Chaldean Americans Find A Better Life In El Cajon

I recently organized a luncheon for my Newcomers group with Fran, Jean and Regina. Jean and Regina had told me about the huge number of Iraqi Americans that were living in El Cajon. Just a few miles from San Diego and I knew nothing about them. I invited a few of them to come to one our luncheons and tell us more about the Chaldean American community and the Iraqi refugees that have found a new home in El Cajon.

The epicenter of Iraqi relocation in the Western United States is El Cajon, California. Over the years many Iraqis have settled here, but in the past few years tens of thousands of refugees have arrived. Many have made the trip from Iraq via Syria or refugee camps in other Middle Eastern countries.

The Catholic Church, St. Peter's Chaldean Cathedral, with its distinctive domed roof, boasts over 37,000 Chaldean Iraqi members. Outside of the Detroit area, more Iraqis live in El Cajon than any community in the country. What is different here is that many of the Iraqis are Christian. They faced religious persecution in Iraq, which is the reason most of them came to America. The three lovely women we met have all assimilated well into American culture, and made a great life for themselves and their family.

The Chaldean American women started a charitable organization called Ladies of Hope, which helps new immigrants find their way. The organization helps them find housing, write resumees, look for jobs, get the children registered in school. Unfortunately with so many newly arrived immigrants there is tremendous unemployment in the community.

The stories about immigrants getting to America are daunting. Some languished in refugee camps for as many as six years. Others went from country to country before finally finding a home.

When I lived in Los Angeles, home to hundreds of thousands of Armenians and Iranians, I learned how an area can become a mecca for a particular culture. Westwood, Encino and Beverly Hills have hundreds of thousands of Iranians, in fact a sign on Westwood Blvd says "Little Iran". They have added so much to the diversity of the community. They've been in LA a long time, and I'm sure that over time the Iraqi community in El Cajon will be a wonderful addition to San Diego.

One thing the women shared with me that surprised me, was the lack of prejudice that the Iraqis experienced in America. She said the children were accepted at school and that people were open and friendly towards them. This surprised me. I thought many people thought all Iraqis were Muslim and that all Muslims were terrorists. They have not experienced this, which means that San Diego is a community that understands cultural differences and accepts people and their differences. This makes me feel that there really is hope for people to live together in peace and harmony.