Diaspora Assyrians: Opportunity or Extinction?

[Rumtaya]

Hello Guys,

I had thought (as i am sure alot of you guys too) about Assyrians more likely to become extinct in the Diaspora. On the one side its probably a natural development that people become more likely assimilated in a society where they live peaceful and enjoy freedom i.e. see less or almost no difference between them and the country they live in. Example is the USA, everyone can be American and with couple of generation you probably still know your origin, but you are 100% American and do not really associate anymore with your ancestors.

On the other hand Assyrians seem not to have the necessary difference that makes them survive a long term Diaspora (150 years +). The majority of us just tries to manage their daily live and fit themselves to the society they live in. Probably for countries like USA, Australia or Canada its more easier to assimilate than to Assyrians for example in Sweden, Germany or the Netherlands. Since in such countries you have beside a fixed majority ethnic group, a fixed culture and standard.

I came thus to talk once with my mother, if it really was worthy or is worth that we leave in masses our homeland and settle for the better and freedom alike western world. On the short run it really is more benefit-able for us, but looking at our grandchild, we might see our culture, language and of course identity at extinction.  

The whole situation brings us back to the question "Are we the last Assyrian Generation to make a change?".

Looking forwards your thoughts and opinions.

 

[SyriacOrthodoxAssyrian]

As long as our churches remain we won't be extinct. Syriac Orthodox Church, Chaldean Catholic Church, ACOE, etc. will always be linked to Assyria and Assyrians. Where I live they're building a bigger church because the current one is too small for the amount people that go. They will also have a pre-school (and probably other types of schools) where we can send our future kids. Of course the language will be suryoyo and they'll learn about the church, etc.

I know a couple of families where the mother is Swedish and the dad Assyrian/Syriac and in both cases the mother can speak our language, they go to the SO church, etc. I don't view their children as less Assyrian than me.

The most important thing is that parents talk with their children in our language. I think it's also important that Assyrians live in communities where there are a lot of other Assyrians. A lot of the youth where I live are even more patriotic than their parents. When you ask them what they are they say Assyrian/Syriac, not Assyrian-Swedish as I've seen some Assyrians in America call themselves (Assyrian-American).

Also, at least in the diaspora our lifes are safer. Which means we grow, even if some walk the path of the people of the country they live in and forget their ancestry.

Most important is the language though.

 

[GreenTea]

I voted maybe because future can changed and we dont know what can really happens.

 

[Free_Assyria]

As long as our churches remain we won't be extinct. Syriac Orthodox Church, Chaldean Catholic Church, ACOE, etc.

Ah yes because the Syriac and Chaldean churches are such stern advocates of Assyrianism.
You know my vote Ninos

 

[SyriacOrthodoxAssyrian]

Stern advocates or not, the churches will still ALWAYS be linked with Assyria and Assyrians.

 

[davidb]

Ah yes because the Syriac and Chaldean churches are such stern advocates of Assyrianism.
You know my vote Ninos

What's more important to you, Assyrianism or our language?

If it meant that we would have to give up our national identity to preserve our language then so be it. We are nothing with out our language.

 

[SyriacOrthodoxAssyrian]

Our language is everything. My parents didn't and still don't allow any swedish in our home. They have never said we are oromoye or othuroye but when it comes to our language my dad is strict. My mom actually didn't know suryoyo before marrying my dad who taught her. Everyone spoke Kurdish in her village.

Even though I've never spoken swedish at home I still got higher scores than swedes themselves in different types of language tests so I don't believe the whole "they'll get behind in school" excuse.

There's a school here called Edessa school (Madrashto d'Urhoy) and is for kids from preschool to the 5th grade. Besides having the standard swedish school curriculum for kids in those grades they put an emphasis on language (both suryoyo and swedish, so their schooldays are a little longer). When they started in 2008 they had 40 kids now they have around 100 kids, all having class that teaches our language as part of their school curriculum. There are both swedish and assyrian teachers.

There are different types of organizations (that differs just a tiny bit from organization x) popping up every day it feels like but too few initiatives like this school.

Point being that even though some people stray from the path there are still projects like this one in the diaspora that might have been harder to pull through in the countries our parents came from.

 

[shekwanta]

Our language is everything. My parents didn't and still don't allow any swedish in our home. They have never said we are oromoye or othuroye but when it comes to our language my dad is strict.

neither does my mother!!!! (my parents!)
my parents dont allow me to go with germans out (no clubs, no bars, no doing the dirty things they do..)
out of topic--> i dont really mind though, cause i LOVE assyrians! and only wanna  be around them.

i also have a cousin (has 3 daughters) who kinda like "easily" just slaps his daughter and says dont speak german at home! easily not hard!..(like joking and stuff) but he forbids german at home!


but also have other cousins who have sons and daughters that dont know assyrian! at ALL! .....they sit and say "ooh yeah! we should have really taught him.. hmm?" "its soo bad that they dont know!..but we'll teach them..enshalla"


this "enshalla" of them is whats killing us!!!!..

 

[shekwanta]

"Are we the last Assyrian Generation to make a change?".

I hope not!  am so scared of this question.

i hope we can -one day- gather all in one country.. close to each other, where we can keep our traditions..

