Showing Up, Standing Together & Sharing a Taste of Home

From a rainy-day protest to welcoming new neighbors, here’s how our community keeps moving forward together.

Weekend Recap

The rain held off until right after the protest on Saturday, and 217 of you showed up with signs and enthusiasm. I decided to take my own advice and took a day to recharge yesterday. I will be back on Saturday and hope for dry weather.

Bring Your American Flags

We got word that the Carver County GOP is going to conduct a car parade on Saturday, where they drive in a convoy of vehicles flying Trump flags. they will be sure to be driving past us, so please bring your American flags.

A Personal Note

Not many of you know that I am a naturalized citizen. I came here in the late 80s with my parents. Minnesota in the late 80s was not accustomed to anyone “foreign,” and trying to integrate was hard.

What we missed most, besides family and friends, was the Dutch and Indonesian food I grew up with. Everything tasted different, even the milk. Back then, there was no importing the food we loved and missed so much.

A wonderful member of our protest family has a daughter who lives in the Netherlands and surprised me with the one ingredient I still cannot import. You have no idea how much that meant to me. The flavors of home help with homesickness, memory, and connecting the past with the present.

How You Can Help

Why am I telling you this story?

The United Way is running a project called Flavors of the Community, where they are collecting food staples from different ethnic communities to help people access familiar foods and flavors as they integrate into Minnesota.

You can help by:

• Buying items from the list and dropping them off with the SW Protectors or bringing donations to the protest

• Or ordering from the Amazon wish list

In two weeks, we will pack everything and deliver it.

I hope you will join me in making immigrants feel welcome in Minnesota.

Upcoming Events

• Tommorow, on April 14th, there is a training session for anyone interested in field leadership.

• On Wednesday, April 15th, there is a virtual training opportunity with States at the Core, focusing on how to stop ICE from building its mass deportation infrastructure. I also highly suggest subscribing to their emails.

Upcoming Speakers

I am lining up speakers for SW Protectors:

• April 21: Ellie Krug, speaking about running for school board and local seats

• May 5: Faraz Currimbhoy from the Quba Islamic Center of Chaska, speaking with us

• June 2: Patti from Bountiful Baskets, explaining how food shelves work, where food comes from, and how the process works

• June 16: Adam Moore, candidate for Carver County Sheriff, answering questions

I am continuing to add to the calendar and will update you when I have more.

Final Thoughts

I do not know what this week’s news will bring. I am sure that every day there will be at least one, if not more, “unprecedented” events. I hate that word now.

I do know that we are going to keep going.

Take a day, or more, to recharge. Turn off your phone or the TV when you feel overwhelmed. Talk to a friend or go scream into your pillow.

Then keep going.

We do not stop.

Judith

Chaska Protests

Every Friday from 3:00–4:00 p.m. at the corner of Chaska Blvd. and Chestnut Street (Highway 41) [Map]

Every Saturday from 1-2 pm at the corner of Hazeltine Boulevard and Highway 41 (Chestnut) [Map]

Chanhassen Protests

Every Saturday from 10-11 am at 7700 Market Boulevard [Map] Public parking is available behind City Hall.

Waconia

Every Saturday from 11:30-12:30 pm at Highway 5 and County Road 10 in front of the Starbucks and Jersey Mike’s. [Map]

Norwood Young America

Every Sunday, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. (Line up at the bike path south of 212 by Reform Street.)

SW Protectors

Every first and third Tuesday from 6:30 – 8:00 pm. It’s no cost and come and go as you like.

Please do buy something to eat or drink, though, to support our venue, which is The Bellows restaurant and it’s located at 232 Pioneer Trail in Chaska.