Growing up, I remember having confusing conversations with people who were sure to correct me that they were Assyrian, *not* Chaldean. I wondered why there had to be such a stark distinction. We ate the same food, spoke the same language and went to similar churches – it didn’t seem right that some people in our community were othering people just like them.
For decades, Chaldeans and Assyrians have debated which identity came first and claimed their ethnicity’s validity over the others. Some historians say the split between Chaldeans and Assyrians can be traced back to differentiation in dialects and religion. The phrase “Assyro-chaldean” has been used for more than a century to include both communities in political movements and religious teachings.
Many don’t actually see us as a separate peoples but rather one ethnic group. However,the ongoing discourse has done enough damage to create a contentious gap of misunderstanding.
I’m heartened to know that a 19-year-old East County native is looking to change that, starting on the court.
The idea came after Christian Mansour traveled to Arizona to play in a church basketball tournament with childhood friend Brandon Kassab. They left without a win, rather coming home with an idea that would unite their local community: the Chaldean Assyrian Basketball Association.