 

[Rumtaya]

Hey Guys,


thank you that far for your answers. Some quit interesting stuff that you guys mentioned.

I personally thing that if we want to maintain a long term presence in the Diaspora we have not all to put our enegery and money into our churches but also in our culture and language. Here I wanna say that "SOA" you are completely right, that if we lose the language we almost will lose everything, but if we can keep it, it will make it always easier to associate with assyrians and maintain our Assyrian identity.

However, I guess only those Assyrians that live in big numbers around each other are more likely to keep their identity, while those that are in small numbers around some area, are probably more likely to assimilated in couple of generations.

In the end, its what each individual make out of it. Everyone of us is like a brick from a house. That house can be build up only if thus everyone does his "small step", that will get us to the one main foundation(house).

 

[Free_Assyria]

What's more important to you, Assyrianism or our language?

If it meant that we would have to give up our national identity to preserve our language then so be it. We are nothing with out our language.

why are you making me choose? i dont understand.

 

[davidb]

Well because you seem worried about the fact that if the Syriac and Chaldean Churches don't promote Assyrianism, than Assyrians will become extinct. As long as they keep practicing their mass in our language, then who cares what they promote.

Our language is what keeps us alive, not our self-designated nationality.

 

[Free_Assyria]

Well because you seem worried about the fact that if the Syriac and Chaldean Churches don't promote Assyrianism, than Assyrians will become extinct. As long as they keep practicing their mass in our language, then who cares what they promote.

Our language is what keeps us alive, not our self-designated nationality.

Assyrianism keeps us alive and our language is a small part of that, don?t forget our arts, culture, food, festivals etc etc.
A  good example of this is Assyrians who currently live in Russia most of them dont know how to speak assyrian the ones do have broken Assyrian and you wouldn?t understand them. Tell them they are not Assyrian and see what they will do to you, every year they celebrate our festivals they wave the assyrian flag they know all our dances, language has nothing to do with your ethnicity.
If Brazilians were to be wiped off this planet the Brazilian culture will be extinct but the Portuguese language will remain
there are many people who speak our language but not all call themselves Assyrian.
While language is important and it part of Assyrianism its not the be all and end all.

 

[Free_Assyria]

Well because you seem worried about the fact that if the Syriac and Chaldean Churches don't promote Assyrianism, than Assyrians will become extinct. As long as they keep practicing their mass in our language, then who cares what they promote.

Our language is what keeps us alive, not our self-designated nationality.

Also its not a Nationality its a ethnicity, and i didnt choose to be Assyrian i was born Assyrian.
how could you say its self-designated?

 

[SyriacOrthodoxAssyrian]

In the end, its what each individual make out of it. Everyone of us is like a brick from a house. That house can be build up only if thus everyone does his "small step", that will get us to the one main foundation(house).

Exactly, never think "why should I do it, no one else does it", "why should I learn the language, it will die out in a couple of generations anyway", or such things. Every little bit is important.

 

[davidb]

Assyrianism keeps us alive and our language is a small part of that, don’t forget our arts, culture, food, festivals etc etc.
A  good example of this is Assyrians who currently live in Russia most of them dont know how to speak assyrian the ones do have broken Assyrian and you wouldn’t understand them. Tell them they are not Assyrian and see what they will do to you, every year they celebrate our festivals they wave the assyrian flag they know all our dances, language has nothing to do with your ethnicity.
If Brazilians were to be wiped off this planet the Brazilian culture will be extinct but the Portuguese language will remain
there are many people who speak our language but not all call themselves Assyrian.
While language is important and it part of Assyrianism its not the be all and end all.

First of, you can't compare us to other well established countries. We are all scattered in the diaspora and will inevitably accustom to western traditions, that we have to face.

I think that without our language we are nothing, just like the many Assyrians who let go of our language and started speaking Arabic. They are practically Arabs now. I actually don't care about a lot of traditions, as long as our language survives. What would you rather teach your kids, khab nissan or how to read/write in Assyrian? I guess it's a matter of opinion though.

The Assyrians from Russia will slowly forget all things Assyrian and accustom to Russian traditions. I've heard a few times that many consider themselves as Russians and also many have married into Russian families. If they are your prime example then we should all give up right now because that's what us in Australia/USA/Canada/Sweden will be looking like in a generation or two.


I say self-designated because we are, whether you like it or not. No one can prove that we've been calling ourselves Assyrian for the beginning of time. We've attached ourselves to a nation so we could get some recognition on the national stage, rather then just on the religious stage.

What you can prove is we've been speaking this language since before Jesus, and it's what allows us to carry on our great nation. I see no point in calling yourself Assyrian if you don't know how to say a single word in the language.

 

[mrzurnaci]

what im worried about is, what will happen to our land if we became extinct? will we be remembered? will we have a memorial?

 

[Free_Assyria]

The Assyrians of Russia are an example of how Assyrians can survive without their language assimilation is a problem for all Assyrians in diaspora , Assyrians in Russia have been living there since the 1800.

we are going off tangent here, i agree language is important, my first comment was simply to point out if you leave our future in the hands of the Syriac and Chaldean church then extinction will surely be inevitable regardless of them teaching our language to their flock, their propaganda will surely be far more damaging.