over two thousand years ago, the Karen settled in a place we called the Green Land (Kaw Lah in Karen) in Southeast Asia. This area became part of Burma (Myanmar). Before the British colonized Burma in the 19th century, the country was controlled by many different ethnic groups, the largest of which was the Burmese. The British used a divide and conquer strategy by favoring the Karen and other ethnic minorities over the Burmese.
When Japanese forces occupied Burma during World War II, the Burmese Independence Army collaborated with them to fight against the British. However, the Karen sided with the British and fought against the Japanese. In return, Japanese soldiers committed many atrocities such as massacres and rapes, against the Karen people.
On January 4, 1948 the British granted independence to Burma. But on February 11, 1948, over 500,000 Karen
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people gathered peacefully to demand a Karen state. The Burmese Prime Minister refused and said if the Karen wanted a state, they would have to fight for it. On January 31, 1949, the Karen responded by starting a revolution.
In 1976, Burma launched a major offensive against the Karen resistance movement, forcing many to flee to Thailand.
In 1999, some Karen refugees in Thailand resettled to Minnesota and many more followed in 2004.
More than 14,000 Karen people live in Minnesota, making it the largest Karen community in the U.S. We came here because Minnesota is adept at welcoming refugees, such as the Hmong, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Oromo and Somali.
Top: members of the Emmanuel Karen Baptist Church outside the church, 400 Oxford Street North
Middle: students walking to school in a Karen refugee camp, Thailand
Bottom: traditional Karen Don dance, Karen New Year celebration, 2017
All photos courtesy Emmanuel Karen Baptist Church
Somalis in Rondo Mukhtar Ibrahim
In recent years, Somali-Americans have established a presence in the Rondo Neighborhood. Two big reasons are the availability of affordable housing and easy access to public transportation. To accommodate the needs of this growing community, Somali-Americans have established business and religious
Photographed By McGhiever, July 13, 2021
2. Karen People in Rondo/Somalis in Rondo Marker—third from the end at the Rondo Commemorative Plaza
centers in Rondo.
The Islamic Da'wah Center was the first mosque to be purchased by the Somali Community in Saint Paul's Rondo Neighborhood. The center, opened in 2007, is led by Imam Hassan Mohamud, a prominent Somali-American imam, who spearheaded the purchase of the mosque for $1.3 million. As of 2018, contributions by community members have paid off nearly 80 percent of the building's cost. Somali entrepreneurs have opened multiple businesses that cater to the new growing community near the mosque on University Avenue.
Across from the Rondo Community Library, the Global Food Market, also opened in 2010. As the Somali-American population increases and its needs grow, business leaders hope to open a Somali-owned mall in Rondo.
Somalis are an ethnic group of about 20 million people from East Africa and most share a common religion, culture and language. About 60 percent live in Somalia, while most others are in nearby countries. Hundreds of thousands fled to Ethiopia and Kenya after a civil war destroyed Somalia's central government in 1991.
Somali refugees began arriving in the United States in the early 1990s. At first they went to many different states, but Minnesota soon attracted the largest concentration, making the Twin Cities the capital of the Somali diaspora. The main desirable factors are the state's abundance of jobs, affordable
public housing, social services, and educational opportunities. Like many refugees before them, the Somalis are gradually regaining their footing.
Top: Islamic Da'wah Center, 478 University Avenue West
Middle: prayers at the Islamic Da'wah Center
Bottom: Global Food Market, 611 University Avenue West
Location. 44° 57.065′ N, 93° 8.107′ W. Marker is in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in Ramsey County. It is in Summit - University. Marker can be reached from the intersection of North Fisk Street and Concordia Avenue, on the right when traveling south. The marker is at the Rondo Commemorative Plaza. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 820 Concordia Avenue, Saint Paul MN 55104, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on March 20, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 20, 2024, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. This page has been viewed 42 times since then. Photos:1, 2. submitted on March 20, 2024, by McGhiever of Minneapolis, Minnesota. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
