Historic marker to honor Detroit’s Chaldean Town, longtime heart of the community

Detroit will soon give a permanent nod to one of its long-hidden cultural engines. A new Michigan Historical Marker to be placed along Seven Mile Road will formally identify the strip as Chaldean Town, recognizing the neighborhood that, for much of the 20th century, served as the cultural and economic heart of Detroit’s Chaldean community.

The marker — sponsored through a grant program of the William G. Pomeroy Foundation and slated for installation by the Michigan History Center in 2026 — is intended both as local recognition and as a public record of a community’s imprint on Detroit. State markers are used across Michigan to highlight places that have shaped social, cultural, and economic life.

Dr. Adhid Miri is former professor of Chemistry and cultural consultant with diverse professional experiences in Iraq, England & the United States. Born in Baghdad, Iraq in 1948 and since arriving in the United States in 1981, he has been an active member of the Iraqi American Community in Michigan and served as President of the Chaldean Iraqi American Association of Michigan from 2003 to 2005. Dr. Miri holds PhD degree from Brunel University, England, and Post-Doctoral fellowship from King’s College London. Currently, Dr. Miri is the Director of Projects at the Chaldean Community Foundation which is the non-profit arm of the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce in Michigan. Dr. Miri held leadership roles across various programs including refugees’ resettlement and integration. He advocates for Christian and Minorities, and travels frequently to report on demographic changes of internally displaced persons in Iraq.

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