By David Wallace WEST BLOOMFIELD — “The Chaldeans,” a new book produced through the Chaldean Cultural Center at Shenandoah Country Club, strives to honor those who paved the way for Chaldeans to thrive while teaching younger generations and others about Chaldean history, culture and accomplishments. The book traces Chaldean history from ancient Iraq — the cover features the famous Ishtar Gate from Babylon — to the present day. It includes the migration to the United States and Detroit in particular during the 20th century. “We want to pay tribute to the pioneers, those Chaldeans who at the turn of the century came to America — leaving villages in northern Iraq, not knowing the language and coming to America, trying to make a better life for themselves and for their families,” said Mary Romaya, executive director of the Chaldean Cultural Center. People like Francis Boji’s father. Boji is the Chaldean Cultural Center board of directors chair. “My dad came here in 1929. He didn’t know the language. All he had was a paper with an address on it that’s somewhere in Detroit,” said Boji. A ship brought Boji’s father to New York. He gave the address to someone, who put him on a train to Detroit, and a taxi driver got him to the address. He knew he found the address when he saw his cousins in front of a store. “For 50 days, he didn’t know where he was. Had he actually lost that piece of paper, he would be lost in the world,” said Boji. “So these are the stories of our pioneers — how they came,” said Boji. His father worked for Wonder Bread until 1935, but found tough-going in America during the Great Depression and returned to Iraq. Boji later immigrated. “So he was against us to come to this country. That’s all that he knew about the country was the Depression time,” said Boji. “A second reason for the book is to help the younger generations of Chaldeans,” said Romaya. “We want the younger Chaldeans, some of whom only speak English — or they know a few Arabic or Chaldean words — but we want them to understand the sacrifices made by their parents, grandparents, great-grandparents, in coming to America,” said Romaya. “We want them to love — hopefully — and cherish and embrace their Chaldean heritage without forsaking their American heritage.” Boji said Chaldeans came to the United States seeking a better life, though they didn’t know the language or where they would end up. “That’s your heritage. That’s where you came from. That’s what your culture is. That’s how your ancestors are. That’s how your grandparents were,” said Boji. That heritage poses a challenge. “Their challenge is to live up to and walk in the shoes of their predecessors,” said Bryon Perry, the book’s author. And besides the book’s personal meaning for Chaldeans, the center hopes it reaches and educates the general public. “We want them to know that the Chaldeans are a very hard-working, entrepreneurial, close-knit group of people. That we are Aramaic speaking, which is the language used by Christ and before him back to the Hebrews and ancient Babylonian times,” said Romaya. Chaldeans strongly embrace their Catholic faith and recently celebrated a historic milestone when their religious patriarch recently became a cardinal. Romaya said primarily three factors brought Chaldeans to Detroit. In addition to Aramaic, many Chaldeans also speak Arabic. “In the Detroit area, there were other Arabic-speaking people. There were Lebanese here, there were Syrians here, and the Lebanese and the Syrians had grocery stores, small, corner grocery stores, so a lot of the Chaldean men knew Arabic — I mean, Arabic is the language of Iraq — and so got jobs in the Lebanese-Syrian stores, and that’s how they learned the grocery store business,” said Romaya. Ford Motor Co. advertising in New York also brought Chaldeans to Detroit, who heard the company’s promise of jobs paying $5 a day. “So, Ford Motor Co. was recruiting immigrants to come to Detroit, and they could always find jobs,” said Romaya. Detroit’s border with Canada also attracted Chaldeans, because those who could not get into America for a variety of reasons sometimes could get into Canada. They could then be close to each other, Romaya said. And what of Boji’s father, who left America during the Depression? He remained aggressive in life, even in his 90s, and returned to Michigan. Boji had his first son in 1982, and Boji then convinced his father to come to America because of his grandchild. This happened amidst the backdrop of the Iran-Iraq war. “When he came here, he was so thankful to God and all his mercies that we were all able to come,” said Boji. The center has a book-launching event 7:30-10 p.m. Oct. 9 at the country club. Tickets cost $100 per person or $150 per couple and include a copy of the book. For information, call (248) 681-5050. You can reach Staff Writer David Wallace at dwallace@candgnews.com or at (586) 498-1053. |
