1 2 Talking ‘Bout
1 2 Talking ‘Bout Their Generation Teens open up during Building Community event By Joyce Wiswell Photos by David Reed Chaldeans don’t value education and only care about their stores. Jews are all rich and obsessed with money. African Americans are lazy and expect everything to be handed to them. Those were some of the stereotypes held up for discussion at the April 2 Building Community Teen Forum. Held at Walled Lake Western High School, the event brought together students and clergy from the Chaldean, Jewish and black communities for a frank dialogue about misconceptions and preconceived notions. “Today is about learning, being open and breaking open stereotypes,” said Walled Lake Schools Superintendent Kenneth Gutman. “The only way to make this truly successful is to ask what you’ve always wanted to about anything — race, color, creed, religious beliefs and sexual orientation,” said radio personality Mojo, who moderated the event for the third year in a row. He was joined by student panelists Semaj Davis, Samantha Cohen, Kevin Robinson, Valentena Hannawa, Iven Ayyar and Louis Grodman. Clergy was represented by Fr. Andrew Seba of St. Thomas, Rabbi Jen Lader of Temple Israel and Rev. D. Alexander Bullock of the Greater St. Matthew Baptist Church. The event was presented by Building Community, the joint initiative of the Jewish News and Chaldean News. Mojo started things off by asking the students about the stereotypes they’ve heard. “When you’re African American they say you’re ignorant and act ghetto,” said Robinson, a black 11th-grader at Walled Lake Central. “We always get the penny jokes,” said Grodman, a Jewish junior at North Lake Northern. Speaking for Chaldeans, Walled Lake Western 11th grader Hannawa said, “People think we don’t care about anything but money. That’s not true. It’s not all about the liquor store or the money.” “None of my uncles or aunts own any party stores,” said Ayyar, a senior at Walled Lake Western. Fr. Andrew briefly explained how Chaldeans brought their store-owning heritage to the United States. “Stereotypes are sometimes based on reality and many Chaldeans do own their own stores,” he said. “There’s nothing wrong with staying in the family business.” Rev. Bullock noted that when people lump a group together, they tend to focus on their worst traits. “It’s just easy to stereotype people and sometimes we do the easy thing,” he said. “There are ignorant people in my culture but that’s a small population,” said Davis. A junior at Walled Lake Northern, she co-founded an African American awareness club that has more white members than black ones, she said. “Under every culture, religion and race there is every type of person,” noted Cohen. Without his priestly collar, said Fr. Andrew, he is sometimes mistaken for Muslim. “I can’t change someone’s view but I can change my response,” he said. “Be patient, educate and love them.” “What’s great about being American is you can’t tell what anyone looks like anymore,” replied Rabbi Lader. The rabbi said that diversity is much more prevalent here in South- 38 CHALDEAN NEWS MAY 2014
HALH [Birth] 1. Fr. Andrew Seba, Rabbi Jen Lader and Rev. D. Alexander Bullock 2. All the student panelists 3. Iven Ayyar and Valentena Hannawa 4. Pamis Boowell makes a point while other students wait their turn 5. Samantha Cohen east Michigan than in Texas, where she grew up – and where the KKK once burned a cross on the lawn of her family’s home. Emma Felhandler, a senior at Walled Lake Northern, told the crowd that because she doesn’t look Jewish, anti-Sematic remarks are sometimes spoken in front of her. “But a huge part of our culture and religion is helping the underdog,” she said to applause. Another student emotionally decried the fact that as a person of dark completion, she is discriminated against by fellow African Americans with lighter skin. All involved called for greater kindness and understanding towards one another. “If you can’t say it in front of your grandma,” said Mojo, “don’t say it at all.” 3 4 5 sponsors The Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce Presents CHALDEAN YOUNG PROFESSIONALS NETWORK Thursday, May 8, 2014 6PM TO 8 PM Star Lanes at Emagine Royal Oak 200 N. Main St. Royal Oak, MI 48067 Complimentary Coctails and Hors d’oeuvres SPOSORED BY FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT YSHAMOUN@CHALDEANCHAMBER.COM Lucie From H an ange Habib a the birt Patrick. world o a.m., w measur is the fo Elham K for Wal bless h [Weddi Janic Janice M George January Californ Zuhair groom Wafa Q a honey Dominic 16 CHALDEAN NEWS MAY 2014 MAY 2014 CHALDEAN NEWS 39
