News

• Join us for our Spring Meeting!

The UFT Albanian Heritage Committee and the Albanian American Educators Association are proud to welcome Dr. Azeta Kola to our Spring Meeting!

Dr. Kola will speak on the role of education and its impact on improving the lives of recent immigrants. Her lecture will touch on how education can be used as a tool for success of younger generations of Albanians in the New York and larger U.S. community.

Dr. Kola is currently teaching a class in European History at New York University. She received her PhD from Northwestern University in Early Modern Mediterranean History. She has previously taught classes in European History at Northwestern University, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, and Mercy College.

For more information, check out our Events Page. 

Please RSVP to the event!

• AAEA & UFT Albanian American Heritage Collaboration

AAEA and the UFT Albanian American Heritage Committee will partner to celebrate Teacher’s Day on Wednesday March 7th, 2018.

An important part of AAEA’s mission is to work closely with professionals and experts to promote education and Albanian culture. We are excited that the UFT is embracing and supporting Educators of all ethnic groups and supports them in their educational endeavors. This collaboration will develop a community of educators in order to build solidarity, strengthens our bonds, and deepen the integration of education into our lives in ways that are crucial to the Albanian community and society.

Please show your support and join us as we celebrate Teacher’s Day, Wednesday March 7th at the Manhattan UFT Headquarters, 52 Broadway, 19th Floor from 4:30-7pm. Come mingle, share ideas, listen to our keynote speaker, Dr. Azeta Kola, and learn about the Albanian American Educators Association and the UFT Albanian American Heritage Committee. Your attendance and involvement will demonstrate solidarity and advocacy needed to build a community of Albanian Educators.

For more information and to register for this event:

UNITED FEDERATION OF TEACHERS HEADQUARTERS
52 Broadway 19th Floor Room G
New York, NEW YORK 10004
WEDNESDAY MARCH 7th, 2018
4:30 -7:00 P.M.
Questions call (914) 265-4815
or (212) 598-7771

• AAEA Announces Scholarship Opportunity

With the belief in the transformative power of education to make the world a better place, AAEA is offering students an opportunity to apply for a scholarship. The Scholarship program is to provide financial assistance to senior high school students that will be attending a college, university or vocational school. Our most valuable asset is our youth and their future and as an educational organization, we are proud to assist our youth by helping them reach for new horizons. More information about this scholarship is available on the Scholarship Opportunity page. Please share this information with fellow colleagues and students.

• St. Barnabas Albanian Club Spring Show

Westchester County Legislator, David Tubiolo has invited AAEA and the students from the Albanian Club at St. Barnabas High School to assist in the planning of the Albanian Heritage event to be held in Yonkers this spring.

Students will help with the planning process, perform a dance, and raise monies for the AAEA scholarship fund. Stay tuned for more information to come.

• Potential Changes to Organized Labor Unions

The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that could weaken organized labor unions.

Mark Janus, who works for the state government in Illinois and is represented by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, sued the union, saying he does not agree with its positions and should not be forced to pay fees to support its work. As a result the case has reached the highest court and on February 26th, 2018 the Supreme Court will hear the case. It involves whether public-sector workers can be forced to join or otherwise financially support their workplace's unions as a condition of employment. Mark Janus argues that such requirements — dubbed "security clauses" by unions — violate his First Amendment rights.

If Janus v. AFSCME passes, it will reverse a 1977 decision in Abood vs. Detroit Board of Education that currently affects public sector workers in 22 states, including New York. Abood affirmed that workers cannot be forced to join public sector unions. However, the case stated that non-unionized workers are still required to pay “fair share fees” because they ultimately benefit from union bargaining activities.

Randi Weingarten, president, American Federation of Teachers (AFT) states:

Unions are all about fighting for and caring about people—and in the public sector that includes those we represent and those we protect and teach in communities across America. Yet corporations, wealthy interests and politicians have manufactured Janus as part of their long and coordinated war against unions. Their goal is to further weaken workers’ freedom to join together in a union, to further diminish workers’ clout.

These powerful interests want to gut one of the last remaining checks on their control—a strong and united labor movement that fights for equity and opportunity for all, not just the privileged few. And under the guise of the First Amendment, they want to overturn a 40-year precedent that’s been reaffirmed numerous times. In other words, this would be a radical departure from well-established law. We believe that after resolving a similar case last year, the Supreme Court erred in granting cert in Janus, and that the trumped-up underpinnings of the plaintiff’s argument will rapidly become clear before the full bench.

• Featured Article: February

By Gabriel Brazle, Mission Catalyst at Global City Mission

I’m not Albanian, and sadly it wasn’t until 2008 that I even realized these people existed. It was in that year that the blockbuster movie “Taken” was released to theaters and the world was introduced to one of the main antagonists of the series, Marco from Tropoja.

