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While I agree that there are lots of Muslim Albanians,especially in Albania, it is not as simple as you think at all.
If anything,Albanians consider both Christianity and Islam to be "foreign" influences and they are beholden to neither.The largest group in Albania actually has a weird religion of their own that is a hybrid of the two.They tend to adapt and change with the political winds.Religous pragmatism more than anything else.
Until recently,the Moslems were definitely in control in Albania as the ruling elite BUT that is exactly why the majority of Albanians who fled to the U.S. were Christian( mostly catholic).They were Catholics fleeing persecution by Moslems and it is one of the factors that allowed so many into the US. So while there might even be more Moslems than Christians in Albania,more Christian than moslem Albanians have come to the U.S.
Whether you encounter Christian or Moslem Albanians here in NY might also depend on what part of Albania they come from( Albania itself,Kosovo,
Macedoni,Montenegro,etc.
In any event,the Albanians in my neighborhood( Pelham Parkway),which has the first and now still the largest Albanian community in the U.S. seem to be quite Christian as far as I can see and tend to send their kids to the catholic schools and go to the Italian and Greek churches although I do see some that appear to be moslem.They are also rather involved in near worship of Mother Theresa,had a section of Lydig Avenue changed to " Mother Theresa way" and talk about building a big Albanian Catholic church in the neighborhood and having the Pope come for the dedication.LOL. A lot of dreaming I am sure and maybe just another case of religious pragmatism.
Religion is a very complicated subject with Albanians.
PIRRO IM very sorry to know that the sons of uncle sam dont know the evolucion of the human faith and the simple general knowledg of the life it self im very ofendet by your coment that albanians cristians have migrated to us due to their muslim brother albanian domination ,just that you know the persentage of albania kristian is more than 5o% this is devaidet to magiority of easte church kosatandinis one than comes 45% to muslim in wich 15 % suny and the rest bektashi rufai alevi etc olso in albania are pagans it is very comlicated to exsplaine the albanian history due to evil forces wich has controlled the mainly europe for more dhan 1500 y as if the europe history hasent ben told yet, to as albanians unidet we stand to the blood to the eagle as we are the suns of the diell sun good, we must repekt the others no matter if thei have different faith or coller each one to his on border. we albanians have save 5000 jews during ww2 includin albert einshtain the reale albanians dont go to greek one as albanian church is the FAN STILIAN NOLI .
Never personally had a problem with any Albanians (I'm Puerto Rican), raised in the Bronx. I find them to talk as much **** about other groups as any other groups. They do hold their **** down though. Idk about other groups but the Albanians, Puerto Ricans and Italians are always hooking up in the East Bronx and Westchester.
The worst hostilities I've ever encountered between ethnic groups in the city was African Americans vs Dominicans teenagers. Everyone else seems to get along for the most part. People get along pretty well here.
PIRRO IM very sorry to know that the sons of uncle sam dont know the evolucion of the human faith and the simple general knowledg of the life it self im very ofendet by your coment that albanians cristians have migrated to us due to their muslim brother albanian domination ,just that you know the persentage of albania kristian is more than 5o% this is devaidet to magiority of easte church kosatandinis one than comes 45% to muslim in wich 15 % suny and the rest bektashi rufai alevi etc olso in albania are pagans it is very comlicated to exsplaine the albanian history due to evil forces wich has controlled the mainly europe for more dhan 1500 y as if the europe history hasent ben told yet, to as albanians unidet we stand to the blood to the eagle as we are the suns of the diell sun good, we must repekt the others no matter if thei have different faith or coller each one to his on border. we albanians have save 5000 jews during ww2 includin albert einshtain the reale albanians dont go to greek one as albanian church is the FAN STILIAN NOLI .
