Source: Star Tribune
February 27, 2001, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported on "a deep stirring within the Twin Cities' Tibetan community to welcome for the first time" the Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is visiting the Twin Cities because of all the support he now has there. "The local Tibetan Buddhist community began forming in 1990...The Tibetan American Foundation of Minnesota (TAFM),...in Minneapolis keeps about 1,000 Tibetan Buddhists in touch with their culture. That figure...makes the Twin Cities the second-largest Tibetan community in the country, half the size of New York's." One resident observed that, for his Tibetan employees, the Dalai Lama's visit is "more than a visit from the pope." He is trying to accommodate their request for time off during the visit.