A Voice for
Diversity
Learning about different ethnic groups has always
interested Mary Sengstock. As a young girl she was
fascinated with Native Americans. The daughter of
Irish and Belgian parents, her curiosity about people
different from her continued as she worked on her
doctorate in sociology. This led to her dissertation
on cultural patterns in Chaldeans. At the time, only
about 3,000 Chaldeans lived in Southeast Michigan
and very little was known about the community
in America.
Fifty years later, more than 100,000 Chaldeans
live in the area, and Sengstock, a professor
in the Wayne State University Department of
Sociology, has written several books on Chaldeans,
contributing significantly to knowledge of the
people and their culture.
Most recently she branched out and published
Voices of Diversity: Multi-Culturalism in America. The
book examines the confusion and conflict children
of multicultural or mixed-heritage families may
experience. In recognition of the book, last year
the Wayne State University Board of Governors
presented her its prestigious Faculty Recognition
Award. She had also won the award in 1983 for her
book Chaldean-Americans: Changing Conceptions of
Ethnic Identity.
Sengstock says learning about other ethnic groups
not only promotes greater understanding; it's also
fun. After decades of examining the differences
between people, she says, "Trust me, people are
much more similar than we are different. By really
learning about each other, that's what you realize."
Wayne State is nationally recognized for the
scope of its research, and our outstanding
faculty is known for breakthroughs that change
people's lives for the better. Visit wayne.edu and
see for yourself where discovery begins.
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AIM HIGHER
4 CHALDEAN NEWS I JEWISH NEWS
August 2011
Wayne State University professor and
author of Voices of Diversity: Multi-Cul-
turalism in America
Mary Sengstock