Kraja Association (Shoqata Kraja)

Kraja Association (Shoqata Kraja) is a diaspora cultural and humanitarian association based in Staten Island, New York, at 1001 Clove Rd. It takes its name from the Kraja region in the Municipality of Bar (Tivar) in Montenegro, and it gathers Albanian immigrants from that region who have settled in the New York and New Jersey area.

The association was founded in 1991 and has spent more than three decades organizing cultural, humanitarian, and recreational events for the Kraja community in the United States while staying tied to the homeland through its branch in Kraja. Its stated mission centers on preserving the Albanian language, cultivating traditions, and marking events from Albanian national history.

Its programming includes the First Albanian Youth Festival 'Tradita,' which closed out the association's 2019 calendar, and the Diaspora Night in Ostros i Krajës, a large gathering held in the Kraja region itself. With the Ana e Malit Association, Shoqata Kraja co-runs the 'Mëso Shqip' Albanian school, which opened in 2022 with more than 150 students enrolled.

The group also raises money in New York for development work back home. It has held fundraising evenings for tourism projects proposed by young people in Kraja and helped promote VISITKRAJA.COM, a tourism site built by young intellectuals from the region. In FY2023 the association reported $123,206 in revenue on its Form 990.

Contact is listed at 929-407-9177, and the association maintains a bilingual website at shoqatakraja.com.