what you don't know can hurt others- the Romani

[illgrace]

Up there with Jewish people and Blacks, the most discriminated group in the Western world are the Romani. As many pagans 'relate' to or are Romani, this is an important issue ( but not just for pagans, for everyone). There was a recent news story that was extremely important that I'm sure many people just skipped over:

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7093737.stm

To understand why this is a VERY important story, here is a 'wiki' link. There are many fine books out there, but this does not a bad job of supplying some of their fraught history: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romani_people

The Romani have been the target of just about every 'hate' group that has come down the pike. They are an 'easy' target, yet people who should know better know little to nothing about them but the 'received wisdom' of others.

And please, if you meet a Romanichal (British or American Romani - the article lists many different proper names in different places) or any other, please do NOT refer to them as 'Gypsies'; that's like using the 'n' word for black people. Luckily, most Romani understand that it is ignorance, not malice that prompts people to use this term.

Learn about this incredible culture - the people without a country who yet live all over the world.

Illgrace

[illgrace]

Following on from the previous story, this gives an indication of how wide spread and systematic the segregation and discrimination has been for the Romani:

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7098864.stm


++He forecast major implications for the education system in many east European countries, especially Slovakia, where at least 90% of Roma children attend special schools for the mentally retarded....

Placement in a special school makes it unlikely that a person will ever gain useful qualifications.

In the Czech schools highlighted in the Strasbourg case, children at special schools were not expected to learn the alphabet, or be able to count to 10, until the third or fourth class - skills taught in normal schools in the first year...

There are a small number of schools in eastern Europe where Roma communities have set up their own, largely Roma schools, to prove that, with a high teaching standard, they can do as well as "white" children.++

Illgrace

[illgrace]

Here are two stories about the U.K. Romani, just in case people are feeling complacent. Note the term in BOTH newspapers: Gypsy. This is how discrimination is carried on, willfull ignorance and not questioning 'authority', like newspapers. Please - don't be part of carrying it on.


[HERE]

And here is what happened in Court: They lost their land to the Olympics. Forty years of history for two weeks of 'sport'.

[HERE]


Please note the term 'Gypsy', not the non-insulting and proper term 'Romanichal is used. That's how it starts: entrenched ignorance. Please don't let it go on.

Illgrace

[Boojum]

I think the term "gypsy" is actually prefered by a lot of travellers now. If you see this site as an example- www.gypsy-traveller.org/ They're obviously not a hostile site, but they still use it. (My understanding is that the term "Roma" is sometimes problematic if used for people that don't consider themselves such).

[illgrace]

Thank you for that! I'm glad to see people taking an interest. Oh, and the 'Gypsy' thing comes only from the families I knew in the U.K. and the one's I know here. Again, most don't find it offensive when they know it's based on ignorance.

And I understand the newspapers use the 'words' that get the reads. But just as someday newspapers and such will stop reporting on events ala " John Smith, a black man from Brixton, was shot to death today" instead of " John Smith , a resident of Brixton, was shot to death today", someday people will use the proper term for others.

I guess being interested in linguistics, I'm very aware of how language shapes cultural attitudes. I'm sure I probably care more than most that would just shrug one off as being 'not Romani'.

Illgrace - it's hard to find a place to 'start', yeah?