Ambassador Alexander Arvizu
American Embassy in Albania August 25, 2010
Rruga e Elbasanit No. 103,
Tirana, ALBANIA
Dear Mr. Ambassador
I am writing to you concerning the recent situation in Himara, Albania. My name is Demetrios Koutoulas, and I was born in Boston, Ma in 1960. My family came to America in 1950, with nothing. The only thing they came with was the knowledge of the Greek language. We are Greeks. Many Greeks came to America from Southern Albania (we Greeks refer to this area as Northern Epirus) pre 1950’s.
We the children of these immigrants were taught the Greek language, the mother tongue of our forefathers. Many Americans of Greek descent visit our respective towns in Southern Albania almost every summer. We have relatives and homes there. We spend a great deal of time and money there every year. Other than English, our only other spoken language is Greek.
I ask you Mr. Ambassador. What would happen if an American born Greek, whose origins are from Southern Albania was on vacation in Himara, or any other town in Southern Albania, and we were hurt or even murdered because we speak the language of our forefathers? I am sure it would be all over the international press.
