Chaldean American Student Association

Valerie Esho, a  Michigan State University student, talked about her parents arriving in the United States in the 1970s and how much they sacrificed for her brother and her to become first generation Americans. Valerie is secretary of the Chaldean American Student Association at MSU. The group meets bi-weekly to bond and share - and talk about their families. Samantha Barash is president of the group.
Chaldean Catholic religion and home life are very important to Middle Eastern people. Esho said they are not considered a minority, but are all refugees. She added, “It is tough to be a student at MSU. We want to be home. With CASA we can be home with others in the community. It really does help the transition.”
CASA promotes many other organizations as a way to help others. They work with the Ronald McDonald House and host dinners at St. John Student Center. They also adopt refugees and participate in Relay for Life events.