Did you know that New York City is home to more than 100,000 Albanians? According to the Albanian-American Society Foundation, many of those communities settled in the Bronx. On Tuesday, some of them gathered for a celebration at Borough Hall, marking 111 years of independence for the Eastern European country.

 

Bronx Borough President Vanessa Gibson raised the Albanian flag outside the government building to honor the contributions Albanians have made to our borough. The ceremony also honored Albanian leaders in our community, like Edit Shkrelli who was recently elected judge of the Civil Court of New York City.

 

“The borough of the Bronx takes great pride in its rich cultural diversity, celebrating our unique heritage and contributions of all of our residents,” Gibson said. “The Albanian American community has been and continues to be an important part of the fabric of our great borough.”

 

Parts of Lydig Avenue in the Bronx are even sometimes called “Little Albania.” Dozens of restaurants and bakeries line the streets where you can get authentic goods and food you’d usually only see in Eastern Europe. One of those bakeries is Dukagjini Burek, where New Yorkers can try “burek” – a traditional pie from the Balkans, filled with meat, spinach or cheese.

 

“It’s important to always remember where you came from and keep all the traditions alive,” said one longtime employee at Dukagjini Burek.

 

Albania declared independence on November 28, 1912 during the First Balkan War.