A Rural Community’s Response to its Changing Demography: Welcome to Worthington

Worthington, Minnesota, has provided employment for Karen refugees from Burma since 2007 due to the availability of positions where English language was not a prerequisite for employment. Many of the refugees were assisted in resettlement by non-profit refugee employment service agencies located in the Twin Cities metropolitan area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. In 2010, Karen refugees were interviewed to determine their satisfaction with the move to Worthington. As the refugees in Worthington become more settled, other rural communities are being examined for the possibility of available employment. Through interviews with community leaders this study investigates the factors in Worthington that led to the overall success of the relocation.Funded by a Communiversity Personnel Grant from the Center for Urban and Regional Affairs (CURA), University of Minnesota