Do you know Skanderbeg, Its Albanian for Alexander from Turkish or Arabic, Iskander for Greek Alexandros or in English what what we call Alexander. Albania has a very interesting history. Greeks and Romans left those people alone and never assimilated. Than came the Barbarous Slavic Serbs. Turks came and wared with the Greek speaking Eastern Roman Empire. Greeks with the help of Italians and other crusaders warred against the Turks for sometime until the French and Italians betrayed their Christian brothers in Greece taking Constantinople in 1204 which was an historical turning point for the west. Over time Turkish power will grow in an Anatolia and soon jumped acroos the Aegean sea on to the Balkan Penninsula. Turks warred with Serbs, Bulgars and Byzantines as well as Italians and their knights. Turks conquered Constantinople with the help of Albanians who made up as soldiers in the elite Jannisary corps. Albanians help the Turks change the world, by conquering Greece in 1453 and forcing Italian merchants like Columbus to seek a new trade out to Asia and in the process America and later New Amsterdam and later to known as NYC was discovered. Albania has a very interesting history though. Some decades ago Albania was Atheist due to communism, not only that but Albania was religiously divided by Greek influenced Orthodox Church Greece Borders Albania, Italian/ Slav influenced Roman Catholics and Islam through the Ottoman Turks. Religion really helped with the division of people.
Im Puerto Rican and one of my best friends growing up was Albanian. He was without a doubt the funniest bastard in the click we had, and very loyal. I grew up in the late 1990's/early 2000's, and our group of friends was pretty diverse. The ones who really stuck together were usually fresh off the boat,lol,but that goes for any other ethnicity. He would never instigate fights but if **** ever hit the fan he had devastating hits. I remeber one day by the train, 2 Bloods were talking about my Echo jacket and giving me an evil eye, next thing you know Arben just knocked the taller one out cold and his friend ran across the street. Lol, we didn't even get a chance to put our work in! They have an interesting language, very unique. I started to really like the albanian food his mom would give us when i came over, and he was loving the Spanish food at my place too lol. Btw, they were Muslim, but did catholic things too. He told me that the word they use for God is way before the abrahamic religions started spreading.
It would be great if the bronx returned back to its glory days. The borough is kind of neglected, and has been through a lot. My uncle told me how there was more tension back in the days. A lot of new nationalities have came, and its a good thing-put that melting pot on high! lol. The human family is a beautiful thing, we all need to get along.
I also noticed growing up Albanians ( small amount i've know) are never afraid of a fight under any circumstances.. And will just as quickly punch a blood/crip in as they would a Dungeons and Dragons type kid (perhaps even quicker).
I run through Pelham Parkway all the time, and have never had any problems with anyone in that neighborhood!
A little story, though. I'm recently at a party at a Bar in the Bronx (name of bar and neighborhood withheld). Two Albanian siblings ask me to take a picture, with their phone. I take the pic. While taking the pic, dude on the left points to his brother, and says, "this my best friend, this my n*****!" Despite being dismayed at the comment, I take the classy road and take the pic.
Reasons why I take the pic: 1) dude pointed to his own brother and said it, as opposed to me. 2) to be honest, they were, for the most part, having a good time, and they weren't malicious to me or anyone else in that spot. 3) Not only is the bar full of mostly Black and Latino patrons, but the bar is Black owned. If the dude takes that comment beyond his brother, I'm sure there would've been consequences!
I run through Pelham Parkway all the time, and have never had any problems with anyone in that neighborhood!
A little story, though. I'm recently at a party at a Bar in the Bronx (name of bar and neighborhood withheld). Two Albanian siblings ask me to take a picture, with their phone. I take the pic. While taking the pic, dude on the left points to his brother, and says, "this my best friend, this my n*****!" Despite being dismayed at the comment, I take the classy road and take the pic.
Reasons why I take the pic: 1) dude pointed to his own brother and said it, as opposed to me. 2) to be honest, they were, for the most part, having a good time, and they weren't malicious to me or anyone else in that spot. 3) Not only is the bar full of mostly Black and Latino patrons, but the bar is Black owned. If the dude takes that comment beyond his brother, I'm sure there would've been consequences!
Plenty of Albanians in the Bronx act hood, this is nothing new. I heard plenty of ghetto white guys say NI$#A its nothing new, black people might view these people as one of them since they are part of the same ghetto subculture.
