Sterling Heights in America, will become a "sister city" with an Iraqi town that is about 90% Chaldean, an ethnic group that has a sizable presence in the Macomb County city, writes Niraj Warikoo. The partnership illustrates how Chaldeans, Iraqi Catholics, are working to preserve their heritage while helping grow a city that has the highest percentage of Iraqi Americans in Michigan.
The city council in Sterling Heights voted unanimously to establish a sister city agreement with Ankawa, a suburb of Erbil, the capital of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor and Ankawa Mayor Ramy Noori Syawish are to formalize the agreement with a ceremonial signing next month at the Chaldean Community Foundation in Sterling Heights.
“We are thrilled to formalize our relationship with Ankawa, a city that holds deep significance for many of our residents,” Taylor said in a statement. “This sister city agreement is more than just a symbolic gesture; it is a commitment to working together to build bridges of friendship and cooperation that will enrich both communities. We’re excited to learn and grow together."
The sister city agreement was initiated by Martin Manna, president of the Chaldean Community Foundation and Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, and Syawish, the city of Sterling Heights said in a news release. Manna told the Detroit Free Press that "both these cities have large Chaldean populations ... with Ankawa now being the largest Chaldean city in all of Iraq." Syawish visited Sterling Heights in April, meeting with Manna and Taylor.
In Sterling Heights, the fourth-largest city in Michigan, almost 24% of its roughly 134,000 residents are of Middle Eastern descent, according to 2020 census data. Out of those, 86% have roots in Iraq and a majority of the Iraqi Americans are Chaldean, Assyrian or Syriac, which are Iraqi Christian groups. About 28% of Sterling Heights residents are immigrants, with the largest group from Iraq, according to 2022 census data. Across Michigan, Iraqis are the third-largest immigrant group in the state after Indians and Mexicans.
The agreement comes at a time when Christians in Iraq are struggling to maintain a presence after decades of war and the rise of militant groups such as ISIS. While the group was defeated, Chaldeans are still facing discrimination and problems getting jobs, said Chaldean advocates. Some have fled and ended up in Michigan through refugee resettlement programs.
Taylor said they plan to invite a delegation from Ankawa to visit Sterling Heights, probably in the spring during the city's Cultural Exchange event that celebrates diverse cultures.
“In turn, I hope at some point we can send a delegation from Sterling Heights to Ankawa to learn more about their city, its residents and its business community, firsthand," Taylor said.
The city said the sister city agreement is not just symbolic, but will involve business and education ties. It will include building "a curriculum assessment and teacher exchange program along with remote learning opportunities at the college level to ensure students and teachers have the ability to give and receive unique experiences and perspectives." The city didn't specify how the programs would be carried out.
The agreement came about "after months of discussions between community leaders in Sterling Heights and representatives from Ankawa," the city said.
Sterling Heights has long had a diverse population of other immigrant groups such as Polish Americans and Italian Americans. Over the past 42 years, Sterling Heights has had previous sister city partnerships with Cassino, Italy; Sant’ Elia Fiumerapido, Italy; Tetovo, Macedonia; Legazpi City, Philippines; Sorsogon City, Philippines; Shengjin, Albania, and Jaffna, Sri Lanka, the city said.
The growth of the Chaldean population in Sterling Heights can be seen in the number of Iraqi restaurants and other small businesses in the city, especially along Dequindre and Ryan roads. The increase in the number of immigrants, some of them refugees, has sparked efforts to provide them with housing and job opportunities. In 2021, the Chaldean Community Foundation broke ground on a $25 million affordable housing project in Sterling Heights, the Macomb Daily reported.
In 2022, the state of Michigan earmarked $10 million for a Chaldean housing project.
The sister city agreement is the latest exchange between metro Detroit and Iraq. In April, Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia' Al Sudani met with the Chaldean community at Shenandoah Country Club in West Bloomfield. He also met with Imam Hassan Al-Qazwini and other Iraqi Americans at the Islamic Institute of America in Dearborn Heights.
