HONORING THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MINNESOTA ON THE OCCASION OF ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY; Congressional Record Vol. 165, No. 124
(Extensions of Remarks - July 23, 2019)
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[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E959]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING THE INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF MINNESOTA ON THE OCCASION OF
ITS 100TH ANNIVERSARY
______
HON. BETTY McCOLLUM
of minnesota
in the house of representatives
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Ms. McCOLLUM. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the International
Institute of Minnesota on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. The
Institute's original mission is as vital today as it was after World
War I when it welcomed refugees fleeing strife and instability in their
homelands and helped them achieve self-sufficiency and full membership
in American life.
In 1919, leaders of the Saint Paul YWCA came together to address an
urgent need in the community to serve those who were arriving to
Minnesota, displaced in the aftermath of the ``War to End All Wars.''
Out of this effort, the Institute became one of the first state
resettlement voluntary agencies (VOLAGS).
The onset of World War II saw the need for the Institute's services
to expand. During this time, the organization partnered with the War
Relocation Authority, helping to free Japanese-Americans from
internment camps and working as translators and codebreakers at Fort
Snelling. At the end of the Vietnam War, many refugees were displaced
from Southeast Asia to Minnesota, particularly ethnic Hmong and others
from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam. Since 1974, the Institute has
resettled approximately 25,000 refugees from every region of the world,
including recent arrivals from Somalia and Myanmar.
As economists point to increasingly tight labor markets and a growing
scarcity of workers as two of our state's most significant barriers to
sustained economic growth, the Institute contributes to our economic
vitality by opening the door for those pursuing the American dream. By
partnering with new Americans on a path to citizenship,
entrepreneurship and full membership in our community, state and
country, the Institute has empowered thousands of new Americans to
become our trusted doctors, business leaders, teachers, engineers,
scientists, policemen and soldiers.
Recognizing that new Americans enrich our state in many ways, the
Institute honors and shares our state's growing diversity and fosters
cultural understanding. For nearly 90 years, the Institute's Festival
of Nations has drawn thousands of people together each May to celebrate
the many traditions that are shared by Minnesotans. Through this
festival, Minnesotans can better appreciate how as a state and nation
of Native Americans and immigrants, our strength is our diversity of
backgrounds, viewpoints and religions.
The motto inscribed on the Great Seal of the United States: ``E
Pluribus Unum--Out of Many, One'' underscores that the foundation of
our nation has always been the collective power of many different
people coming together. For 100 years, the International Institute of
Minnesota has proudly supported our nation by welcoming and empowering
new refugees and immigrants from different backgrounds to come together
as new Americans.
Please join me to congratulate the staff, volunteers and donors to
the International Institute of Minnesota for providing 100 years of
hospitality, empowerment, hope and opportunity for new Americans.
____________________