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{{Infobox Religious group
|group = Chaldean Christians<br/>(<big>ܟܲܠܕܵܝܹܐ</big> ''Kaldāye'')
|image= [[File: CHALDEAN-FESTIVAL-2.JPG|200px]]
|caption = Chaldeans from Michigan, 21st Century
|poptime =
|region1 = {{flag|USA}}
|pop1 = 400,000
|region2 = {{flag|Iraq}}
|pop2 = 550,000
|langs = [[Chaldean language|Chaldean language]], [[Arabic]], [[Chaldean Neo-Aramaic]]
|rels = [[Chaldean Christianity]] (in union with [[Roman Catholic Church|Rome]])
| scrips = The [[Bible]]
}}
In addition to their ancient [[Chaldean Americans are descendants of people from the northern Tigris-Euphrates Valley, presently located homeland | Mesopotamia]] in the Middle Eastern nation of [[Iraq. The majority of Chaldean Americans live in Detroit]], Michigan, although there are also Chaldean Americans in Chicago, Illinois; El Cajon, San Josenortheast [[Syria]], northwest [[Iran]] and Turlocksoutheast [[Turkey]], California; and Oaxaca, Mexico. It is difficult to determine the exact number of Chaldeans (a region roughly corresponding with ancient [[Mesopotamia]]) [[Chaldean | Chaldean people]] communities are found in the [[United States because they are not represented as such in the U.S. Census. According to statistical projections from previous data on the Chaldean American community]], however[[Sweden]], it is estimated that Chaldeans in the Detroit metropolitan area may number as many as 70[[Germany]],000 to 80[[France]],000; in California they are projected at 2[[Canada]],000 to 3[[Lebanon]],000 persons[[Jordan]] and [[Australia]].<ref name='Iraq'>{{cite book|title=Historical Dictionary of Iraq|authors=Edmund Ghareeb, Beth Dougherty|publisher=Scarecrow Press|year=2004|isbn=978-0-8108-4330-1|page=56|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=uIyjeUAR5zYC}}</ref>
Chaldean Americans are a highly religious people proud Catholics of their Christian heritage. According to legend, they were converted to Christianity by [[Mesopotamia]] started the Apostle [[Saint Thomas on one Christians]] of his missionary journeys to [[India]] (also called the East. (St. Addai, an associate of Thomas, is revered as a [[Chaldean patron.Syrian Church]]) In the third century, they were followers of Nestorius, a patriarch of Constantinople who was declared a heretic by the Roman Church for teaching that Jesus Christ was not concurrently God and man. This division between the followers of Nestorius in the East and the Roman Church lasted until 1445, when some Chaldeans were received into the Roman Church by Pope Eugenius IV. They were permitted to retain their historic rituals and the Chaldean/Aramaic language for mass and other ceremonies. Searching for an appropriate name to call this new Catholic rite, the Pope focused on their historic homeland, which in ancient times had been the land of the Babylonians, Assyrians, and Chaldeans. It was are also the historic homeland of the prophet Abraham, who came from Ur, a city of the Chaldeans. Hence, the Pope chose sometimes known as "ChaldeanChristians" as the name for the new Catholic rite.
Chaldean Americans are a highly religious people proud of their Christian heritage. According to legend, they were converted to Christianity by the Apostle Thomas on one of his missionary journeys to the East. (St. Addai, an associate of Thomas, is revered as a Chaldean patron.) In 1943 community sources listed 908 Chaldeans in the Detroit area; third century, they were followers of Nestorius, a patriarch of Constantinople who was declared a heretic by 1963the Roman Church for teaching that Jesus Christ was not concurrently God and man. This division between the followers of Nestorius in the East and the Roman Church lasted until 1445, when some Chaldeans were received into the Roman Church by Pope Eugenius IV. They were permitted to retain their historic rituals and the Chaldean/Aramaic language for mass and other ceremonies. Searching for an appropriate name to call this number new Catholic rite, the Pope focused on their historic homeland, which in ancient times had tripledbeen the land of the Babylonians, to about 3Assyrians,000 personsand Chaldeans. An even greater number It was also the historic homeland of Iraqi citizens immigrated to the United States due to changes in Uprophet Abraham, who came from Ur, a city of the Chaldeans.SHence, the Pope chose "Chaldean" as the name for the new Catholic rite. immigration laws during Some of the mid-1960s, and growth in earliest members of Detroit's Chaldean American community became even more dramatic, increasing to recall hearing stories from their grandparents about 45,000 the conversion of their Chaldean towns in 1986Mesopotamia Iraq, and approximately 75Syria,000 by 1992. (These figures are based on the statistical projections Southern Turkey and estimates of Chaldean American community leadersWestern Iran from Nestorianism.) This period also saw an increase occurred in immigration to other parts about 1830, when the town recognized the Roman Pontiff as the head of the country, particularly CaliforniaChurch.
