Albanian Americans

Although the Albanian American community is relatively small in size and recent in origin, it has at various times during the 20th century played a significant role in the history of Albania. Most recently, reflecting a change in its composition, the community has also been active in promoting the independence of the Albanian-inhabited region of Kosovo from Serbia.

The foundations of the Albanian American community were laid in 1892 when seventeen young Albanian males settled in the United States. There was only a modest increase in Albanian immigration to the United States during the remainder of the 19th century, but the flow of Albanians then accelerated until the outbreak of World War I in 1914. During this period, most Albanians entered the United States using Turkish passports because Albania did not win its independence from the Ottoman Empire until 1912. Thus, it is difficult to determine precisely the size of the Albanian American community; however, by the time this first wave of immigration had run its course, there were an estimated 20,000 to 30,000 Albanians in the United States.

The first generation of Albanian immigrants was composed largely of Orthodox Christian and Muslim males. Most had emigrated for economic reasons or to escape military service, and many planned to return home after accumulating sufficient funds to improve their lives. These early arrivals were mainly of peasant origin or from families engaged in retail trade. They had only limited education and few skills; thus, they were employed as factory, restaurant, or construction workers.

[Page 48]By the time Albania proclaimed its independence from the Ottoman Empire in November 1912, the Albanian American community had emerged as the preeminent center of the Albanian national movement and would assume a crucial role in the preservation of Albania's independence and territorial integrity when the country fell under foreign occupation during World War I. The growth in the influence and prestige of Albanian Americans during the first decade of the 20th century owes much to the leadership provided by Fan S. Noli (1882–1965) and Faik Konitza (1876–1942). Today, both of these men are regarded as icons of the Albanian American community.

In 1908, Noli was among the founders of the Albanian Orthodox Church in the United States and served, with several interruptions, as its spiritual leader until his death in 1965. In 1909, Noli and Konitza were the prime movers in the establishment of Dielli (The Sun), the oldest continuously published Albanian language newspaper in the world. Three years later, Noli and Konitza joined with others to form the Pan-Albanian Federation of America (Vatra). Because Vatra supplanted virtually all existing Albanian American patriotic societies, it was viewed as the authoritative voice of the community both in the United States and abroad. Noli and Konitza, both of whom received degrees from Harvard University in 1912, are also revered for their contributions to Albanian culture.

The chaos that engulfed Albania during World War I provided Albanian Americans with a unique opportunity to participate in shaping their homeland's destiny at a critical point in its history. Under the leadership of Vatra, Albanian Americans between 1917 and 1920 raised nearly $200,000 to underwrite, in both Europe and the United States, lobbying and propaganda efforts that were instrumental in preserving Albania's independence following the war. In addition, they contributed $223,000 in 1920 to help balance the budget of the restored Albanian government. Between 1919 and 1922, the Albanian American community also worked to secure the diplomatic recognition of Albania by the United States—a goal achieved in July 1922.

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