Why this matters
San Diego County is home to one of the largest Assyrian and Chaldean communities outside of the Arab world.
Growing up, I remember having confusing conversations with people who were sure to correct me that they were Assyrian, not Chaldean. I wondered why there had to be such a stark distinction. We ate the same food, spoke the same language and went to similar churches — it didn’t seem right that some people in our community were othering people just like them.
For decades, Chaldeans and Assyrians have debated which identity came first and claimed their ethnicity’s validity over the others. Some historians say the split between Chaldeans and Assyrians can be traced back to differentiation in dialects and religion. The phrase “Assyro-Chaldean” has been used for more than a century to include both communities in political movements and religious teachings.
Many don’t actually see us as a separate peoples but rather one ethnic group. However, the ongoing discourse has done enough damage to create a contentious gap of misunderstanding.
I’m heartened to know that a 19-year-old East County native is looking to change that, starting on the court.
The idea came after Christian Mansour traveled to Arizona to play in a church basketball tournament with childhood friend Brandon Kassab. They left without a win, instead coming home with an idea that would unite their local community: the Chaldean Assyrian Basketball Association.
Mansour, a student at San Diego State University, started the league with the ultimate aim to bring Assyrians and Chaldeans from across the nation to San Diego and play basketball. He set the date for the first tournament on Oct. 4, rented out the Spring Valley Gymnasium and got to work on promoting the event. Anticipating a low turnout, Mansour posted the sign-up sheets on social media a few months in advance.
Kassab agreed to help run the tournament alongside him, but thought they might have to call people and beg them to join. Within 24 hours, the sign-up sheets were full. So many people wanted to participate that they had to add teams to the bracket.
Mansour was shocked at the number of people interested, but his surprise wouldn’t end there. As he warmed up to both play and run the tournament, the viral YouTuber FaZe Rug showed up unexpectedly to spectate. Looking around the bustling sea of familiar faces, he thanked God for what he had pulled off.
“At the end of the day, we’re such a small community,” Mansour said. “We want to stay together and stay strong.”
The league now partners with The Hoop House in El Cajon. Mansour said that, together, they plan to create a 3-on-3 children’s league at the end of this year to give kids a chance to work with real NBA trainers and gain experience without being stuck on the bench. And in November, the team is planning a training camp for kids who want to refresh their skills or learn something new.
Mansour also plans to start men’s and women’s leagues in the future and hopes to take the association to Detroit, Las Vegas and beyond. As the basketball association scales, Mansour and Kassab will apply their studies in computer engineering to build an iOS app that will make sign-ups more accessible to community members.
“It’s just cool knowing that my friend made that. He started this from the ground up and now people are talking about it,” Kassab said. “People in the community — they all care about it, they love it. I want to see it scale countrywide across all Chaldean and Assyrians.”
Harnessing a widespread love of the sport, Mansour created a place for Chaldeans and Assyrians to shed the conflict and enjoy some basketball and a good competition.
As Assyro-Chaldean people, we may see our differences more clearly than those looking from the outside, but our rich culture and steadfast pride gives us the ability to recognize how alike we are. I am half Chaldean and half Irish, and I know embracing those parts of myself comes easier when I can embrace them in others.
That’s why I’m glad the Chaldean Assyrian Basketball Association exists to bridge the gap between us. I hope more people will begin to understand we are stronger together.
