National Albanian Registry Seals Founding 100 Membership Wall

NEW YORK, MAY 3, 2026 — The National Albanian Registry (NAR), a nonprofit organization, announced today that its Founding 100 membership wall has been sealed, marking the first milestone in the first community-led count of Albanian Americans.

The Founding 100 are the first registrants in NAR's national registry, each assigned a permanent numbered certificate authenticated with a cryptographic signature. Registration for the general registry remains open at albanianregistry.org.

The U.S. Census Bureau's most recent American Community Survey estimates approximately 224,000 Albanian Americans in the United States. Community organizations have long argued the actual population — including second- and third-generation descendants and ethnic Albanians not captured by Census categories — is closer to one million. NAR was founded to produce the first verified, community-sourced count.

“The gap between 224,000 and one million is an open question. The Founding 100 are the first 100 people who decided to be part of the answer.”

— Ervin Toro, President of the National Albanian Registry

The registry is free to join and takes approximately 60 seconds to complete. Each registrant receives a numbered certificate and a permanent place in the historical record. NAR does not sell or share registrant data.

The National Albanian Registry incorporated as a nonprofit organization and seated its founding board of directors in May 2026. Registration is open at albanianregistry.org.