aiming high Auday Arabo
aiming high Auday Arabo sets his sights on government BY JOYCE WISWELL Auday Arabo knew it would be less complicated to not switch parties as he runs for the California State Assembly, but he also knew he had to follow his moral compass. “I have to be true to myself and run as a Democrat,” he said, “but it would have been so much easier to run as a Republican and not deal with the whole party switch.” But last year’s death of his father, Sam, at the age of 54 brought about a lot of soul searching. “That really made me reflect a lot Auday Arabo on life and how fortunate I am to be in this country,” said Arabo. The Arabo family immigrated to the United States from Iraq in 1979. “I didn’t learn how to speak English until I was in the second grade,” he said. “I was the first in my family to go through the public school system, and it was rough not having anyone to look up to. I was caught between a clash of cultures.” Despite that, Arabo counts many successes at the young age of 31. He holds a law degree, worked as a legislative correspondent for U.S. Rep. Brian Bilbray, was a prosecutor for the San Diego County District Attorney and is currently the president/CEO of the Neighborhood Market Association (NMA, formerly the California Independent Grocers and Convenience Stores). But politics has come calling. “Every opportunity I have had has been because of this great country and the freedoms we share,” he said. “That sparked me to say, it’s my time to give back and become part of the fabric of this great democracy. I am a small business, law enforcement Democrat.” Arabo will resign from the NMA and take a pay cut if successful in his bid to represent California’s 78th District. Though he said he’s the frontrunner, it won’t be easy. There are already two declared Democrats “Every opportunity I have had has been because of this great country and the freedoms we share. That sparked me to say, it’s my time to give back and become part of the fabric of this great democracy.” – AUDAY ARABO running against him, and more expected as the August 2008 primary draws closer. Winning the primary does not ensure victory in the November general election since the San Diego district is known for electing both Republicans and Democrats. “It is one of the most contested seats in California,” Arabo said. “Collectively, the candidates spent a little more than .6 million in the last election cycle.” His ethnicity has not become a public issue, but Arabo said the whisper campaign about his Iraqi roots has already started — a tactic he said cost State Senator Wadie Deddeh a seat in the U.S. Congress by just 300 votes in 1991. “I hope we have moved forward from that,” he said. “Actually, most people think I’m Latino. I smile and go with it; the Latino community is so similar to the Chaldean community in terms of family values and religious issues.” Michigan’s Chaldean community is helping in his political efforts. There have been several fundraisers in Metro Detroit and a large one for November is in the planning stages. Arabo has personal ties to Michigan as well — he recently became engaged to Alivia Kassab, the president of the Chaldean American Bar Association. She will move to California when the two are wed next year. Arabo said his goal is to bring confidence back to the political process. “People feel no one cares for them and that interest groups just rule. Our race is about the American dream and bringing it home. Our motto is, New Hope, New Leadership, New Energy.” One place he’d like to focus that energy is on ending the war in Iraq. “I would definitely vote to bring the troops home. The sacrifice we have made as Americans is pretty big from the human standpoint, financial standpoint and integrity standpoint. We lost our focus when we turned away from Al-Qaeda to Iraq. At this point I don’t know how much worse it can get for the Christians. Pulling the troops is the lesser of evils,” Arabo said. “In running for this seat, I plan to be the person in office who represents Chaldeans all over the country, not just San Diego,” he added. “I often wonder if we did have someone in the state Legislature, or even in Congress, how different things would be for the Christians in Iraq.” Does that mean national politics may one day beckon? “I’m not really sure,” said Arabo. “I’ll keep an open mind.” For details on the Arabo campaign, visit www.audayarabo.com. SPECIAL REPORT C A L I F O R N I A 38 CHALDEAN NEWS OCTOBER 2007
news from the GOLDEN STATE Social Services Agency Helps Chaldeans Chaldean Middle Eastern Social Services has been approved as a provider of mental health services by the State of California. The social service agency has been in existence for two years, said President and CEO Zina Asmar- Salem, Ph.D. “We are the only state-funded agency for Chaldeans,” she said. The agency, located in El Cajon, has 10 part- and full-time staffers and expects to hire more. “We’re growing rapidly,” said Asmar-Salem. “We’ve been working with a lot of refugees. More than 250 families have come in the past few months and we expect close to 3,000 by the end of the year.” Learn more at www.c-mss.org or call (619) 300-2331. Raising Funds More than ,000 was recently raised at the Central Valley Chapter of the Assyrian Aid Society’s Mesopotamian Night Under the Stars in Modesto. Some 430 turned out for an elegant evening hosted by AAS President Narsai David at the home of Diane Malik Pedota. Attendees enjoyed cocktails, a dinner of traditional foods, a silent auction and a special performance of selections from “Inanna: An Opera of Ancient Sumer” by performers in ancient Assyrian-style costumes. Special guest was Napoleon Pattoo, president of the Assyrian Aid Society of Iraq, who was on a U.S. tour to heighten awareness of the plight of Iraq’s Christians. Funds raised go directly to projects in the Nineveh Plain and beyond. Meanwhile the AAS’s Santa Clara Valley Chapter raised more than ,500 with a recent Human Race Walkathon. Steve Garmo Opens California Office Immigration attorney Steve Garmo has opened an office in El Cajon, California. Garmo is the legal advisor for the Chaldean Federation of America and the chair of its California office. He plans to travel back and forth from California to Michigan. “California is one of the largest economic sections of the United States,” Garmo said. “There is more immigration per capita in California than in any other state.” Garmo’s subspecialty is employment law. “I assist corporations,” he said, “like when DaimlerChrysler moved to Michigan, I was able to assist the suppliers from Germany who also moved.” Visit www.garmo.com for more information. Steve Garmo Foreign Exchange Fourth grade teacher Rhonda Barno of San Diego recently spent a month in China teaching English to elementary school children ages 6 to 9 at the Nanjing Foreign Language School in Xianlin. Shown above with her charges making the ‘V’ for Victory sign, Barno was one of 23 American teachers chosen for the program. Assyrians Convene Several thousand people attended the Assyrian American National Federation Convention on August 30-September 3 at the Sheraton in San Diego. This was the 74th year for the event, which included cultural events, daily dance parties, fashion shows, art exhibits, soccer and basketball tournaments, lectures, conferences and seminars and a Youth Excellence Contest. The convention was hosted by the Western Region Affiliates. Learn more at www.aanf.org. OCTOBER 2007 CHALDEAN NEWS 39
