Celebrate Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month – a celebration of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the United States. During this month, we honor the influence, achievements, and contributions to history and culture made by those who identify as Asian and Pacific Islander.
A rather broad term, Asian/Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia (New Guinea, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Fiji and the Solomon Islands), Micronesia (Marianas, Guam, Wake Island, Palau, Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru and the Federated States of Micronesia) and Polynesia (New Zealand, Hawaiian Islands, Rotuma, Midway Islands, Samoa, American Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Cook Islands, French Polynesia and Easter Island).
Ways to celebrate
To know a people, know their stories. Celebrate using these resources and share them with friends.
For more suggestions, visit the Celebration-a-day May calendar for Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2021
The City of Minneapolis Employment and Training, in partnership with community-based service providers, assists job seekers with job search, skills training, resume prep and review, and interview coaching to help Minneapolis residents get back to work.
Job demand remains high with many employers looking to hire today. Here are three ways to connect:
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Visit Virtual & Interactive Services for Career Seekers to find virtual job search resources and online events. Find out about Jobs in Demand During COVID-19 and about employers who are hiring right now.
- For in-person services in Minneapolis, please call North Minneapolis CareerForce at 612-299-7200 or South Minneapolis CareerForce at 651-539-4410 (currently limited due to COVID).
- If you have been laid off through no fault of your own, complete an Interest Intake form for services or call: 651-539-4421 or 952-417-2108 to be connected to a career counselor.
The communities you serve will soon have access to COVID-19 vaccines. The Minneapolis Health Department is committed to supporting your work to educate community members about the vaccines and address common questions and concerns.
The Minneapolis Health Department will provide a speaker to give a virtual presentation about vaccines and getting vaccinated for your group or organization.
If you would like a presentation, please fill out the request a community presentation form. We will contact you to schedule the presentation.
Request a community presentation - English Form
Request a community presentation - Spanish Form
Request a community presentation - Hmong Form
Request a community presentation - Somali Form
Visit the Vaccination Hub webpage
Minneapolis restaurants and bars can apply for pandemic relief through the Small Business Administration (SBA) Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF).
This is a direct payment. Eligible businesses can receive funding equal to their pandemic-related revenue loss from this SBA program. You do not need to repay the funds if the funds are used for eligible expenses. Applications opened on Monday, May 3 at 11 a.m. CST
Learn more and get ready to apply. For the first 21 days of the application period, the SBA will process applications from businesses in priority groups. Priority groups include BIPOC, women, and veteran owned businesses. Following the initial priority period, applications will be processed until all funds are exhausted. All eligible applicants are encouraged to submit materials as soon as possible.
The Minnesota District office of the SBA is offering multiple webinars to help businesses better understand the program and ask questions. View the event calendar. Minneapolis businesses who would like support connecting to local resources should contact the Minneapolis Small Business Team at 612-673-2499 or SmallBusiness@minneapolismn.gov.
Printable one-pagers in multiple languages
Metro Region Interactive Virtual Teen Job Fair
 Share the news to youth you know about the Teen Job Fair! This year, the job fair is virtual. On Tuesday, May 25 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., the Metro Region Interactive Teen Job Fair is open to all. Register using the code TEENJOBS and set up a profile. There will be a broad scope of employers looking to hire.
2021 40 Under 40: Nina Robertson leads Step Up Youth program for City of Minneapolis
The City is excited to congratulate Step Up Director, Nina Robertson on being named a Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal’s 40 under 40. In 2020, Step Up served over 1,200 young people through paid summer opportunities. Nina’s leadership was trailblazing in making this happen.
As director of the Step Up Youth Employment Program for the city of Minneapolis, Nina Robertson helps prepare young people ages 14 to 21 for careers by training and placing them in paid internships at more than 200 regional employers. Before being promoted to director of the program, she served as program manager since 2016.
Previously, Robertson served in key management and leadership roles at the Northside Achievement Zone, Children’s Defense Fund Minnesota Kwanzaa Freedom Schools, Plymouth Christian Youth Center, and YMCA Twin Cities.
While earning her bachelor’s degree in family social sciences from the University of Minnesota, Robertson served as vice president and events chairwoman of the University of Minnesota Black Student Union. She is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority.
She has served as a board member of the Webber Camden Neighborhood Organization and was a 2018 Fellow of the New Leaders Council, Twin Cities chapter.
More from our honoree …
Why do you do what you do?
I am a passionate youth and family advocate. I've seen and experienced firsthand how systems of oppression plague communities and families. Since I was a teen I have devoted myself to scholarship, service and storytelling. I truly believe these things can offer healing and liberation for all people, but especially my people of heritage, Black Americans.
What's been your biggest professional accomplishment?
My biggest professional accomplishment has been transitioning from program manager to director of Step Up. I am a youth worker. I am dedicated to my craft, but along this journey, I knew that I only wanted to serve and make an impact. I didn't necessarily think about leading or elevating in my professional career. I wanted to do the work, and I followed this journey and path where I was allowed to do just that. It was my colleagues, supervisors and mentors who helped me and maybe in some ways forced me to recognize my natural ability to strategize and lead a team. In recent years, I've really leaned into this and now use my skills to develop and build programs where I am advocating for and developing programs around systems change.
