KOSOVAR REFUGEES REACH L.A. AFTER RED-TAPE DELAY.Byline: Michael Coit Daily News Staff Writer An extended family that fled the Kosovo town of Hani-Elezit arrived at LAX late Thursday to an emotional welcome from a relative they haven't seen in eight years. West Hills resident Hajrush Vlashi, whose 28 tired but happy relatives stepped off the American Airlines American Airlines Major U.S. airline. American was created through a merger of several smaller U.S. airlines and incorporated in 1934. It continued to buy the routes of other airlines, becoming an international carrier in the 1970s; its routes include South America, the plane around 11:30 p.m., rushed forward to hug several of them at once. ``I am very happy,'' he said repeatedly as he ushered his reunited family past a large group of reporters and television cameramen. Children carried stuffed animals and women wore shawls and some of the men had a few days growth of beard. They carried bags from the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. Lloyd and Joan Martin of Simi Valley Simi Valley (sē`mē, sĭm`ē), city (1990 pop. 100,217), Ventura co., SW Calif. in an oil, fruit, and farm region; laid out 1887, inc. 1969. , who will put up a mother, father and six of their nine children from the group into their home, were also there to welcome the refugees to Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. . ``You watch TV and see that 400,000 people need a place to stay and we have a few extra bedrooms,'' Lloyd Martin said. The long journey to freedom for the first 28 ethnic-Albanian Kosovars arriving in Los Angeles from the war-torn Balkan region hit an unexpected immigration immigration, entrance of a person (an alien) into a new country for the purpose of establishing permanent residence. Motives for immigration, like those for migration generally, are often economic, although religious or political factors may be very important. snag following the flight from Macedonia to New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of . Vlashi immigrated to the United States United States, officially United States of America, republic (2005 est. pop. 295,734,000), 3,539,227 sq mi (9,166,598 sq km), North America. The United States is the world's third largest country in population and the fourth largest country in area. eight years ago amid the first signs of the disintegrating peace between Serbs and ethnic Albanian Muslims. ``I just love them. I wouldn't think of going on without them,'' said the 31-year-old Vlashi. ``I want to thank every one of them for their safety, their lives. These are the lucky ones.'' The West Hills waiter has gleaned what few accounts of the war his relatives reluctantly recalled in phone conversations. Vlashi also thinks of the brother and uncle fighting for the Kosovo Liberation Army The Kosovo Liberation Army or KLA (Albanian: Ushtria Çlirimtare e Kosovës or UÇK) was an ethnic Albanian paramilitary extremist group which sought independence for the province of Kosovo from Yugoslavia and Serbia in the late 1990s. . So he clearly was anxious to hug and kiss his family, share sobs and smiles before getting them resettled Adj. 1. resettled - settled in a new location relocated settled - established in a desired position or place; not moving about; "nomads...absorbed among the settled people"; "settled areas"; "I don't feel entirely settled here"; "the advent of settled in the city he now calls home. And introduce them to his wife, Renee, and their 20-month-old daughter, Jeta. ``I'm excited. I'm nervous too,'' said Renee Vlashi, a professional puppeteer and Valley native. ``The fact that I know I'm doing something for them, it calms me down a little bit.'' On Thursday afternoon, the Vlashis were busy calling a mattress store and making other plans to house his parents and three siblings. At the same time, seven San Fernando San Fernando, city, Argentina San Fernando (săn fərnăn`dō), city (1991 pop. 144,761), Buenos Aires prov., E Argentina. It is a district administrative center in the Greater Buenos Aires area. and Conejo valleys families the couple had not met until this week were readying their homes for the 23 other family members. Lisa Friedman is ready to turn over two rooms in her spacious Agoura Hills home to one family. The Westlake Village travel agency owner only learned of the need for host families during a Jewish Federation A Jewish Federation is a confederation of various Jewish social agencies, volunteer programs, educational bodies, and related organizations, found within most cities in North America that host a viable Jewish community. lecture Thursday morning in Tarzana, yet was ready to respond. After witnessing resettlement Re`set´tle`ment n. 1. Act of settling again, or state of being settled again; as, the resettlement of lees s>. The resettlement of my discomposed soul. - Norris. work by the federation in Israel on a recent women's mission there, Friedman found a way to make her own humanitarian gesture. ``I think the people are in great danger. We've been told that they feel they're in danger and are really afraid to go back,'' Friedman said. ``So I think they're really coming with a feeling that it's a new life. I'll do my own little part.'' Vlashi said such a swift outpouring of support overwhelmed them. ``We never can thank them enough. They're going way out of their way.'' The only setback for the Vlashi family was learning an aunt and her three children who were expected on the flight remained in Macedonia with eight other family members. Those and 21 other ethnic Albanian Muslims with relatives in Sherman Oaks and Altadena are expected to reach Los Angeles over the next few weeks, said officials with The Jewish Federation/Valley Alliance, the agency sponsoring the resettlement. ``We're ready and we're really proud to be able to do this,'' said Miriam Prum Hess, who oversees the federation's resettlement program. City Councilwoman Laura Chick arranged for a charter bus through the city Department of Transportation to take the families to the Jewish Federation center in West Hills. The federation provides signed assurances to the federal government that the agency will resettle resettle Verb [-tling, -tled] to settle to live in a different place resettlement n Verb 1. the families, who are recognized as refugees. CAPTION(S): photo PHOTO Hajrush Vlashi, his wife, Renee, and their 20-month-old daughter, Jeta, wait to welcome Hajrush's extended family. Tina Gerson/Daily News |
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