Chaldean Town is an historic Chaldean neighborhood in Detroit located along West Seven Mile Road in a segment in between Woodward Avenue to the west and John R St. to the east. Circa 2007 the population of the district was mainly low income elderly people and recent immigrants, who were mostly made up of Chaldeans. The neighborhood was usually just a stop point for newly arrived immigrants, who then typically preferred to move to the suburbs of Detroit once they gain financial well-being.
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History
Chaldean Town was founded in the 1920s by Chaldean immigrants from Turkey and Iraq (former Ottoman Empire) who wished to work in the automobile factories. After the 1967 Detroit riots and the downfall of the automobile industry, much of the area's wealthy residents and business owners left, leaving the Chaldeans with a monopoly over certain businesses such as grocery stores. Due to a stream of immigrants attracted to the already pre-established Chaldean community and the monopoly they had over certain industries, the neighborhood boomed in the 70s. After the 1970s the neighborhood has suffered from crime and abandonment of property caused by the crack epidemic during the 80s and 90s- a fate common amongst Detroit neighborhoods. The residents now are typically only recent immigrants, business owners, and elderly.
Relationship with Saddam Hussein
Around 1979, after Jacob Yasso, the reverend of the Sacred Heart Chaldean Church (Aramaic: ???? ???? ???? ???????? ??tt?? d-lebb?h d-m?ran d-?ald?y??) congratulated Saddam Hussein on becoming the President of Iraq, Saddam gave $250,000 to the Sacred Heart Chaldean Church. In 1980, Saddam gave Yasso $200,000 after Yasso told Saddam his church had $170,000 in debts. WDIV-TV (Channel 4) wrote that the funds "reportedly helped build" the Chaldean Center of America, a building on Seven Mile Road adjacent to the church. The building houses some of the offices of the church, an English-language school, and a Chaldean cultural museum. In honor of Saddam's efforts, Yasso presented Saddam with the "Key to the city", procured by then Mayor of Detroit Coleman Young.
Economy
In 1999 the City of Detroit planned to create Chaldean Town as an entertainment center. It was officially designated as "Chaldean Town" in 1999. The area also has a multimillion-dollar housing development planned.
The neighborhood is currently suffering from urban decay. As of 2015 Chaldean Town has lost all but two of its Chaldean retail businesses, with only S&J Meats and Sullaf Restaurant remaining.
Education
Residents are zoned to Detroit Public Schools. Residents are zoned to Greenfield Union Elementary-Middle School, and Pershing High School.
The Community Education Center, a government-funded center owned by Chaldeans, is located on Woodward Avenue in Chaldean Town, near Seven Mile. Asaad Yousif Kalasho founded the center. The teachers and most of the students are Chaldean. It provides free education.
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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