By Esabel Sadek, Joe Snell | Feb. 25, 2024
Community leaders in Glendale, Arizona last month began renovations on a space to host book clubs, board meetings, cooking classes and chess tournaments, and gather Assyrians from across the state to share more time together.
The new 2,200 square foot center, a project by the Assyrian American Cultural Organization of Arizona, is being remodeled ahead of a grand opening around Khab Nissan (April 1).
“Unity has never been more important for Assyrians as it is right now,” said Atouraya Bet Younadam, co-founder and president of Arizona’s cultural organization. “A community center allows for a place where all Assyrian Americans can gather and have a place to call their own. It allows for a meeting place for all Assyrians, regardless of political, tribal, religious, or social affiliations.”
Assyrians began migrating to Phoenix in the early ‘70s, according to a Seyfo Center survey. By 1996, their population in the Arizona capital was about 200. That number swelled last year to an estimated 25,000, said a representative of the Arizona cultural chapter, coming mostly from California and Chicago. Today, Assyrians there are business owners, local leaders and comprise a formidable political force in the state.
Assyrian gatherings in the city were for years held in the Peoria Community Center, a shared space limited reservations to just once a month. It was the community’s only cheap option to gather besides meeting at people’s houses, a member of the group told the Journal.
“It gets expensive when you’re doing events that don’t generate revenue, because a lot of our events are free,” said Michael Mikho, who runs the group’s chess and book clubs. “Having a location, ultimately we’re paying for it, but it’s our own and we can continue to invest in it. Our money is staying within our community rather than being paid to others.”
The cultural group has used contributions from its members and GoFundMe donations to pay for renovations to the space that began in December of last year. This building will be a blueprint to see if there will be interest for other community centers in the state, Mikho said.
Next year, project leaders hope to expand the space with more meeting rooms, a larger event space and even a restaurant.
“It’s going to give us a geographic proximity to each other,” Mikho said. “We don’t have as many places to congregate in Arizona. In Chicago and California, there are just more places to gather. This will give us a unique sense of unity.”