Mesopotamia has a long and fascinating history that has captivated scholars for centuries. The diverse populations that have inhabited this land have contributed to its rich history, leaving behind a legacy that transcends its borders. Located in today’s Iraq, the “land of two rivers” was the birthplace of the first city-states that forged many groundbreaking developments. As the site of such innovations as the invention of the wheel, planting the first cereal crops, and the development of written language, as well as advancements in the study of mathematics, astronomy and agriculture, it has justifiably earned the title of “the cradle of civilization.”

Who are the Chaldeans?

Among the many peoples who have lived in Mesopotamia are the Chaldeans, also known as Assyrians or Syriacs, whose history spans more than 5,500 years. The Chaldean Catholic Church is united with the Roman Catholic Church but has a separate patriarch and bishoprics.

Iraq, Syria is home to the second largest Chaldean population, at 1.6 million, many of whom are Iraqi expatriates who escaped the country due to war and violence. There are also roughly 500,000 Chaldeans who reside throughout the United States, particularly in Michigan, Arizona, California, and Illinois. 

Like many ethnic groups, Chaldeans began immigrating to the Detroit metropolitan area in the 1920s in search of better economic, religious, and political opportunities. In fact, Detroit has the world’s largest population of Chaldeans outside of Iraq, an estimated 187,000 people, who contribute more than $18 billion annually to Michigan’s economy. 

The Chaldean Cultural Center

Established in 2003, the Chaldean Cultural Center (CCC) in Detroit aims to celebrate and explore the extraordinary history, arts, cultural traditions, and contributions of the Chaldean people from ancient times to the present day. 

Moreover, by forging relationships with other educational and cultural institutions, the center nurtures pride within the Chaldean community and exposes others to the its cultural and historical heritage, promoting greater understanding of cultural diversity. 

The CCC also opened a museum in 2017, which serves as a permanent home for the history and archival collection of the Chaldean people, the preservation of which is paramount given that Chaldea, the Chaldean land of origin, no longer exists. 

The museum responds to the need to document the history and culture of these industrious people and preserve the country’s native tongue, Aramaic, the oldest continuously spoken language in the world.

Plans are underway to relocate the Chaldean Museum to a larger building, which will house a number of other Chaldean organizations, including a radio and TV station, a theatre, and the bishop’s library, which has a large collection of ancient manuscripts in Aramaic. The newer museum will include a genocide gallery and a larger section on the Jews in Babylon, among other new objects and artifacts.

An impact beyond borders

The CCC, with all its departments and facilities, has already had a profound impact on the local Chaldean community of Michigan, and on Chaldeans elsewhere in the United States and around the world, in places as far away as Argentina and Iraq.

The center has succeeded in uniting Chaldean migrants scattered around the world. Its ultimate goal is to strengthen this unity and to document the community’s stories, thus preserving Chaldean history for future generations. 

It is worth underscoring that Chaldean history and culture have not been well documented and understood by the communities in which Chaldean immigrants settled in the early 20th century – until now. This is largely because the Chaldeans were not allowed to record their history in Iraq and other Middle Eastern countries, and when they migrated to the United States and elsewhere, most continued to live in survival mode until recent years. 

Digital storytelling

Over the past three years, the CCC has embarked on a project to capture the life stories and histories of elderly Chaldeans in the Detroit area via digital storytelling. Many of these stories are told in Aramaic, a language that is believed to have been spoken by Jesus. 

As the CCC continues to interview Chaldean-Americans in the Detroit metropolitan area – which became the largest diaspora community in the world after the 2014 genocide in Iraq against Christians and other minorities – the center has also begun to expand the scope of its work by interviewing Chaldeans in Iraq, Argentina, and Austria. 

The goal of this project is to include a digital storytelling component in all the Chaldean Museum’s galleries. Through this work, the center has witnessed that documenting and sharing stories has served as a healing and therapeutic experience for older immigrants, who in many cases suffered trauma while leaving Iraq. 

The programs led by the CCC enjoy invaluable support through grants from various foundations, including the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Michigan Humanities, the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs, and PNC Bank. 

Kurdish-Chaldean relations

While the historical relationship between the Kurds and Chaldeans has generally been positive, it has also fostered mutual support and cooperation during moments of crisis.

The Kurds extended much help and support to Christian Iraqis during and after the ISIS attacks in 2014, with many seeking shelter in the Kurdistan Region, particularly in cities such as Erbil and Dohuk, where the KRG established host communities, camps, and safe zones. Many of the Chaldeans are well integrated into society in the Kurdistan Region and continue to contribute to the rich diversity of the region.