Minnesota has a history of active volunteerism regarding immigration and refugee resettlement, led primarily by faith-based organizations. Following are a few statistics about Minnesota's immigrant populations a century ago and today
Minnesota
1900
2000
State Population
1,751,394
4,919,479
Number of Immigrants
505,318
260,454
Immigrants as Percentage of Population
29%
5.3%
Number of Minnesotans who don't speak English well or at all
75,071
79,341
Percentage of Minnesotans who don't speak English well or at all
1.8%*
5.7%**
Family size, number of persons
4.9
2.5
Countries of origin
2/3 came from
3 countries: Germany, Sweden, and Norway

17% Europe
40% Asia
24% Latin America
13% Africa

*includes persons age 10 and older; non-English speakers include some American Indians **includes persons age 5 and older

Source: "Turn of the Century: Minnesota's Population in 1900 and Today," Minnesota Planning, 1999

Naturalization Ceremony, Minneapolis, 1924
photo: courtesy of Minnesota Historical Society

Click here for the 1896 Sample Ballot distributed at Minnesota Meeting on March 21, 2005.