From left: Halo Fish & Chicken on 7 Mile; Sullaf Restaurant held out for many years but is now closed; B & S Collision is still bumping and painting cars. CHALDEAN TOWN continued from page 22 white residents and business owners left, it gave the Chaldeans an opportunity and monopoly over certain businesses such as grocery stores, supermarkets, and retail stores. They rushed to fill the void, often popping up in poor, majority-Black, inner-city neighborhoods where the residents had few alternatives for their food and shopping needs. African American residents complained that Chaldean store owners employed almost exclusively other Chaldeans, even though they operated in mostly Black neighborhoods. Their concerns were aggravated because, in many cases, Chaldean grocery stores were their only source of food for miles around. Similarly, many Chaldeans were frustrated with the high rates of crime in Detroit’s inner-city neighborhoods, leading them to increase security in their stores, hiring more family members who they knew they could trust. Ultimately, Chaldeans and African Americans in Detroit knew little about one another, leading to a heightened distrust that was only amplified by the tense racial and political atmosphere in post-1967 Detroit. Tensions between Chaldeans and African Americans were already high due to the looting of numerous Chaldean businesses in the ‘67 riots. In the following years, these tensions escalated, contributing to the death of the Chaldean Town project. Moving On Up After the glory days in the 1970s, the neighborhood deteriorated. Crime and abandonment of property caused by the crack epidemic during the eighties and nineties, a common fate for many Detroit neighborhoods, led to its ultimate demise. The residents now are typically only very recent immigrants, holdout business owners, and the elderly who cannot afford to move to the suburbs. An attempt to revive Chaldean Town was made in the late 1990s, when the Arab American and Chaldean Council built their community center at West 7 Mile and John R. roads. A later extension that was built across the street included a charter school. Other shops and new homes were planned but never fulfilled. Chaldean Town was suffering its death throes. Violent crime was everywhere. Chaldean Town has emptied out. What was once a bustling center for vast numbers of Chaldean immigrants and their families is a lot quieter now. The remnants of restaurants like the Bahi, Tigris, Royal Kabab, and Iraqi Bakery just down the street are vacant and fading. The Sacred Heart Catholic Church and community center buildings remain, and a few Chaldean families are currently living on Charleston, Hershey, and Danbury Streets, but for the most part, Chaldean Town on 7 Mile in Detroit is no more. Rising Crime Like many immigrants before them, the Chaldeans’ success led them to seek better neighborhoods in the suburbs of Macomb and Oakland counties. Many of them moved on while the neighborhood was still solid; however, rising crime and falling police response accelerated the exodus. Chaldeans who remember the area’s apex are saddened and infuriated by what it has become. The Last Stand Perpetuating the unique culinary heritage is one of the most tangible and accessible means of letting people know that the Chaldean way of life in the 7 Mile corridor has not disappeared. A few still believe; some who hold out hope stay in the area. Of the dozens of little businesses on the 7 Mile strip that catered to the Chaldeans and gave this area its ethnic flavor and its name, only three are left. One is B & S Collision, under new ownership. Halo Fish and Chicken across the street is the continuation of the original Great Lakes Fish and Sea Food Inc. that was owned by Ramzi Acho. It is operated by his family members. Along with S & J Meats, they are the last businesses standing in the old Chaldean Town. Joseph Georgies Kada is the owner of S & J Meats, a small, old-fashioned butcher shop on 7 Mile Road that sits in what was once the heart of Chaldean Town, across from the Sacred Heart Church at the northern edge of Detroit. He is the “J” in the name. His brother Steve is the “S.” Joseph, a frail 74- year-old, shows the scars of his years and the impact of the axe of time. He looks older than his age — although still full of life, humor, and in possession of an extraordinary memory. You cannot miss him standing proudly in his shop, dressed in his white lab coat. According to Joe, the original S & J founders were Nadir Shammami and Amir Jarbo. S & J represented the family initials, which Steve and Joseph conveniently kept after purchasing the business. The Jarbo and Kada family members are historically the most well-known shepherds (Shivaneh) and butchers (Kasawah) in the Chaldean community since the Tel-Keppe village times. Kada is pessimistic about his future in the area. He purchased the business 24 years ago at a time when 90 percent of his clientele were Chaldean. All the local coffee shops and restaurants bought products from him. A few Chaldeans who have moved across town still come to his shop, but most have stopped visiting. “We might not be here for long,” he laments. “It is hard to bring people here because people are not going to drive here for one business or two businesses,” says Kada. “We are hanging in there, but I don’t know how long we will last. I was going to close shop last month and might do it any time soon.” Kada invested long years in the area. “I love the community, I purchased and operated two restaurants in the area (Mosul, owned by Imad Jarbo and Bahi Restaurant).” Today, Kada thinks his place will be the last business left here on 7 Mile. “This is the last link to the past for people who grew up here, but we need to shut the door and get out.” Sullaf was the last Chaldean restaurant in Chaldean Town, specializing in Iraqi food whose history dates to ancient Mesopotamia. Chef Safaa Momika stated, “Food is one language that everyone understands.” The area where the restaurant was located has emptied out. Sullaf finally closed its doors in 2022. “This can’t go on,” said Kada, “and when we leave, when the last man standing closes his door, this part of town will share the fate of Poletown and Chinatown, and several other oncevibrant ethnic Detroit neighborhoods that survive only in the memories of the suburbanites who once lived there.” A reality check of the experience of 7 Mile Road years demonstrates that altogether, Chaldean history has been an impressive success story. The family plays a vital role in everyday life of the new immigrants. Houses were always full and bursting with young and old and everything in between. They were often crowded houses, with daily visitors and traditions passed down through generations. Our traditions and culture continue to survive and thrive in the US. It does not matter where we live. It is the people that make us such a strong and unbreakable community unit that breeds love, laughter, happiness, continuity, and security. Sources and contributors: Fouad Manna Bassim Kassab, Adil Bacall, Architect Mike Sitto, Amir Samona, Farouk Samona, Joseph Kada, Chaldean News Archives, Articles by Kamal Yaldo, Hannah Powel, John Carlisle-Detroit Free Press, Tom Perkins, Aaron Foley, Norm Sinclair. 24 CHALDEAN NEWS <strong>JUNE</strong> <strong>2023</strong>
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