Author: Assyrian Democrats

On Thursday, May 4, 2023, the Santa Clara County Democratic Central Committee passed a resolution in support of Standing with Democracy and in Opposition to Right Wing Nationalism.

This resolution was submitted by the Jewish Democratic Club of Silicon Valley and it was cosponsored by Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Assemblymember Evan Low, City Council Member David Cohen, Foothill/DeAnza CCD Trustee Patrick Ahern, Oak Grove School Board Member Jorge Pacheco, Assyrian Democrats of the Bay Area, and Sousan Manteghi.

As a progressive Democratic club, Assyrian Democrats of the Bay Area are fully supporting this resolution and they are opposed to right-wing extremism and far-right politics that embrace racist, homophobic, and misogynist rhetoric. History has taught us that far-right politics have resulted in oppression, forced assimilation, political violence, and ethnic cleansing.

Here is the complete text of this resolution. It is also posted at the SCCDP’s website at: Click to access Standing-with-Democracy-in-Opposition-to-the-Rise-of-Right-Wing-Nationalism.pdf

Whereas right-wing nationalist or religious nationalist governments have been elected in
a number of democracies including Hungary, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, the Philippines,
Poland and Turkey, and far-right parties have emerged in Brazil, Sweden, Chile, Costa
Rica, Norway, Germany, France and the United Kingdom, and even the United States
Republican Party has been transformed into a far-right nationalist party; and

Whereas many of these nationalist governments have used demagoguery to obtain
slim, temporary legislative majorities, and once in power, sought to persecute
marginalized communities, women, and LGBTQ persons disempowered labor rights and
eliminate or reduce the power of an independent judiciary to protect civil rights,
eliminate political dissent, impose religious restrictions on society at large; and

Whereas vibrant democracies depend on equal protection of the law for all citizens, an
an independent judiciary, and the right of dissent, the answer to the rise of far-right
nationalism which, like the rise of Trump in the United States, is to support leadership
change through the restoration of democracy and voter empowerment through citizen
activism, not violent overthrow or imposition;

Therefore, be it resolved that the Santa Clara County Democratic Party supports the
principle of democratic government with an independent judiciary that interprets the law
without political, religious, or populist interference; and

Be it further resolved, that the Santa Clara County Democratic Party stands in solidarity
with the citizen activists of those countries seeking to protect their democracies,
marginalized communities and LGBTQ rights in their countries through their right to
protest.

A Joint Multicultural Event

On Sunday, March 26, the Assyrian Democrats of the Bay Area, the Jewish Democratic Club of Silicon Valley, and Bay Area Iranian-American Democrats held a joint spring event to commemorate the Assyrian New Year, Akitu; the Iranian New Year, Nowruz; and the Jewish holiday of Passover!

This was a first-of-its-kind multicultural celebration with dinner, drinks, cultural presentations, and speakers who discussed a wide array of cultural and political subjects. 

The event started with welcome messages from club presidents.

Tony Khoshaba of the Assyrian Democrats of the Bay Area welcomed the audience and went over the event program. He then introduced many public officials who had attended. In continuation, Tony talked about the history of the Assyrian Community in Santa Clara county dating from the early twentieth century and briefly went over the Akitu tradition.

Dr. Maryam Ghazvini of the Bay Area Iranian-American Democrats (BAIAD), followed. After her welcoming remarks, she presented the Haft-sin table, described each of its seven elements, and talked about the traditions of the Iranian New Year, Nowruz.

Next, Dorene Kastelman of the Jewish Democratic Club of Silicon Valley welcomed the audience and briefly spoke about the Jewish holiday of Passover. 

ADBA had also invited Wilfred Bet Alkhas, the President of the Assyrian American Association of San Jose, to talk about the resurrection of the ancient Akitu festival in the Assyrian community.  Wilfred provided a lively and interesting historical perspective of Akitu.

Dorene Kastelman and Judith Gilford of the Jewish Democratic Club of Silicon Valley talked about the Passover holiday (Hebrew Pesah) and its importance to the Jewish community. The six key symbols of the Passover seder plate each symbolize a part of the Passover story and at this event, a seder plate was placed on every table.

Gloria Maceiko of the Assyrian Democrats of the Bay Area then discussed the Akitu table and its seven elements in detail.  The Akitu display was set up courtesy of the Assyrian Arts Institute. 

The three Democratic clubs also had public officials and other guests who attended the event and addressed the audience on a variety of subjects related to Democratic Party policies and community issues which were warmly received by the audience.

We were honored by the presence and speeches given by:

– Congresswoman Anna Eshoo

– Assemblymember Gail Pellerin

– Bill James, Santa Clara County Democratic Party Chairman 

– Tomara Hall, Santa Clara County Democratic Party Clubs Director

– Ann Ravel, former chair of the Federal Election Commission 

– Larry Klein, Mayor of the City of Sunnyvale 

– Raeena Lari, Board of Education Board Member in Santa Clara 

– Patrick Ahrens, Board member at Foothill-De Anza Community College

Three Democratic Clubs, Assyrian Democrats of the Bay Area, Bay-Area Iranian-American Democrats, and the Jewish Democratic Club of Silicon Valley cordially invite you to join us to celebrate the Assyrian New Year, Akitu; the Iranian New Year, Nowruz; and the Jewish holiday of Passover!

