Albanians in the United States

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The Albanians in the United States of America ( Albanian  Shqiptarët në Shtetet e Bashkuara të Amerikës , English Albanians in the United States of America (USA) or American Albanians or Albanian Americans ) are an ethnic minority in the country. These include Albanians from Albania , Kosovo , North Macedonia and Montenegro as well as Arnauts from Turkey , Arbëreshen from Italy and Çamen and Arvanites from Greece , but not all of them profess to the Albanian nation. According to the lobbying organization Albanian American Civic League , over 750,000 Albanians live in the United States .

number

There are many different opinions, theories, and statistics as to the number of Albanians in the United States. The Albanians emigrated to the USA from more than seven states. That is why the Albanians have never been accurately recorded statistically. The US government estimates 201,118 Albanians. Only newly immigrated Albanians from Albania and Kosovo were counted here. According to the Albanian American Civic League , founded by an ethno-nationalist Arbëresh named Joseph dio Guardi , who was an American Republican politician and former member of the United States House of Representatives , the number is over 750,000 Albanians in the United States. It is believed that among the Italian-Americans there are many Arbëresh from southern Italy . There are also a large number of Çamen and Arvanites from Greece. After the Çamen were expelled from Greece in the period after World War II, many Çamen emigrated to Greece, claiming that they were being persecuted and discriminated against by the communist dictatorship under party leader Enver Hoxha . In contrast to the Arvanites, the Çamen managed to preserve their traditions and languages. This created the Çamëria Association for Human Rights in 1973 , which is supposed to protect the rights of Albanians. It is also assumed by the Albanian nationalist side that 6% of the Turks who emigrated to America are of Albanian origin. In the 1990s, many people from Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro fled to the USA as Yugoslav civil war refugees .

Geographical distribution

The areas with the largest Albanian population in the United States are New York City , Indianapolis , northern New Jersey , Philadelphia , Boston , Worcester , Chicago , Detroit , Hartford, and Waterbury . The Albanian population is one of the fastest growing in these areas.

Arbëresh Americans

The Arbëresh were among the first Albanians to come to the United States as immigrants. Due to their Italianized names and their mostly Roman Catholic religion, they can hardly be distinguished from the Italian-Americans . Still, some Arbëresh in America have a strong sense of their Albanian identity. Greater New Orleans has a large Arbëresh community. These are mostly Albanians who immigrated in the 19th century. Everywhere in America where there are Italians there are also Arbëresh, according to Albanians. There are also Arbëresh who are married or fully assimilated to Italians. Arbëresh Americans are therefore often indistinguishable from Italian Americans, as they are assimilated into the Italian community.

US Holocaust Memorial

With the help of Besa , a northern Albanian code of honor, Muslim Albanians saved Jews during the Holocaust . They protected local Jews and others who had fled to Albania from Austria, Serbia and Greece. Some Albanians have been honored as Righteous Among the Nations . Their names are also in the wall of the Savior ( "Rescuers Wall") in the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum has been carved in Washington, DC.

Known Albanians in the United States of America

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