American Congress Honors Harry Bayraktar's Family

Special ceremony for the 50th anniversary of the arrival of the Albanian-American family and businessman Harry Bajraktari in the United States.

The history of the Bajraktari family is a success story of the American dream. The Bajraktari family came to the United States in 1969, poor and full of challenges. But decades later, the economic situation has changed completely. In the case of the 50th anniversary of U.S. immigration, Harry Bayraktari's family was honoured by the American Congress at the initiative of the chairman of the Foreign Affairs Commission in the House of Representatives, Eliot Engel.

A flag that waved one day on the American Congress dome, iʹu donated Albanian-American activities, Harry Bajraktari.

This was part of the ceremony where Mr. Bajraktari's family was honoured with a statement that will be preserved in the U.S. Congress registry where all documents are held on Congress debates and decisions.

The honour was made at the initiative of the chairman of the Commission for Foreign Affairs, lawmakers Eliot Engel, on the occasion of their 50th anniversary of coming and contributing to the United States.

It was February 1969 when the Bajraktari family left Vranocin, a village in the suburbs of Peja.

When they left Kosovo decades ago, their economic situation was serious.

But their decision to emigrate to America proved to be the right decision for them. Years later their economic situation has changed completely.

When you see the Bayraktari family all you can say is God bless America. That's why I'm a supporter of immigrants coming to the States because they build the country. Harry Bajraktari is an image of the importance of immigrants and the contribution they make to the United States of America”, Said in his speech to those present, lawmaker Eliot Engel.

Although his circumstances have changed, Mr. Bajraktari still remembers the initial challenges.

In a welcoming word for those present, Albanian-American activity reminded the life and work of his parents.

For 15 years my mother was a janitor. She did not know English writing and reading. She learned how to work by subway. He had to keep his family. He wanted to change our lives. We are blessed because when I recall the past in Kosovo we were very poor, we did not have enough food. But then we came to this wonderful journey. ”

Far away, Mr. Bajraktari does not forget the place he left decades ago.

He is constantly committed to the Kosovo issue and has always found the support of Albanian friend Eliot Engel.

I worked on many issues for 30 years. But I feel the greatest satisfaction for Kosovo's freedom and Albania's entry into NATO. Harry was with me every step. He taught me everything I know since he came to my office in 1989 and said he wants to talk to me about Kosovo, telling me everything. It was Mr. Engel's statement of honor to the Albanian-American, Harry Bayraktari.

Bajraktari said that at the time, Kosovo's freedom and independence seemed impossible.

“We are proud Americans, we are proud Albanians and we are very fortunate to have seen positive changes in our homeland in the last 30 years. To think then that Kosovo would become a free and independent state and that Albania would be part of NATO, to be reminded of demented”, Mr. Bajraktari added.

Lawmaker Engel indicated a moment from those years when, because of his activity in support of Kosovo, he was not allowed to enter Kosovo.

I remember the story when one year Serbs refused to enter Kosovo. I went without a visa to see if they'd let me in. They wouldn't let me. Then I organized a press conference. There I said that today I am trying to enter Kosovo, but Milosevic is not allowing me. But I want to tell him something: one day we will be in free and independent Kosovo and we will not let him in. And that's what it turned out to be”

The honour that Congress did to Albanian activities is an honour for the whole nation, Kosovo and Albanian ambassadors who attended the ceremony said.

At a time when Kosovo had no embassy at all, at a time when Kosovo could not even be found on a map in Washington, there were Albanians like Harry Bajraktari and his family who spoke for us, have raised their voices for us and built friendships, as we saw the friendship between Congressman Engel and Harry Bajraktari, who in the end were not in the position of the Bajraktari family, but have been in the function of Kosovo and in the function of the Albanian issue in general” Vlora Citaku, an amasadore of Kosovo, said in Washington.

Albania's ambassador to America Floreta Faber feels just as highly honored.

We're here at the U.S. Congress building where there's a symbol of democracy and freedom for a large number of countries and peoples in the world. What makes me so proud today is how often the Albanian word was mentioned and how much it was talked about a family that started from the beginning and has managed not only to support his family but to give so much to Albania, to Albanian issues, to the Albanian community”.

Harry Bajraktar's debut on the Albanian issue continues today. He, in addition to the real estate business in America, has invested in Kosovo, creating employment opportunities for citizens.

Mr. Bajraktari lives in the Bronx, New York, where his company is.