This is a multicultural celebration with dinner, speakers, and cultural presentations.

Sunday, March 26, 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM 

SCCDP Headquarters

2901 Moorpark Avenue, San Jose, CA 95128

Ticket: $30.00 

Please see our flyer for more details and to purchase tickets. 

Please join us for a talk by Ms. Naema Abraham, President of Niles Township District 219 High School Board of Trustees.

“Lessons learned: How did the Assyrian Language enter a US public school district?”

Date: December 18, 2022,
Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM
Zoom Meeting ID: 858 6836 0220
Zoom Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZElceGrqDsoGNQ5jyx-fNmTwD-Cb6UXAcEx

Naema Abraham was born in Syria and raised in the Chicago area. As a longtime resident of Skokie, a suburb just north of Chicago, Naema graduated from Niles North High School and obtained her Bachelor of Arts from Northeastern Illinois University where she is currently working on her Master’s degree in Political Science. In 2017, Naema became the first Assyrian American woman elected in the state of Illinois and the first Assyrian woman elected to the Niles Township District 219 High School Board of Trustees where she currently serves as the president. In addition to serving on the school board, Naema serves on the Steering Committee for the Illinois Assyrian Caucus. Outside of public service, Naema works as a payroll Supervisor for Cook County, the 2nd largest government employer in the nation.

On Saturday, October 22, a meet and greet with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo was held in San Jose and hosted by ADBA President, Tony Khoshaba, and Dr. Nahrin Khoshaba. The event was organized by the Assyrian Democrats of the Bay Area and co-sponsored by two other local Democratic Clubs, Bay Area Iranian American Democrats and the Jewish Democratic Club of Silicon Valley. This was the first where the three Democratic clubs collaborated for such an event. It was a real success in honoring Congresswoman Anna Eshoo and bringing everyone closer to our shared goal of re-electing her.

The event started with ADBA member, Bani Tamraz who warmly received the Congresswoman on behalf of the three Democratic clubs and the audience. An introduction by Tony Khoshaba followed this. Congresswoman Anna Eshoo then discussed a wide array of subjects related to local issues, global events, and her experiences of spending almost 30 years in the United States Congress. Congresswoman spoke warmly of her Assyrian and Armenian roots and traced her father to the Village of Ardeshai in the plains of Urmia in Northwestern Iran. Her speech was peppered with Assyrian expressions and anecdotes and as Walter Varda, ADBA executive board member commented, she was current, genuine, knowledgeable, and utterly charming.

Assyrian Global Network representatives were present in the meeting and they did ask questions in regard to various issues of interest to Assyrians. The audience had also a chance to ask questions and various topics were discussed including the people’s struggle and women’s movement in Iran and many other issues.

At the end of the program, Tony Khoshaba, Dr. Maryam Ghazvini, and Dorene Kastelman on behalf of the three Democratic clubs presented Congresswoman Eshoo with a multilingual appreciation plaque in English, Assyrian, Hebrew, and Persian to honor her public service of over 40 years. 

Date: October 16th, 2022

On October 15, an in-person meet and greet event was held by Assyrian Democrats of the Bay Area executive board member Sargon Alkurge and his wife Rita Alkurge for Naramsin Goriel who is running for Modesto City Council Member representing the fifth district. Naramsin is a bright up-and-coming Assyrian Democrat and we encourage you to vote for him on November 8 and to support his campaign by making donations at https://www.gowithgoriel.com/donate.

Naramsen Goriel grew up in Modesto, where he is currently an attorney and dedicated community organizer. His belief in bettering the conditions of Modesto has led him to become involved and lead in many different projects that are focused on enhancing and preserving the rich heritage, culture, and community that is the city of Modesto. These projects include becoming chairperson of the City of Modesto’s Board of Zoning Adjustment and Landmark Preservation Commission, joining the board of the McHenry Museum and Historical Society, and founding the successful monthly Modesto Neighborhood Park Cleanup. His goals on the council are to provide more affordable housing, drive economic prosperity, and invest in public safety to ensure that Modesto will remain an ideal city to live in for generations to come.

#GoWithGoriel on November 8th, 2022, and vote Naramsen Goriel for City Council District 5

Date: October 16th, 2022

Dear Friends and members,

We will have an in Person meet and greet with Congresswoman Anna Eshoo in San Jose on October 22 from 2:30 to 4;00 pm for a coffee reception. Anna Eshoo represents the 18th Congressional District of California, located between the cities of San Francisco, Santa Cruz, and San Jose. It includes portions of San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties.

The event is organized by the Assyrian Democrats of the Bay Area‘s Events committee and it is co-sponsored by two other local Democratic Clubs, Bay Area Iranian American Democrats and the Jewish Democratic Club of Silicon Valley.

This is a free and informal event open to all and it should be of particular interest to those whose district is represented by Anna Eshoo. Please see our poster below for the details, and to RSVP, email us at info@assyriandemocrats.org.

We look forward to seeing you!

Assyrian Democrats of the Bay Area