The Myth of Chaldean Unity
Oday Yousif Jr.
By Oday Yousif Jr., J.D.
The Chaldean community has different meanings to different people. To some, it refers to all the people from our ancient homeland in modern-day Iraq. To other it is the individual, successful Chaldean microcosms within California, Michigan, and elsewhere that have developed and grown in the last half century. But no matter how someone defines the greater collection of our ancient people, we are not all the same.
Often, Chaldeans are assigned the same attributes, across the board, by people who are looking at us from the outside in. Chaldeans are all labeled as ardent people of faith and conservative in their political and social lives. Our customs and ways are celebrated, and our language is revered for its ancient ties. This labeling generates a lot of pride from our people and is often used as an excuse for one person to speak for all. This is especially true when it comes to politics.
Recently, new electoral maps were drawn for the election of San Diego County Supervisors. Despite many days of public comment and participation, the new maps separated the Chaldean dense communities of El Cajon and Rancho San Diego. In my own public comment to the redistricting committee, I urged them to keep the two areas in the same district because the Chaldean community is a protected community of interest. This was the same sentiment shared by many members of the community, although others had different reasons.
In response to the new maps, a newly formed and explicitly made San Diego based group called the “Chaldean Coalition” filed a lawsuit against San Diego County claiming the drawings as unfair. The lawsuit claims that Chaldeans face “political persecution” in San Diego because these maps put some Chaldean communities in a more Democratic voting district when Chaldeans have “been strongly Republican.”
Despite my own urging to keep the two areas together, there is so much wrong with this lawsuit and the intent behind it. It is absurd, offensive, and ignorant to claim Chaldeans are facing political persecution because of these new maps. Such a baseless claim makes a mockery of actual political persecution happening in the world including to minority Christian groups in other countries. The suit also relies on other ludicrous bases in an attempt to draw some sort of ire from the community.
Unfortunately, foolish sentiments regarding the new maps are not limited to the ones made in the lawsuit. During the public hearings, community members spewed all sorts of false and embellished statements including many laced with and outright embodying anti-Muslim and anti-LGBT sentiments. These community members were fed lies after lies and told they would be forced to change who they were if the new maps passed. All of these deceitful and harmful statements were done in the name of all Chaldeans behind a false parade of so-called Chaldean unity.
This way of branding our ancient community is wrong, damaging, and dishonest. There is no singular belief that unites all Chaldeans. Not in faith nor in politics nor in social norms. Capitalizing on the community for personal political gains is a deceptive attempt to boost one’s own political standing. The only reason there is a push to redraw these maps is because powerful non-Chaldean political interests know that they can exploit our community, with help from within, for their own gains.
If the forces behind this push to change the maps of an inconsequential election really cared about political persecution, they would have also rallied the communities behind the changing of the Congressional, Senatorial, and Assembly maps that all separated El Cajon and Rancho San Diego. Of course, there was never a push to challenge these maps because it was not the interest of the people who are pushing this sentiment.
There is nothing wrong with mobilizing Chaldeans to fight for a political position or candidate. There is nothing wrong with activism or having your own belief system. The problem lies with the folks who would manipulate our community for their own gains and not even pretend to actually care about the main issue at hand.
I believe in the strength of our community. I have immense pride in our ancient ties and peculiar customs. We have seen Chaldeans at all levels of government and that level of representation is crucial. As an elected official myself, I am proud that the constituency I represent recognizes and respects the Chaldeans amongst them. But I have enough respect for our Chaldean community to not pretend to be their leader nor their voice. I have enough respect to not use them for my own good and feed them lies to further my own ambitions. I also want to keep the Chaldean community alive, but I understand and respect that it may not always be together.
Oday Yousif Jr., J.D., is the Chair of Valle De Oro Community Planning Group which represents Rancho San Diego and parts of Spring Valley in San Diego County, California.