== Immigration to America==While Chaldeans are believed to have immigrated to the United States as early as 1889, the first significant migration wave did not occur until around 1910, when Chaldeans began settling in metropolitan Detroit. At the time, Detroit was popular among a number of immigrant groups because of the growing automobile industry. It also had an established Middle Eastern community during this period, consisting primarily of Christian immigrants from Lebanon. In 1943 community sources listed 908 Chaldeans in the Detroit area; by 1963, this number had tripled, to about 3,000 persons. An even greater number of Iraqi citizens immigrated to the United States due to changes in U.S. immigration laws during the mid-1960s, and growth in Detroit's Chaldean American community became even more dramatic, increasing to about 45,000 in 1986, and approximately 75,000 by 1992. (These figures are based on the statistical projections and estimates of Chaldean American community leaders.) This period also saw an increase in immigration to other parts of the country, particularly California. The majority of Chaldean Americans left their homeland for economic and religious reasons. Baghdad and many poor Chaldean towns as such Telkaif in [[Tel Keppe]] n the early 1900s was a poor, non-industrialized village. Many left the town for nearby cities such as Mosul, Baghdad, Basra, or Beirut. Only later did some of them decide to migrate to the United States, or simply to North America. At the time the earliest settlers came, the United States had not yet introduced restriction on immigration, making entry relatively easy. Migration at that time was largely a male phenomenon; women and children generally stayed behind until their husbands, fathers, and brothers became established. Chaldeans also fled their homeland to escape religious persecution from the Muslim majority in the Middle East. The combination of religious freedom, an established Lebanese Moronite community, and economic opportunity made the United States, particularly metropolitan Detroit, inviting. Once members of the Telkaif community had settled in the area, they encouraged others from various Chaldean towns such as Al Qosh, Batnaya and Tel Askof in Mesopotamia to join them. Thus began an immigration process, known as "chain migration," between Chaldean Telkaif and Detroit, that continues to the present. In this process, members of the [[Chaldean people | Chaldean]] community who have already established themselves in a new location assist relatives and friends left behind to migrate as well. The assistance they provide can take many forms, including the provision of jobs, a place to stay, or, at the very least, information and advisement. Close relatives may even provide money for passage. In a typical chain, a man migrates first; later he sends home for his wife and children, or if he is not married, he may return to find a bride. As he and his wife become citizens, they arrange for the migration of their parents and siblings as well. And these, in turn, arrange to assist their spouses, in-laws, and other relatives. This type of assistance became especially important in the 1920s, after the passage of U.S. quota limitations on migration. Under quota restrictions, only 100 immigrants from Iraq were allowed to enter the United States each year. These quotas reinforced the chain migration process by giving preference to the families of persons already in America, under the assumption that such persons would have assistance in the United States and were less likely to become indigent and require public assistance. Migration of all types largely ceased during World War II when travel became difficult. It commenced again following the war, particularly with the introduction of the student visa, which allowed migrants to enter the United States for educational purposes, on the assumption that they would return home following their training. Many Chaldean Americans entered as students and later married members of the community, thus allowing them to remain in the country. The 1968 change in U.S. migration law allowed for a significantly larger number of immigrants from Iraq, and the migration of Chaldeans increased substantially. A steady stream of Chaldean immigrants came to the United States, until the onset of the Gulf War when the United States placed restrictions on immigration from Iraq. Acculturation and Assimilation.
==Modern Chaldeans of Michigan== The steady rate of Chaldean migration has had a profound effect on the assimilation of Chaldeans in American society because it has provided a constant influx of Chaldean culture. However, many changes have taken place in Iraq since the first Chaldean settlers came to the United States, which, in turn, has greatly altered Chaldean American communities. Like most ethnic groups, Chaldean Americans have also fled been affected by cultural differences between the immigrant generation and their homeland to escape religious persecution from children and grandchildren born in the Muslim majority United States. Chaldean Americans reared in the Middle EastUnited States are more comfortable speaking English than the language of their parents. They attend school with non-Chaldeans, watch television, and adopt an American lifestyle. Recent Chaldean immigrants were more likely to have been born and reared in one of modern Iraq's major cities, such as Baghdad, Mosul, or Basra. They are better educated and many have attended college or professional schools. The combination two groups differ socioeconomically as well; many of religious freedomthe earlier immigrants, an established Lebanese Moronite communityand their children born in the United States, have prospered and economic opportunity made moved into more affluent suburbs, while more recent immigrants, despite their educational background and general understanding of the English language, struggle among the nation's poor. Yet perhaps the most dramatic difference between older and newer Chaldean immigrant groups is language. Since World War II, Iraq has taught Arabic, the national language, in schools throughout the country. As a result, the Chaldean/Aramaic language of early immigrants has largely been replaced by the Arabic tongue of the newcomers. In fact, few immigrants know Chaldean at all. Chaldean Americans are often mistaken for other ethnic groups in the United States, particularly metropolitan Detroitspecifically Arab Americans. Like Arab Americans, invitingChaldeans tend to have large families, own independent businesses such as grocery or party stores and gas stations, and they even share some foods. Once members On a deeper level, however, there are important distinctions between the two immigrant groups. The large patriarchal families of Muslim Arabs have traditionally allowed a man to take multiple wives, a pattern forbidden for centuries in the Telkaif Christian tradition. Chaldeans also contend that women are accorded a higher place in their social structure than in the Arabic tradition. In the Chaldean community had settled , many young women are encouraged to attain higher education. Even in the areaof food there are important distinctions; Arabs do not consume alcohol and pork, they encouraged others which are forbidden in the Muslim faith. Chaldeans have no such restrictions. Many of these distinctions clearly flow from religious differences, but they are important distinctions in their homeland to join themown right. Thus began an immigration processLanguage Most modern-day immigrants speak Arabic, known as "chain migrationthe dominant language of the Iraqi nation,but the earliest Chaldean immigrants spoke only Chaldean, which they also call " between Telkaif and DetroitJesus language, " since it is believed to be the language that continues Jesus Christ spoke during his life. Some Chaldeans resent the fact that they were forced to learn Arabic in Iraqi schools. Inquiring which language Chaldean American children should learn usually provokes a debate. Practical thinkers consider the presentArabic language more useful in today's world.More nostalgic individuals assert the importance of learning their original tongue. Hence, while most Chaldean Americans speak Arabic, they do not necessarily take pride in it. Family and Community Dynamics