We are living in a time of great uncertainty in this city and country. Many of our accepted norms have been upended, and this has created an environment of anxiety and fear. I’m writing this in the wake of the tragic confrontation in South Minneapolis, where a neighbor citizen was killed by an agent of the federal government. Our hearts go out to the families involved, and we expect that at the end of the day, justice will be served.

In addition to this local event, we have all been watching the developments surrounding Greenland and the political rhetoric that is increasingly hostile towards the Danish territory. The DAC has been asked by several international media outlets for comments and perspective. The board leadership has also been asked by members to consider taking a stance regarding these current events. The Executive Committee crafted the following statement, which may also be published elsewhere in this issue of DANews: The Danish American Center is a non-political, cultural organization dedicated to education, heritage, and dialogue. While we recognize the strong interest surrounding current events involving the United States, Denmark, and Greenland, our role is to foster understanding through history, culture, and people-to-people connections rather than political advocacy. We remain committed to creating a welcoming space for respectful learning and conversation grounded in shared values and mutual respect.

Our organization, by definition, is sympathetic to new immigrants to the United States. Over 100 years ago, the DAC was founded by Danish immigrants, with the goal to celebrate and share our Danish values of fellowship, community, sharing, and collaboration. We continue these traditions today. We enjoy our Danish festivities, traditional food and drink, and many of our members spend time at the DAC learning about their family histories. In summary, our organization is comprised of immigrants and descendants of immigrants, and we want to see all immigrants treated with dignity, fairness, and legal due process.

As we continue to move forward, I am confident that the DAC can continue to serve as a venue for discussion, fellowship, and learning. Our members span multiple generations, and it’s incumbent on us to listen and engage with each other in a respectful manner. We have much that we can continue to learn from each other. This is also uncharted territory for the City of Minneapolis, and our organization can hopefully serve as a beacon of fellowship, trust, and comfort not only to our members but our neighbors and city at large.
Pete Gantriis