FEBRUARY 2022

COMMUNITY PROFILE
Majd Zuma has looked at
immigration from both sides
BY SARAH KITTLE
Majd Zuma, like many Chaldean-American
young adults,
immigrated to the U.S. from
Iraq as a child. On June 5, 2007, thirteen-year-old
Majd and his family arrived
at Detroit Metro Airport and a
whole new world.
They had come from Jordan, where
“there was no hope,” Zuma recalls. As
refugees in that country, Majd and his
siblings were not allowed to attend
school. He had finished fourth grade
in Iraq but missed the next few years
of schooling, a deficit that is difficult to
make up. He knew no English and had
to learn the basics, like the alphabet,
in order to go on.
“I credit my grandfather with emphasizing
the importance of education,”
Zuma says. His grandfather was
a pharmacist in Iraq, and he shared
his pearls of wisdom with young Majd.
“Anybody can take anything from you,
except your knowledge,” was a favorite
saying.
In his new country, Majd was
placed in eighth grade, despite the
holes in his learning. At Clifford Middle
School in Commerce, he would
work 3 hours on English as a Second
language (ESL) classes before school
started. There was only one other
Chaldean kid in his class. “ESL kids
lack confidence,” says Majd. “Immersion
learning was definitely at play,”
he adds, remembering movies and TV
shows that he watched back then.
Majd developed a list of goals at a
young age. He knew the medical field
was not for him, and he had no interest
in exploring the world of mathematics,
so what did that leave? His tenthgrade
teacher, Alycia Chase, gave him
the answer when she suggested he enroll
in AP Government class. She had
a law degree herself and she pushed
him and expected a lot out of him.
“I never knew I could survive a
class like that,” Majd recalls. “It was
a turning point for me; I found myself
and my own interests.” A tenth-grade
field trip to Washington, D.C. cemented
the deal. Attending law school became
one of his goals.
“The U.S. gave me opportunities
that my home country couldn’t give,”
says Majd. He was always on the lookout
for opportunities of service, which
is how he ended up at the Chaldean
Community Foundation, helping register
people to vote and educating
them on the voting process. “Hey You
Vote” was one of the social media campaigns
he worked on. He also helped
create a numbering system for digital
appointments and played a part in the
expansion committee.
Majd also had his hand in the music
business. In high school, a band
called “The Dollhouse” was looking
for a third member. He brought them
Chelsea Stone, and she became the
first unofficial artist he represented.
Years later, when Majd was working on
a primary election campaign for Klint
Kesto, whom Majd considers a mentor,
he met (now Representative) Ryan Berman,
who had connections in the music
industry. “I wanted to experience
something new,” Majd recalls, “I’ve
always been into new talents.”
So where is Majd now? In a little
town on the Mexican border, working
as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection
(CBP) Officer. As such, he processes
applicants and goods for entry. He
is the first point of contact for an immigrant
crossing the border there.
“I’ve gained so much knowledge
and experience working for CBP” he
says, “Looking back, I never would
have thought I’d be on the other side”
(of the immigration process).
“It’s been a great experience so far,”
he says, “although it is a major change
for me.” Of course, he knew no Spanish
going in but is in the process of learning,
understanding the words better
than he can speak them at this point.
Law school may still be in the future
for this enterprising young man.
He respects the dignity and integrity of
the profession, and he has proven he
is willing to work hard to get what he
wants. “No one’s going to do it for me
if I don’t do it myself.”
What is next for Majd? “The sky
is the limit,” he says with a laugh. Always
ready for a new challenge, Zuma
sees his future laid out bright before
him – with the FBI, HSI, ICE, maybe
a deportation officer, who knows? “Always
look for better” is the motto he
lives by.
40 CHALDEAN NEWS FEBRUARY 2022