VICENTE ’ S Authentic
VICENTE ’ S Authentic Cuban Cuisine from the EDITOR Time-Honored Traditions Vicente’s Authentic Cuban Cuisine TUESDAY WEDNESDAY Domino Night Latin House Music THURSDAY Samba Dancing Blackman/Arnold Band FRIDAY Salsa Lesson at 10pm SATURDAY Flamenco Dancers Salsa Dancing till 4pm SUNDAY Cuban Brunch D. 1250 LIBRARY STREET, DETROIT 313-960-9800 www.vicente.us SUN – THURS: 10AM - 10PM | FRI – SAT: 10AM – 4AM STAY CONNECTED IN THE NEW YEAR! CHALDEAN COMMERCE This extensive community guide, coming in March 2006, will offer complete listings of Chaldean businesses in Metro Detroit. For ad rates, or to make sure you are included in the listings, call (248) 538-3700, fax (248) 932-9161, or visit chaldeancommerce.com CHALDEAN MEMBERS OF THE CHAMBER RECEIVE 10 PERCENT OFF THEIR AD, AND THEIR BUSINESS WILL BE LISTED IN BOLD. 2006 CHALDEAN AMERICAN BUSINESS GUIDE a wonderful opportunity to reach a lucrative and loyal community. Iam first-generation Chaldean American. My husband is half Chaldean and half Polish; he does not speak Sourath (Aramaic) at all and I do not speak it fluently. As time passes, I often wonder how I will preserve my culture that I am so proud to claim. My children will be a quarter Polish and second-generation Christian Iraqi. My parents, born and raised in Iraq, passed down colorful stories about the “old country,” delicious recipes and time-honored traditions that unfortunately I will not be able to pass on in the same way. I doubt I will ever make pacha (stuffed tripe) for my family, a traditional Christmas morning dish. Since Sourath is not my first language, it is unlikely I will speak it to my children. How do I preserve this wonderful and rich culture of mine? That is the question we posed in this month’s cover story, titled “Changing Faces.” As we become more integrated in the American fabric, we are challenged to highlight our diversity and maintain an identity separate from being American. The preservation of our community is a concern of our religious leaders who work diligently to unite the community through the church. We are also fortunate to have organized groups such as the Chaldean American Ladies of Charity, the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce and the Chaldean Community Cultural Center that deliver our message as a community and publicize the work that we do. As a community, we integrate our own customs during wedding ceremonies. This month we present two feature stories on getting married. Linda Jaboro writes about what you need to do to plan your 2006 wedding while Jenn Korail focuses on brides who tend to go overboard with their wedding planning. When you are from a close-knit community, it is hard to find privacy. Your mistakes as well as your triumphs are known by many. Writer Jovan Kassab broached a very sensitive and troubling topic this month as she walked down the path of a criminal and talked to members of the community who have served and continue to serve time behind bars. We bring you this story because these men want to prevent other people from making the same mistakes they have. We appreciate their honesty VANESSA DENHA- GARMO EDITOR and understand how difficult it was for them to be candid. This story is not meant to embarrass anyone but to bring hope. Mistakes don’t always mean that your life is a failure, but can equate to lessons learned. Although not as serious as committing a crime and ending up behind bars, mistakes were made over the past years that tainted the relationship between Chaldeans and the City of Detroit. In order to make amends and move forward, Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick visited Shenandoah last month. He was invited by the Associated Food Dealers and the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce to talk to the business community about issues and concerns. Sometimes in life people don’t get