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Roslindale's Albanian community arises?

Long live Enver Hoxha

They could be Boston's quietest ethnic community - you just don't hear much about the Albanians of Roslindale and West Roxbury. But Kathy Cahill spotted some Albanian graffiti in Roslindale this morning. Translated, it means "Long live Comrade Enver Hoxha," a paean to the Communist tyrant who ruled the country from 1944 until his death in 1985.

Film extolling the shoku's greatness - all in Albanian, but you'll get the idea.

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Comments

Ah yes, Enver Hoxha, the Commie so crazy even the Soviets wouldn't talk to him and only had Mao as a buddy. Does this mean the Socialist Utopia of Jamaica Plain's Neighborhood Council theories on secondary government apparatus responsible to no one, yet authoritative on everything have found a nearby group to possibly pass on the dream of batshiteness too, albeit in some red neck mystical Adriatic form? One could only hope. I can't wait for the pillboxes on Belgrade Avenue.

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IMO the reason why "you just don't hear much" about the Albanian community is because they are, in my experience, great people. They are a cohesive community. They love their culture, yet also love the US and Boston. They generally don't do anything controversial, and are great citizens. So they go somewhat unnoticed.

That doesn't explain the graffiti though. I'm kind of surprised by it. Part of me thinks it's a bit of a joke, to piss people off. Kind of like when I visit Miami and see an occasional "Viva Castro" spraypainted somewhere.

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Yes, that was my thought as well - somebody yanking folks' chains. Neither the Albanians who have been settled in the area for a good hundred years now nor the immigrants who arrived in the 1990s are likely to have fond thoughts about Comrade Enver.

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You don't hear much from the Albanian community because they are busy working three jobs, raising families and going to school. Some of the hardest working people I have ever met.

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We have an Albanian immigrant family next door who have worked so hard to transform the foreclosed eyesore of the neighborhood into a pleasing, cozy home...while working sometimes multiple jobs and going to school...while raising young children! Everyone in the neighborhood is in awe of the energy and niceness of this family.

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I no longer patronize Select Cafe. On any given day it has several tables by the counter filled with not-too-recently-bathed men (who yes, happen to be Albanian) who give all women the once over. It is intimidating and unpleasant and I am sure I am not the first person to wonder how it is staying afloat - beyond the men all sending each other an espresso from time to time.

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I'm the wrong gender, so none of the men are giving me a once over, so there's that, but I've always thought it was kind of cool that there's basically an Albanian men's club in there (yes, you almost never see an Albanian woman who doesn't work there).

Never had a problem bringing my daughter in, never had a problem with the Oreo frappes she likes or the coffee ice cream I do, although we do miss the couches they used to have (we used to go at slow times, and she loved having a cushion fort built around her).

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Coming from the same area and same goals to make it here.

Like other immigrants there's the good and the bad.
In Albania , like Italy, there is pervasive gangsterism.

They all go legit, eventually, like Michael Corleone.

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A Grandfather graffiti artist lol

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