I grew up in Eastern Parkway / Bushwick / Ridgewood. Although Pelham Parkway is Albanian, there are plenty of Albanians in Ridgewood, and they remind me of Polish people from Greenpoint. They congregate at their smoky bars, men only, and talk.
Plenty of Albanian Roofing Contractors in the City. Albanians tend to follow Italians. Many of them have italian names and now run/own some of the most expensive restaurants in the City, not just Arthur Avenue. Many people don't know this, but Albanians dominate the garage businesses. And of course almost every Building Super in Manhattan is Albanian.
Hard-working people, family, loyal, yet fierce, short-fuse. Their English is probably the best of the eastern block folks. That tells me that Albanians actually are smart and assimilate. Yet, many Albanian are known throughout Europe as drug-lords, mega-pimps etc. My building super is Albanian too and I got a few crash courses in their world. Fascinating to think that there are more people in NYC than there are Albanians in the own country.
I grew up in Eastern Parkway / Bushwick / Ridgewood. Although Pelham Parkway is Albanian, there are plenty of Albanians in Ridgewood, and they remind me of Polish people from Greenpoint. They congregate at their smoky bars, men only, and talk.
Plenty of Albanian Roofing Contractors in the City. Albanians tend to follow Italians. Many of them have italian names and now run/own some of the most expensive restaurants in the City, not just Arthur Avenue. Many people don't know this, but Albanians dominate the garage businesses. And of course almost every Building Super. in Manhattan is Albanian.
Hard-working people, family, loyal, yet fierce, short-fuse. Their English is probably the best of the eastern block folks. That tells me that Albanians actually are smart and assimilate. Yet, many Albanian are known throughout Europe as drug-lords, mega-pimps etc. My building super is Albanian too and I got a few crash courses in their world. Fascinating to think that there are more people in NYC than there are Albanians in the own country.
Albanians are known for their underworld activity and the media portrayal Albanians in a negative light like movies such as Taken 1 and Taken 2 where Albanians try to kid knap that ex cia agent in Turkey. Good movie. Also in vidso games such as GTA IV which takes place in a fictional NYC, if you go to the fictional Part of the Bronx called little bay you see Albanian thugs about. Also in assassins creed relvelations which takes place in Turkey during the renaissance period one of the characters slated to be killed was an Albanian who smuggled weapons to enimies of the ottoman Empire. Theirbis a strategy game called total war 2, which takes during the medieval period, upon my army entering the Balkans, I used to hire Albanian Mercernaries, which are described as vicious. Many Albanians have Italian names due to Venice with its mercantile Empire during the late middle ages controlled large parts of Dalmatia and Greek Islands like Rhodes Crete and Cyprus, plenty of Italian men slept around with Albanian women. Also plenty of Albanians have Greek and Turkish names due to conquests and wars of the past. Historically Balkans is always a flash point. Albania has had a rough period
I grew up in Eastern Parkway / Bushwick / Ridgewood. Although Pelham Parkway is Albanian, there are plenty of Albanians in Ridgewood, and they remind me of Polish people from Greenpoint. They congregate at their smoky bars, men only, and talk.
Plenty of Albanian Roofing Contractors in the City. Albanians tend to follow Italians. Many of them have italian names and now run/own some of the most expensive restaurants in the City, not just Arthur Avenue. Many people don't know this, but Albanians dominate the garage businesses. And of course almost every Building Super in Manhattan is Albanian.
Hard-working people, family, loyal, yet fierce, short-fuse. Their English is probably the best of the eastern block folks. That tells me that Albanians actually are smart and assimilate. Yet, many Albanian are known throughout Europe as drug-lords, mega-pimps etc. My building super is Albanian too and I got a few crash courses in their world. Fascinating to think that there are more people in NYC than there are Albanians in the own country.
and these guys after a couple of years terrorizing the neighborhood were all either killed or put away... They are no longer as big over here as they used to be... Most of them were replaced by Polish folk...
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