Storytellers

Asia in Northfield is an initial attempt to capture the diverse experiences of Asian Americans in this Midwest town. In the summer of 2014, we were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to speak with ten residents from a variety of backgrounds and ethnic Asian heritages along with other long-time community members who have worked closely with Asian immigrants, families, and scholars. Interestingly, the majority of our participants are female, and in the near future, we look forward to inviting more male participants, whose stories can greatly enrich our understanding of the overall Asian American experience in Northfield. We sincerely appreciate the time, tales, treasured collectibles that these community members have kindly shared with us; without them, this project would not be possible.

Ameeta Sony: Originally from Northern Thailand of South Asian descent, Ameeta Sony spent her childhood in both Thailand and India.After obtaining her Master’s degree in Bangkok, she taught at Chiang Mai University in Thailand. She first came to Northfield in 1998 as a visiting scholar to St. Olaf College. Two years later she moved to Northfield and has resided here ever since with her husband. She currently works with the city of Northfield in addition to tutoring Thai at her home. Her stories appear in Ethnic Labels, Identity, The Midwest, Northfield, and Racial Interactions.

Caroline Ticarro-Parker: After leaving South Vietnam with her family as a young child during the Communist takeover in 1975 Caroline Ticarro-Parker immigrated to America as a refugee. She grew up in Minnesota and received her college education in the Midwest. She is the founder of Catalyst Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to provide humanitarian aid to Vietnam and help communities in Southeast Asia to fight against human trafficking. Considered herself a feminist and an activist, Caroline is highly regarded as a leader of the Vietnamese-American community and the organizer of the Vietnamese Culture camps nationwide. She currently calls Northfield home with her husband and two daughters. Her clips can be found in Ethnic Labels, Identity, The Midwest, and Northfield.

Jane Murakami: Jane Murakami is the daughter of Yoshiteru Murakami, a St. Olaf College alumni and a beloved music teacher of the community. She considers herself a “retownie” as she has moved several times, but continues to find herself back in Northfield, the place where she was born. The Murakami family moved to the Moorhead/Fargo area while Jane was in middle school. However, she followed in her father’s footsteps and returned to attend St. Olaf. She left town once more after graduation and pursued her career in social services, working with people with disabilities. She has resettled in Northfield in 2013. Her stories are featured in Identity, Language, The Midwest, and Racial Interactions.

Judy Dirks: Judy Dirks has been a Northfield resident and a bonafide community leader for more than four decades. In 1975, she began working with the Vietnam War refugees as the head of the Northfield Refugee Committee, a coalition of ten local churches that aimed at helping refugee relocation, and she held that position for 24 years. Even today, she continues to assist people in navigating the complex immigration process. Beloved by all those she has helped and recognized by everyone, Judy’s advocacy for the Asian community in Northfield earned her the 2011 “Good Neighbor Award” from the Rotary Club of Northfield and the 2013 “Human Rights Award” from Northfield’s Human Rights Commission among many other honors. Her stories are in American Dream and Racial Interactions.

Naomi Munggai: A native of Malaysian Borneo, Naomi Munggai first visited Northfield in 1991. She moved here permanently in 1998 after finishing her studies at Hull University in England and work commitments to the Malaysian government. She also studied in Edinburgh, Scotland. However, she has not yet decided whether or not to become a US citizen as Malaysia does not allow dual citizenship. Still, Naomi is an active member in the Northfield community, currently living here with her husband and two daughters. Clips from her interview are in American Dream, Ethnic Labels, Language, and Racial Interactions.

Phuong Nguyen: During the Vietnam war, ten of thousands of American servicemen fathered children with local women, and Phuong Nguyen was one of those GI’s offsprings. He never really knew his African American father, however. Being an “Amerasian” in post-war Vietnam, Phuong suffered harsh bullying and discrimination. Luckily, he was allowed to migrate to America in 1992, thanks to US Congress legislation in 1987 that granted Amerasians special immigration status. With the generous support of the the Northfield community, Phuong has re-established himself here. He and his wife from Vietnam are both currently working in food service at St Olaf College. The couple has one son. Her stories are in American Dream and Northfield.

Richard Bodman and Hongyuan Lang: Professor Emeritus Richard “Dick” Bodman began teaching Chinese in the Asian Studies Department at St. Olaf College in 1980. Though he is now retired, he is remembered fondly by all, continues to participate in departmental events, and even teaches a course or two at times. His wife, Hongyuan Lang, originally came from Inner Mongolia, where she was once a teacher as well. The couple married in China in late 1990s, and Hongyuan has been a popular member in the Northfield community after she migrated here, teaching Taichi, playing Ping Pong, and hosting parties for Asian scholars and friends in town. Clips from their interview are in Food and Northfield. 

Toui Mohlke: At a very young age, Touie Mohlke moved from Laos to New York with her family in 1975, as her father worked as a diplomat in the United Nation. Unfortunately the political conflicts back home prevented them from returning. The family moved to Virginia before settled down in Minnesota in 1980. The small size of the Asian population in the Twin Cities surprised them, but they grew to like it here. While her parents have since returned to the East Coast, she stayed in Minnesota for college and then started her own family. It wasn’t until 2005, however, that Toui relocated to Northfield with her husband and children. Her stories can be found in Food, Language, Racial Interactions, and The Midwest. 

Pei Yang: Pei has called Northfield home since 1980 when she and her family opened the first Chinese restaurant, Mandarin Garden, here. Originally from Taiwan, her father worked for Pan Am and then Northwest Airlines that brought him and his daughters to Minneapolis. Pei grew up in the Twin Cities, yet she and her husband found Northfield, a charming college town, the best place to start a small business and their own family. The couple is still running Mandarin Garden with great success even though their three children have all finished colleges and left home to pursue their own careers. Learn more about Pei’s story in American Dream, Ethnic Labels, Food and Language.