NJ Regional team
Counting Albanian Americans in New Jersey.
NAR — the National Albanian Registry — is the community-led count. 215 counted in New Jersey so far.
1 ambassador organizing the count locally.
Director of Outreach
National outreach director.
Sets cross-state strategy and recruits state directors. New Jersey's ambassadors report up here until a state-specific director is seated.
Iliriana Sela
Director of Outreach · National
New Jersey ambassadors report to Iliriana.
Ambassadors in New Jersey
Regional ambassadors on the ground.
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Vera Xhafaj-Puka
Regional Ambassador · Cliffside Park
I am Vera Xhafaj-Puka. I have a close network with Albanian People in NJ. I am the Editor in Chief of Revista "Asaj", an online magazine that has in focus Albanian Women who live and work in Diaspora. Will use all my channels to expand NAR and have Albanians in NJ to sign up to the NAR.
Read more → Show less ↑
Why New Jersey matters
A real count is where the work starts.
ACS 2024 estimate
18,304
Federal count
Community estimate
73,216–91,520
Methodology page
On NAR today
215
From New Jersey
Capture rate
1.17%
vs. ACS
As New Jersey's Albanian community becomes visible in the data systems institutions actually use, the recognition story gets stronger — for bilingual-ballot petitions in jurisdictions with significant limited-English Albanian populations, for hospital interpreter staffing, for school home-language reporting, and for university heritage programs. None of these unlock automatically from a count; they come from sustained organizing on top of one. The Census ACS stays the official federal source; NAR builds the parallel community count alongside it.
New Jersey concentrations
Bergen, Hudson, Passaic Counties
New Jersey's Albanian population is concentrated along the Hudson corridor. A credible community count gives north-Jersey hospitals serving Bergen and Hudson a documented basis to advocate for Albanian interpreter staffing.
New Jersey ranks in the published ACS Albanian-ancestry counts at 18,304 (2024). Nationwide the Census counts 224,000 Albanian Americans while community estimates put us close to a million — and the same gap shows up here. NAR is the community-led parallel count that sits alongside the ACS, one self-attestation at a time.
What's happening in New Jersey
2 upcoming events.
Festivals, services, fundraisers, and community gatherings the New Jersey team is tracking.
- Sat, Aug 29 9:00 AM – Aug 30, 6:00 PM Sports
Albanian Heritage Cup Soccer Tournament — New Jersey 2026
Annual outdoor soccer tournament organized by Albanian-American clubs in northern New Jersey. Teams from NJ, NY, and CT compete across age brackets over a full weekend.
TBD · Garfield
- Sat, Nov 28 · 6:00 PM–10:00 PM Cultural
Festa e Flamurit at AAIC
Albanian Independence Day dinner and community celebration at the Albanian American Islamic Center in Garfield.
Albanian American Islamic Center · Garfield
Organizations in New Jersey
17 Albanian organizations.
Religious institutions, charities, schools, and cultural associations — free to list, claimable by the people who run them.
- Albania-Kosovo Association at Princeton University Student & youth
- Albanian Alliance of New Jersey Civic & advocacy
- Albanian American Association of New Jersey Cultural & community
- Albanian American Council Inc Civic & advocacy
- Albanian American Cultural Center 'Struga' (Riverdale) Religious institutions
- Albanian American Islamic Center New York And New Jersey Inc Religious institutions
- Albanian American Woman Association Marigona Cultural & community
- Albanian Associated Fund (Albanian Mosque of Paterson) Religious institutions
- Albanian Cultural Center / Qendra Kulturore Shqiptare — Clifton Education & Albanian schools
- Albanian Student Organization at Ramapo College Student & youth
- Albanian Student Organization at Seton Hall University Student & youth
- Dibra Community Center of NJ Religious institutions
- Dibra Community Organization Inc (Shoqata Atdhetare Dibra) Cultural & community
- Down Syndrome Albania Foundation Charities & foundations
- Hope Albanian Church Religious institutions
- Kishe Ungjillore Shqiptare E New Jersey (Albanian Evangelical Church of NJ) Religious institutions
- Rutgers Albanian Club Student & youth
Businesses in New Jersey
34 Albanian-owned businesses.
Added by the owners themselves. Listing is free.
- Other
Clarksburg, NJ
Albanian-owned business in Clarksburg, NJ.
- Construction / trades
Mountainside, NJ
Construction and trades business in Mountainside, NJ.
- Construction / trades
Garfield, NJ
Construction and trades business in Garfield, NJ.
- Construction / trades
Sayreville, NJ
Construction and trades business in Sayreville, NJ.
- Other
Northfield, NJ
Albanian-owned business in Northfield, NJ.
- Construction / trades
Franklin Lakes, NJ
Construction and trades business in Franklin Lakes, NJ.
- Health & wellness
Oakland, NJ
Health and wellness business in Oakland, NJ.
- Professional services
Jersey City, NJ
Professional services business in Jersey City, NJ.
- Restaurant / café
Englishtown, NJ
Restaurant and café in Englishtown, NJ.
- Real estate
Englishtown, NJ
Real estate business in Englishtown, NJ.
- Restaurant / café
Berkeley Heights, NJ
Restaurant and café in Berkeley Heights, NJ.
- Construction / trades
Florham Park, NJ
Construction and trades business in Florham Park, NJ.
- Construction / trades
Hawthorne, NJ
Construction and trades business in Hawthorne, NJ.
- Other
Gloucester City, NJ
Albanian-owned business in Gloucester City, NJ.
- Construction / trades
Cliffside Park, NJ
Construction and trades business in Cliffside Park, NJ.
- Construction / trades
Parlin, NJ
Construction and trades business in Parlin, NJ.
- Professional services
Bloomfield, NJ
Professional services business in Bloomfield, NJ.
- Professional services
Cliffside Park, NJ
Professional services business in Cliffside Park, NJ.
- Construction / trades
East Rutherford, NJ
Construction and trades business in East Rutherford, NJ.
- Professional services
Bernardsville, NJ
Professional services business in Bernardsville, NJ.
- Real estate
Cresskill, NJ
Real estate business in Cresskill, NJ.
- Construction / trades
North Arlington, NJ
Construction and trades business in North Arlington, NJ.
- Health & wellness
Wharton, NJ
Health and wellness business in Wharton, NJ.
- Health & wellness
Montclair, NJ
Health and wellness business in Montclair, NJ.
- Professional services
Garfield, NJ
Professional services business in Garfield, NJ.
- Professional services
Jamesburg, NJ
Professional services business in Jamesburg, NJ.
- Construction / trades
Clifton, NJ
Construction and trades business in Clifton, NJ.
- Restaurant / café
Little Falls, NJ
Restaurant and café in Little Falls, NJ.
- Professional services
Freehold, NJ
Professional services business in Freehold, NJ.
- Restaurant / café
Bridgewater, NJ
Restaurant and café in Bridgewater, NJ.
- Professional services
Jamesburg, NJ
Professional services business in Jamesburg, NJ.
- Health & wellness
Haledon, NJ
Health and wellness business in Haledon, NJ.
- Restaurant / café
Florham Park, NJ
Restaurant and café in Florham Park, NJ.
- Professional services
Highland Lakes, NJ
Professional services business in Highland Lakes, NJ.
Apply
Join the New Jersey team.
Each state seats up to three Regional Ambassadors plus one state outreach lead. Volunteer role. Listed publicly. Reimbursed expenses for one local event a year.
Or browse all states with open spots →