Behind the Assyrian flag raising in a New York suburb

Yasmeen Altaji | April 9, 2024

Photo/Olin MacIntosh

For the past decade, the Assyrian community in Yonkers, New York has participated in a raising of the Assyrian Flag on Kha’b Nissan, or the first of April, ringing in the Assyrian New Year. Here’s what to know about the community and the tradition.

• Yonkers, a suburb of New York City, is home to a tight-knit Assyrian community that began settling in the area as early as the late 19th century at a time when many were fleeing the Ottoman-led campaign of 1915 that the community considers genocide.

• Now home to many American-born children and grandchildren of Assyrian immigrants, Yonkers saw its first Assyrian immigrants settle as early as the late 1800s before founding what’s now known as the Yonkers Assyrian National Association.

Ruth Kambar, a Yonkers-born Assyrian archivist and historian, told The Word the New Year flag-raising event began in 2014 honoring the 100th anniversary of the launch of that group, now known as the Yonkers Assyrian Association.

• “This event honors those immigrants, many of whom survived the atrocities of WWI, who came to the United States, honoring their culture and history as well as celebrating their new identity as Assyrian Americans,” Kambar told The Word in a message.