chaldeans AROUND THE
chaldeans AROUND THE WORLD Chaldeans in Michigan BY ADHID MIRI, PHD An Ancient People Chaldeans are Aramaic-speaking people indigenous to Iraq. They have a history that spans more than 5,500 years, dating back to Mesopotamia, known as the cradle of civilization. The area encompasses present day Iraq. When we hear the name “Chaldeans,” we think of Babylon, Ur of the Chaldees, Father Abraham, and the cradle of civilization etc. Few people think of modern Chaldeans from ancient Mesopotamia, which today consists of redesigned countries such as Turkey, Iraq and Syria. Chaldeans are Eastern Rite Catholic and united with the Roman Catholic Church but have separate Bishops and a Patriarch (Patriarch of Babylon for the Chaldeans) who oversees the Chaldean Catholic Church and resides in Iraq. Large number of Chaldeans still live in their homeland and another larger group in the diaspora. Chaldeans in the USA Store Ford Motor Company Former Governor of Michigan William Milliken Thomas & Vergine Denha Karim & Bernadette Sarafa Salim & Margrete Sarafa Salman Sesi Gorial Esshaki Chaldeans Are Everywhere Chaldeans have spread over all the continents of the world. A Christian population, who like other Christian companions from the Middle East has been confronted for centuries with persecutions, wars, immigration, etc. To this day, Chaldeans live with the dilemma of “staying or leaving the homeland.” Despite these poignant situations, Chaldeans live with their bodies in the diaspora, but with their hearts in their homeland. Chaldeans and other Iraqi Christians link their homeland to their identity, culture, language, faith, traditions, etc. They attach great importance and value to their identity, because that is what they will always be able to keep; together with their Christian faith. They may live in the diaspora, but they are always connected to each other because of their faith and their precious identity. Chaldeans belong to the “Catholic Apostolic Church of the East of the Chaldeans,” which is united with the Catholic Church of Rome. Bound to their identity, language and culture, Chaldeans need to integrate into various societies around the world. Since the invasion of the United States in Iraq in 2003 and the war unleashed by the terrorist group Islamic State in Syria and Iraq, the number of Chaldeans in these countries, along with other Christian populations, has shrunk tremendously. Nevertheless, there are still many Chaldeans and other Christian populations in Iraq and Syria. The Chaldean villages in southeast Turkey were evacuated and destroyed in the 1990s and Kareem Kattula’s store face continuing strife, partly due to the Turkish- Kurdish conflicts. However, there are Chaldeans who live in Istanbul. Many Chaldeans have also moved to other countries in the Middle East and Asia, to Jordan, Iran, Lebanon and Georgia. When we travel to Europe, we find Chaldean communities in the United Kingdom, France, Luxembourg, Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Greece. There are large Chaldean communities in Australia, New Zealand and Canada. We are writing from United States where the largest Chaldean community of the diaspora is located, namely in Michigan and California. Pioneers: Chaldeans In America The immigration of the Chaldeans from northern Iraq to the United States at the beginning of the last century was not their first, there were several earlier waves to the city of Adana in southern Turkey, Syria, Canada and Mexico. In 1878, Mikha Shamasha from Telkeppe was the first traveler to King Faisal 2 Regent Abdul Ellah visit to Michigan 1952, with Joe Acho and other Chaldeans Adana. World War I was a turning point in immigration history for people seeking better life and safety. Just before the onset of World War I (between 1900-1914), the Chaldean pioneers in Adana totaled 208. The early pioneers’ stories were legendary as they left their villages and took unchartered voyages to countries, ports and seas armed with courage and faith. Opening new frontiers and reaching for the dreamland was not easy. They were farmers with few skills, limited language, poor knowledge of geography and no financial resources. They faced insurmountable challenges along the way, and many passed through the port of New York not knowing it is an American port. They sometimes ended up in Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. Few official documents are available to support the earlier travel stories and much of what we know comes from family members and elders. The 28 CHALDEAN NEWS APRIL 2020
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