If you haven’t noticed, Albanians nearly always get a bad rap from American films. I think that in part, this negative attention, often causes people to miss much of the beauty of the Albanian people and culture.

I moved to the Bronx in 2013 and within a few months of settling, had begun to know some of my neighbors. Many were Albanian.

I quickly learned that vengeance wasn’t always the first thing on these peoples’ minds (like I’d seen in the movies) and that though seemingly quiet towards strangers, once known in the community, it as near impossible to not feel welcome. The warmth and generosity of the Albanian people is something unseen in most of the United States.

Shqiptar culture moves at a different pace than New York City and offers a very different feeling entirely. However, what some may see as a primitive culture is actually a culture full of life and values often missing in my American home culture.

During this past summer I had the opportunity to visit both Albania and Kosovo with my family. While there, people kept asking us what we loved about the country and our answer was often this, “In America, children are often seen as an inconvenience to one’s personal success, but here in Albania, your whole family is cherished.” This is a culture that though moving forward, still knows how to value relationships and especially family. Americans are so time/success oriented and event focused that we often miss seeing and being with the people around us. Contrary to that, to be Albanian seems to involve simply being with your people; talking, drinking coffees and watching the grass grow.

As an outsider, when I am with Albanians, I feel as if I am important and at the center of attention. Often in my home culture though, the clock is the only thing allowed to sit in the center.

Though some might always associate Albanians as ex-communist mafia members likened to what they’ve seen in the movies, rest assured, others know what beauty lies within. Albanians have overcome and will continue to overcome the difficulties that threaten to hold them back and there will continue to be many teachers, doctors, computer programmers and successful politicians among these people. In addition to that, these successful people also be some of the most hospitable and loyal, generous people you’ll find in this world, barring they hold onto their beautiful Albanian cultural roots.

• Come Together as One to Make a Difference

As we seek to improve the educational and cultural opportunities of our Albanian communities, your involvement is critical to the success of our Association and our community.

AAEA is committed to providing a forum for educators to share ideas, best practices and knowledge. Please become involved to promote education and lifelong learning to effectively and positively impact the lives of students, families and Albanian communities. Here are a few ways you can help:

  • Become a member. Your annual membership fee helps to defray operating costs for the organization.

  • Make sure you get on the AAEA mailing list so you can stay up-to-date on happenings and volunteer opportunities. You can do this by spreading the word to family and friends and by visiting to our website and joining our mailing list or by emailing [email protected].

  • Think about ways you might like to get involved with the association. We have volunteer opportunities to fit every interest and skill set. Whether fundraising, computer/technical skills, writing/communication/public relations, support for academic programs, and identifying service and educational opportunities for students, families and educators.

  • Support AAEA with a financial contribution to the scholarship fund or start a memorial scholarship fund through AAEA.

Please know there is no minimum commitment required. No effort is too small.

Executive Board Welcomes New Member

Lucrezia Gioia Lindia is happy to join the team as board member of AAEA. She is Arbreshe, an ethnic Albanian having grown up in Frascineto (COSENZA), an Italian community in southern Italy. Lucrezia studied Comparative Literature “Magistero” at Rome University prior to immigrating to the USA. She is a teacher of Italian and the Foreign Language Chairperson at Eastchester High School in Westchester, New York. She is also an instructor at Westchester Community College. Her educational career has spanned over 40 years in the public sector. Her teaching experience encompasses teaching on the High School level in Westchester County, New York. Ms. Lindia also teaches on the college level having taught at New Palz (SUNY), and La Scuola Italiana at Middlebury College.

Her professional activities, among a few, include President of the Italian Teachers Association, President of the National Italian Honor Society and New York State Regional Representative.   Some of her other professional activities include SAT Italian Test Development Committee and Chair of the Foreign Language Committee with the College Board. Ms. Lindia has authored published several books along with numerous pedagogical articles. She has also served as consultant, trainer, mentor, examiner, and lecturer at conferences, and educational organizations. She is the recipient of numerous honors and awards from local, national and international organizations.

Meet Our Intern

Last month we shared how AAEA is collaborating with St. Barnabas High School in the Bronx, New York. The internship program is designed to develop voluntary, one-on-one relationships among alumni and students to share knowledge, skill-sets, and educational experiences.  Its goal is to empower youth and drive career development as well as form School-Community-Business partnerships. We are very excited to partake in this program.

We would like to introduce you to our intern, Egzona Gjonbalaj who is working with AAEA. Egzona is a senior who works hard and enjoys learning and working with people. In addition, to her studies, she teaches religious instruction to elementary school students and aspires to become a teacher one day. She is currently Vice President of the Albanian Club where she works with classmates to teach Albanian culture to other students. Egzona enjoys playing and watching soccer and played for her school for two years. She is very happy and excited to have been selected to intern with AAEA. She is grateful for the opportunity to work closely with educators and is enjoying her new experiences.