along because they don’t quite understand each other. At the meeting, Mayor Kilpatrick acknowledged the diversity in Metro Detroit as Saad Hajjar, chair of the Chaldean Chamber, highlighted more of the similarities among African Americans and Chaldeans opposed to the differences. So, as we work to preserve our identity as individuals and as a community, we also need to take the time out to educate people about our rich Chaldean culture. Perhaps others can learn from us as we learn from others. Alaha Imid Koullen (God Be With Us All) Vanessa Denha-Garmo vdenha@chaldeannews.com Letters to the editor can be sent via email to vdenha@chaldeannews.com or to: The Chaldean News, Letters to the Editor, 30095 Northwestern Hwy., Ste 102, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 Get in the Game! Are you a paid CN subscriber lucky enough to be going to the Super Bowl? If so, send us a picture from the big event, and we’ll do our best to publish it in the March issue. Be sure to clearly mark the names of all those pictured, and include your name, address and phone number. Send by U.S. Mail to Super Bowl, Chaldean News, 30095 Northwest Highway, Suite 102, Farmington Hills, MI 48334, or e-mail info@chaldeannews.com (jpeg photos only please). Hike! 10 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2006
THE CHALDEAN NEWS PUBLISHED BY The Chaldean News, LLC Tony Antone Vanessa Denha-Garmo Martin Manna EDITOR IN CHIEF COPY EDITOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS EDITORIAL ART & PRODUCTION CREATIVE DIRECTOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS ILLUSTRATOR PHOTOGRAPHER OPERATIONS Interlink Media CIRCULATION CLASSIFIEDS SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVE SALES REPRESENTATIVES SALES Interlink Media Vanessa Denha-Garmo Joyce Wiswell Linda Jaboro Jumana Judeh Jovan Kassab Jennifer Korail Ken Marten Dan Shriner Sue Zoma Alex Lumelsky with SKY Creative Zina Lumelsky with SKY Creative Scott Mick David Reed Tammy Jonna Tammy Jonna Sandra Jolagh Tammy Jonna Lisa Kalou Silvia Zoma MICHIGAN SUBSCRIPTIONS: PER YEAR • OUT-OF-STATE SUBSCRIPTIONS: PER YEAR THE CHALDEAN NEWS • 30095 NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY • STE 102 • FARMINGTON HILLS, MI 48334 WWW.CHALDEANNEWS.COM • PH: 248-932-3100 • FAX: 248-932-9161 PUBLICATION: The Chaldean News (P-6); Issue Date: February, 2006 SUBSCRIPTIONS: 12 months, . Outside of Michigan, . PUBLCATION ADDRESS: 30095 Northwestern Hwy, Suite 102, Farmington Hills, MI 48334; Application to Mail at Periodicals Postage Rates is Pending at Farmington Hills Post Office" POSTMASTER: Send address changes to "The Chaldean News 30095 Northwestern Hwy, Ste. 102 Farmington Hills, MI 48334" 800-890-4777 INSTALLATION • MAINTENANCE • REPAIR Residential & Commercial Total Solutions Provider • Virus, Pop Ups & Spyware Removal • Wired & Wireless Networking • Disaster Recovery & Backup Solutions Lowest Prices, We Won't Be Under Bid NEED QUALITY HEATING & COOLING? Go where the community finds comfort LIBERTY TOTAL COMFORT SYSTEMS “ I have used Liberty Total Comfort Systems for over five years at my hotels, and they always treat us fairly and with respect. ”– Akram Namou A&M Hospitality “ Our companies have called upon Liberty for over five years for all our service, new construction, and heating and cooling needs. ” – Malik (Mike) Abdulnoru A&M Hospitality SPECIALIZING IN HOTELS, CONVENIENCE STORES, GAS STATIONS AND RESIDENTIAL HEATING & COOLING COMFORT Call MICKEY McEVOY Bus: 1-800-245-9080 Cell: 1-248-224-9081 25550 GRAND RIVER • REDFORD, MI 48240 www.chaldeannews.com GAS STATION SITE For sale in Springfield Twp., near Clarkston. 3,600 sq. ft. Site plan approved with a drive-thru window and convenience store and up to 27,000 sq. ft. of additional space on 4.3 acres. Call JOHN KHAMI Broker TROY, MI • 248-408-1044 “Let’s do business” FEBRUARY 2006 CHALDEAN NEWS 11
