Posted by Jeff (24.30.53.181) on November 09, 2001 at 20:25:10:
In Reply to: thanks for the encouragement posted by campfire hero on November 09, 2001 at 12:56:37:
: & yeah, thanks, it is an interesting combo - too bad i'm ugly (just kidding)! there are lots of 1/2 breed like me out there (are you one? tell me more about you). i have a friend here (Nashville, TN), who is 1/2 Maronite, 1/2 Hungarian, i have several acquaintances "back home" in Huntsville, AL who are 1/2 Jordanian, 1/2 American... i grew up w/ a boy who's 1/2 Iranian, 1/2 Finnish (& no, i'm not getting married to him, thank God). & in Houston, my family is close friends w/ a 1/2 Iraqi, 1/2 American family. oh, & i have cousins who are 1/2 Iraqi (Assyrian/Chaldean), 1/2 Mexican-American. my mom jokes that we're all (including the Finns), trying to have "outbred" kids so we can reduce the likelihood of genetic disease in our families...
&&& I'm 100% Chaldean (whatever that means), but I've seen my fair share of 1/2 breeds around here... and 1/4 breeds. I know of people who are 1/2 chaldean and... (1/2 greek, or 1/2 italian, or 1/2 armenian, or 1/2 American, or 1/2 black, or 1/2 asian, or 1/2 Indian... the list goes on and on since Detroit is a diverse area and there's such a large Chaldean population). There's even mixing between Chaldeans, Assyrians, and Syraics (which, in my opinion is the ONLY way to unite the 3 communities into 1), I know a 1/2 Chaldean 1/2 Assyrian, and a 3/4 Chaldean 1/4 Syriac... etc.
: so, is there any way we can pressure AINA to get that ridiculous "Protest" button off their site? it's so offensive to me because it carries the implicit justification of the dehumanization of not only "Arabs" but also anyone from Arabic speaking countries that various Western gov'ts have used in past battle cries to incite racism & hatred against all of these people (esp. Iraq & Palestine).
&&& I think they put it on there mainly because there are Arab community groups that get funding from the government in Areas where Arabs and Chaldeans live together (like Detroit) because they claim that chaldeans are arabs and they get millions in funding for OUR community, but use it on their community... so its an "us vs. them" mentality, I'm not exusing it, but that's why it is there.
: oh, & incidently, i'd encourage any red-headed (like my Dad) Assyrians to go to Finland if they are looking for a significant other (& they don't mind marrying a blonde) - Finns can't get enough of red hair! that & my dad's hook-nose made my pretty, blonde, blue-eyed mother's head spin... she even went so far as to speculate that they could have red-haired little boys together... too bad they got brunette daughters instead, eh?
&&& Funny you should say that. 2 of my cousins (brother & sister) are red-haired 100% Chaldean, and nobody else in their family was or is... ever.
: i liked the letter to Bushito & the responses, too. take care!
Thank Ir@qi and Parhad for those, they are very smart people who have a more full world view than the average American.
Jeff