English Other Government / Politics

Hello everyone,

From the book Thank You for Being Late by Thomas Friedman.

Minnesota right now is wrestling with that trick—as are other communities in America. Michael Gorman, who heads Split Rock Partners, an investment fund, and is a founding member of the Itasca Working Team, eloquently shared with me how he sees the challenges and tensions around this issue in Minnesota today. (It is not as if Minnesota hasn’t faced this challenge before: as Hewitt joked, until the 1960s the Lutheran Germans would not sell to the Lutheran Norwegians!)

“Most of us who grew up here identify with the tribe of Minnesota,” said Gorman.

There is something special about our civic culture that has de-veloped over time. Minnesotans and Minnesota companies are distinctive in their level of engagement and commitment to the community, and their willingness to devote financial and human capital toward the public good. There is a sense that we can’t let up. Minnesota still retains the elements of community and connectivity that have served the region well since pioneer days. With the arrival of recent immigrants from backgrounds very different than their predecessors from Northern Europe, however, the cultural pH is changing. Figuring out how to in-clude Minnesota’s new voices and perspectives while retaining the best attributes of the majority culture that has worked for a long time is a challenge.

From one side, he argued, ***the commons in Minnesota*** needs to be expanded and become more inclusive—the definition of being Minnesotan needs to broaden so that every person, regardless of their background, sees Minnesota as fertile topsoil in which to grow and prosper. But it cannot just be a one-way conversation.

“There also has to be assimilation from the new arrivals,” said Gorman. “Our message has to be: ‘We are glad that you are here and can’t wait to see the contributions you will make to our community. That asks something of us. But it also has to ask something of you. What are you doing to embrace the existing culture, to be a part of this place you have chosen as your new home?’ ”

What does "the commons in Minnesota needs to be expanded" mean in general and "commons" in particular?

I also asked this question on Wordreference (but there you can oly quote 4sentences when asking questions).
https://forum.wordreference.com/threads/the-commons-in-minne...

Some people answered and commented but, unfortunately, no one is sure enough.

Thank you.