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Chaldeans in the U.S.
The Chaldeans began immigrating to the United States in
the first decade of the 20th century. They settled in Detroit
for three reasons: 1) work was available in the auto
factories. 2) an Arabic speaking community with a Lebanese
Catholic Maronite church was already established here, and 3)
proximity to Canada and its less stringent immigration
policies. A few early immigrants bought a small grocery store
from a Syrain friend. Being hard workers and dedicated to
their jobs, they soon succeeded in their enterprise. Others
followed their lead. New arrivals would learn this trade and
eventually open their business; thus an occupational pattern
was established.
After World War II, a group of Jesuit - educated
Chaldean young men were summoned to the San Diego area to
teach Arabic at the Army Language School to American officers
who were to be stationed in the Middle East. As a result, a
new Chaldean community gradually developed in San Diego,
California.
The greatest influx of Chaldean immigrants occurred in
the 1960's and 1970's when the immigration quotas were
reformed. Whereas the original Chaldean immigrants had come
directly form the villages, the newer arrivals were now
coming from the urban areas, primarily Baghdad and Basrah.
Many were educated and came with professional credentials.
In America, families now live in nuclear households,
but frequently socialize with extended family members to
celebrate many happy occasions together or to provide
emotional or financial support to each other in times of
need. Couples today choose their own spouses, but some input
from their parents is still respected. In spite of language
barriers, social and economic obstacles, Chaldeans are
acculturating to the American way of life.
![[A picture of a modern Chaldean family in the
U.S.]](../../Images/new.jpg)
An extended Chaldean family in the United States in the 1990's. The
extended family is a source of economic, social, and emotional support
for one another.
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