>> ABOUT 1883, A MEXICAN ORCHESTRA CAME TO PLAY IN MINNEAPOLIS AT THE MINNEAPOLIS EXPOSITION.

THERE WAS A FELLOW BY THE NAME OF LOUISE GARSON WHO GOT SICK WHILE HE WAS HERE.

SOME SAY HE DRANK OUR WATER.

I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S TRUE OR NOT, BUT HE STAYED.

AND EVENTUALLY, HE OPENED UP A GROCERY STORE ON ST.

PAUL'S WEST SIDE, AND THAT BECAME -- THAT WAS KIND OF LIKE THE HUB.

THE PEOPLE THAT WERE COMING TO MINNESOTA, THEY KNEW THERE WAS A GROCERY STORE WHERE PEOPLE SPOKE SPANISH, SO EVENTUALLY, THAT ATTRACTED FOLKS.

AND EVENTUALLY, THAT'S HOW OUR COMMUNITY REALLY STARTED.

THAT'S HOW WE GOT HERE.

♪ ♪ ♪ >> PRESENTLY, THERE ARE FOUR GENERATIONS OF MY FAMILY LIVING ON THE WEST SIDE.

WE STARTED COMING AROUND 1935, AND WE EVENTUALLY SETTLED ON THE WEST SIDE AROUND 1946.

♪ THE WEST SIDE WAS KNOWN LIKE A STOPPING POINT.

YOU COME, YOU DEVELOP SOME ROOTS, YOU -- ECONOMICALLY, YOU TRY TO MAKE IT -- A LITTLE BIT BETTER IN LIFE, AND THEN YOU MOVE SOMEWHERE ELSE.

>> IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE PLACE WHERE YOU CAME TO START OUT.

IN AMERICA.

AND IT'S STILL THAT PLACE.

>> IT'S LIKE NOW, PEOPLE SEEM TO WANT TO STAY HERE.

THIS IS THE PLACE TO STAY.

[SPEAKING IN SPANISH] .

>> THERE IS AMERICA, BEAUTIFUL AMERICA.

OH, AMERICA, HAS SO MUCH MORE.

AND YOU ARE RICH IN AMERICA!

[SPEAKING IN SPANISH] [SPEAKING IN SPANISH].

>> WE LIVE IN WISCONSIN, ALL WHITE PEOPLE.

SO WE DON'T WANT TO GO OUTSIDE, NOT COMFORTABLE FOR US.

SO MY DAUGHTER FINISHED HIGH SCHOOL.

WE MOVED OF WISCONSIN TO HERE.

>> YEAH?

>> WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?

>> I'M -- I'M BUYING FOR HALLOWEEN.

>> FOR WHO?

>> FOR ME, FOR MY KIDS.

[ Laughter ].

>> YEAH.

[SPEAKING IN SPANISH] .

>> MY NEIGHBOR IS TOM.

I DON'T KNOW, HE'S MY -- HE'S MEXICO.

I'M VERY COMFORTABLE, YEAH.

[SPEAKING SPANISH] .

>> SO WE GO OUTSIDE, IT'S HMONG PEOPLE, BLACK PEOPLE, MEXICAN PEOPLE.

WE'RE HAPPY.

MORE COMFORTABLE.

>> IN MY EYES, THERE ISN'T A SECTOR WHERE THIS IS WHERE THE WHITE PEOPLE LIVE AND THIS IS WHERE THE MEXICAN PEOPLE LIVE.

IT'S VERY MIXED.

I THINK LATINOS HERE HOLD A BIG PART OF THE VOICE, AND -- AND MAYBE QUITE A BIT OF THE POWER, MEANING THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE THEM MORE OFTEN, YOU HEAR FROM THAT PART OF THE COMMUNITY MORE OFTEN.

>> YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THE SOUTHEAST ASIAN COMMUNITY, WHEN THEY CAME TO THE WEST SIDE, THEY BECAME THE NEW KID ON THE BLOCK.

SO NOW INSTEAD IT WAS LIKE FIRST WE WERE ON THE BLOCK, WE WERE ALL OF THE NEGATIVE NAMES THAT CAME TO US AND THEN WHEN THE AFRICAN AMERICANS CAME, ALL OF