Looking back at the challenges and turmoil of the past year, what was a bright spot?
Looking back at the challenges over the past year, my bright spot is my family. I feel completely lucky to have my partner, my son, my siblings, and nieces and nephews. My mother and one of my younger brothers died tragically in 2017. Since then, my family has grown closer and tighter. Over this past year, and as things grew challenging for so many in our community, my family was reminded of the power of love and security that family can bring. I purchased a home for my family after my mother died in 2017, and for most of the pandemic everyone has had a safe space to isolate and call home. Having the ability to provide safe space for my family is my pride and joy and forever bright spot.
What was a key takeaway from the year that will guide your perspective and/or actions going forward?
A key takeaway from the past year that will forever guide my perspective is that there is so much power in an organized movement. As a person who has experienced police and community violence closely, I know the feeling of becoming hopeless and numb. My entire professional and personal life is centered around advocacy; however, when violence struck my family back-to-back in 2017, I had no idea how to support myself or allow my community to support my family. After this past year, I believe there is a place for everyone in this movement, and that if all are engaged and paying attention and speaking up, we can organize together. We need to organize together. This belief and new understanding of movement building has saved my mental health.
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Pillsbury United Communities (PUC)
 Pillsbury United Communities (PUC) was founded in 1879 to support community and historically marginalized populations. With their system four neighborhood centers located in Minneapolis, they are a trusted and valuable provider of career and employment services in partnership with Minneapolis Employment and Training. Like most partners, PUC had to reimagine the way they served community in 2020. Some of the strategies they employed to service Minneapolis job seekers:
- Offered flexible office hours for job seeker with limited access to technology and those who needed assistance checking their emails, submitting applications, and job search.
- Assisted participants in registering for and attending virtual job fairs.
- Met with people outside their homes or in outdoor locations when the buildings were completely closed to staff and the public.
- Using facetime and text messages to communicate and provide virtual services.
As our community recovers, PUC will continue to adapt and support community to provide needed employment and training services to job seekers looking to stabilize and get back into the workforce.
Events
Small Business Month: Mergent Intellect
Wednesday, May 12 | 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Mergent Intellect is one of Hennepin County Library’s online business research tools. This tool is great for new entrepreneurs or those who are looking to scale up. Mergent Intellect provides access to competitor research, industry research, demographic research, financial benchmarking, and customer identification.
More Information
Art-A-Whirl Weekend
Friday, May 14 – Sunday, May 16
Art-A-Whirl® is the largest open studio tour in the country, which happens annually throughout Northeast Minneapolis the third weekend of May. Due to the ongoing COVID pandemic, the 2021 Art-A-Whirl will not be held as a normal event. Art-A-Whirl is online, with hundreds of member galleries, shops, and videos. Some individual studios, galleries, and businesses will have their own open hours during Art-A-Whirl weekend. Use this website to find open studios, buy art online, and discover new food & beverage options. If visiting in-person, be sure to wear a mask and observe social distancing.
More Information
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NEON Thinking About Business Workshop
Every third Saturday (next: Saturday, May 15) | 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Are you thinking about starting a business? Join NEON for a free Thinking About Business Workshop through ZOOM. Log in information will be sent out one week before the workshop. NEON will walk you through some business basics and brainstorm how to turn your idea into a reality. You will connect with an expert business advisor and learn how to create a business plan.
More Information
e-Commerce for Artists Panel
Saturday, May 15 | 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Hear from a panel of makers and online sellers to learn how to maximize your online sales with a variety of platforms.
More Information
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Eastside Neighborhood Services: Night at the Nic at home
Thursday, May 20
Celebrate local food, drink, and community! Eastside Neighborhood Services' Minneapolis chef and beverage partners have curated meal and drink kits specifically for Night at the Nic. Learn how they connect the dots between education, food, childcare, career development, and wellness to support a whole thriving community. 3 – 6 p.m.: Pick up meal kits, drink kits, and VIP bags in the East Side Neighborhood Services parking lot.Then 7:00 p.m., join the Virtual interactive vendor experiences and 7:30 p.m. is the virtual event program.
More Information
Entrepreneurship Information Session
Friday, May 28 | 11:30 p.m. – 12:30 p.m.
WomenVenture offers a variety of different services to those planning to start or expand a for-profit business. Learn about the training courses and loan programs that WomenVenture offers and take the first step in becoming an entrepreneur.
More Information
New/Expanding Businesses
Food/Beverage
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Health/Wellness
Financial
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In the News
NEON's big plans for strengthening North Minneapolis
Read in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal
Commercial space for Black women entrepreneurs could come to West Broadway
Read in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal
Crave owners reviving Butcher & the Boar in downtown Minneapolis
Read in the Star Tribune
These Twin Cities Black-owned businesses will be featured in Deluxe's Small Business Revolution TV series
Read in the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal
Liquor store to rebuild at Minnehaha and Lake
Read in the Longfellow Nokomis Messenger
Home-based professionals find a second home within NEBA
Read in the Longfellow Nokomis Messenger
A turnaround with help from cookie lovers, food innovator
Read in the Star Tribune
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