Chaldeans Between Iraq and America
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The Politics of Minority Chaldeans between Iraq and America by Yasmeen S. Hanoosh A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Near Eastern Studies) in The University of Michigan 2008 Doctoral Committee: Associate Professor Carol B. Bardenstein, Chair Professor Kevork B. Bardakjian Emeritus Professor Ernest N. McCarus Associate Professor Andrew J. Shryock Assistant Professor Nadine C. Naber ©Yasmeen S. Hanoosh All rights reserved 2008 To the memory of my mother, who did not have the luxury to contemplate her Chaldean identity ii Acknowledgements The specter of the Ancient Chaldeans stalks this dissertation throughout, and I must begin by expressing my gratitude to their civilization. Without the Ancient Chaldeans, the collective identity of the modern Chaldeans which I have tried to understand and discuss in the ensuing chapters would not have been imagined the same way. Gratitude to the Ancient Chaldeans also necessitates thanking many living Chaldeans, some who have understood the ancients in ways different from mine; others who have inspired me to seek the necessary analytical skills to approach notions of Chaldeanness; and others still who are part of the theoretical problematic of the dissertation, the theme of the historic diasporic imaginary. I have uncharacteristically many individuals to thank for their impact on my doctoral work. I thank first my advisor Carol Beth Bardenstein to whom my indebtedness is enormous. Not only has she been a most nurturing dissertation advisor and attentive reader, but she also constantly alerted me to contemporary discussions about diaspora, identity and collective memory, and ensured that my research did not become too antiquated throughout the prolonged period of dissertation writing. She is one of the rare advisors that graduate students dream of finding. I also owe a dept of gratitude to the other members of my dissertation committee, who always lent unconditional support and firm guidance. I wish to thank Andrew Shryock for his enormous courage to navigate beyond cultural formats and appearances, and for infecting me with a similar desire. I thank also Kevork Bardakjian, Ernest iii McCarus and Nadine Nabir for helping me bring the chapters to focus, and for their continual support, patience, and encouragement. I also thank Dr. Norman Yoffee of the University of Michigan’s Department of Near Eastern Studies who read an earlier version of some of my chapters and offered useful suggestions for understanding Ancient Chaldean and Assyrian history. In spite of the critical input of so many scholars, errors that remain are solely my own. I would like to thank Chaldean individuals from West Bloomfield, Southfield, Troy and Warren in Michigan, and also the Chaldean Federation of America, Chaldean immigrants in France, and the Chaldean refugees stranded in Syria, Jordan and Amman, all of whom contributed to weaving the contents of my dissertation through their stories, anecdotes, referrals and warm familial hospitality. Of the many supportive Chaldean-American friends with whom I shared formal and informal discussions about the Chaldean community in Michigan, I wish to single out Deborah Alkamano for her enthusiasm to portray Chaldean-Americans as they are, for her thoughtful comments on my ideas, and for her abiding encouragement through the years that it took to complete this dissertation; Lavon Ammori for generously taking time from her busy schedule to meet and share her insights as an artist and a member of the cultural scene in Michigan’s Chaldean-American community; Weam Namou for kindly offering copies of her novels and agreeing to be interviewed about her work on a number of occasions; and Amir Fattuhi for providing many insights into my understanding of contemporary Chaldeans through his zealous interest in Chaldean history, language and identity. iv Initial work on this dissertation also could not have been completed without the various forms of support offered by the staff of the Graduate Program in the Department of Near Eastern Studies, mainly Angela Beskow, Lisa Michelin and Margaret Casazza; and also the financial support provided by The American Academic Research Institute in Iraq, the International Institute at the University of Michigan, and the King-Chavez-Park award. I also thank my friend and former colleague Vika, whose mistrust of academic jargon is responsible for whatever clarity the reader finds in the language and organization of this work. I am grateful to my family for opening my eyes to what it means to grow up in a Chaldean household in Iraq and to resettle in more than one new country. My son, Sasha, also helped more than he knows with his good humor, bright smile, and regular sleeping habits. Finally, the deepest thanks I owe are the most difficult to express. My husband and friend Sergei provided the most elemental support without which I could never have completed this dissertation. He also read and reread several drafts of my chapters that would not have made it to the final version without his encouragement. v Table of Contents Dedication........................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements............................................................................................................iii List of Figures..................................................................................................................viii List of Appendices ............................................................................................................. ix Abstract............................................................................................................................... x Chapter One. Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 I. Overview: Chaldeans between Iraq and America ....................................................... 2 II. Clarification of Terminology ..................................................................................... 8 III. Statement of Problem: the Forming and Reforming of Chaldeanness ................... 12 IV. Contributions and Limitations of the Present Study............................................... 15 V. Present State of Research......................................................................................... 17 VI. Methodology........................................................................................................... 23 VII. Chapter Outline ..................................................................................................... 27 Chapter Two. On the Politics of Appellation: the Case of “Who are the Chaldeans?” .. 35 Introduction............................................................................................................... 35 Implications....................................................................................................................... 37 I. Chaldeans and Assyrians: the Pre-Christian Context................................................ 41 II. Nestorians, Chaldeans and Assyrians: the Early Christian Context......................... 49 III. Recapitulation: ........................................................................................................ 77 Appellations within the Church of the East, Motives and Implications ....................... 77 Chapter Three. Contact with the West: the Missionary Enterprise in Mesopotamia ..... 79 Introduction................................................................................................................... 79 I. Catholic Mission: the Official Inauguration of Chaldeanness................................... 85 II. Anglican Mission: the Complementary Gift of the Assyrian Title .......................... 93 III. American Mission: the Consolidation of “Biblical Syriac”.................................... 99 IV. Russian Mission: Protector of the Orthodox in the Ottoman Empire................... 114 Recapitulation: The Missionary Enterprise in Mesopotamia, Agendas and Influences ..................................................................................................................................... 117 Chapter Four. Victorian Chaldeans: The Modern History of Ancient Chaldean History ......................................................................................................................................... 121 Introduction................................................................................................................. 121 Ancient-Modern Identity: A Victorian Backdrop....................................................... 123 I. Firstness................................................................................................................... 128 II. A “Christian” Likeness........................................................................................... 131 III. The Biblical Liaison.............................................................................................. 134 Britain’s “Subordinate Agents”: ................................................................................. 139 Asmar, Rassam, and other Chaldean Connections with Europe................................. 139 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 150 vi Chapter Five. Conceptualizing Chaldean Action: A Transnational