The Roma: Discriminated, Displaced, and Displeased

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The Roma Discriminated, Displaced, and
Displeased Linnea Goebel Gettysburg
College ANTH 223 Indigenous People, the
Environment, and the Global Economy
Can The Roma Be Helped? The situation of the
Roma in Europe seems desolate. How can so many
centuries of hatred and contempt be overcome? The
exact answer to this question is unclear. However
there is hope and anthropologists might be the
key. European mentality is such that Roma are
seen as blemishes in the culture of each country
because they threaten the contrived unity under
nationality that each European country has been
building up and distinguishing for centuries.
What Europeans are failing to see are the ways
Roma have added to the traditions and customs
that make each country unique from the others. If
anthropologists studying the cultures and
histories of modern cultures were to compare
notes and work with cultural anthropologists
studying European Roma, the connections between
both subject groups might be made more aware to
groups and people who are trying to change the
way Europeans view Roma people. This kind of
Anthropological knowledge can greatly aid Roma
advocacy groups, as well as individuals in
Government positions as they work to end the
racism Europeans project towards Roma. Racism is
dangerous and the European Union has strict
legislation against the acts being done against
Roma, but the EU only had so much power. They can
stop national crimes such as Sarkozy's recent
actions, but the EU can not constantly patrol the
millions of individuals in EU countries who enact
crimes of hate on Roma daily. Therefore the
mentality of Europeans must change,
anthropologists can help bring that change by
bringing to light more information about both
sides of the cultural divide. The Roma can gain
understanding of how they have helped create
their bad reputation, and Europeans can gain
understanding of how much the Roma are actually
apart of the many European cultures that are so
widely celebrated.
Who Are The Roma? The Roma are most commonly
known by the discriminatory name Gypsies as it
is believed that they came from Egypt before
inhabiting Europe in the 13th century. These
nomadic people were originally known for their
skills with metals, equine, entertainment, and
mysticism. The Roma culture is rich in oral
traditions and being a traveling people their
stories are steeped with influences from various
European cultures. They live with a care-free,
live in the moment mentality and are, as a
whole, a passive people. When situations in their
host country look bad, the Roma move on.
From Website Astronomy Pictures
So Much Hatred, So Much Blood Exclusion,
Apartheid, Discrimination, and Displacement The
Roma people have been persecuted since their
arrival in Europe. Europeans enslaved them and
only allowed caravans to set camp well outside of
villages and towns. As the centuries went on and
kingdoms became countries the Roma's lack of a
home nation caused Europeans to reject them. The
continuous movement and eclectic culture of the
Roma gave them no one specific national identity
and Europe began forcing Roma children into
schools and discouraging the Roma lifestyle and
filling the minds of children with knowledge of
the countries language, history, and culture.
Adult Roma were forced to set roots and try to
earn a sedentary living so that their children
could remain in school and no longer be
persecuted by those around them. Sedentary life
does not come easy to most Roma and thus they
have always been, at large, the poorest of the
poor in Europe. The poor cannot contribute to the
economy, and European's feel that Roma do not
contribute to their various culture's either. The
European view of the Roma is that of contempt
which has lead to the continuous apartheid of
Roma people. During WWII Hitler killed some
126,000 Roma while Stalin murdered thousands
more. Though the 1940s seem like the distant past
ideologies that fueled hatred of the Roma then
are still present today. Hungry, France, and the
Czech Republic have most recently been the most
actively persecuting Roma people. The Czech's
claim to be wiping the stain of the Roma from
the history of the Czech nationality (Stránka,
2001). This seems to be the mentality across
Europe, no one wants Roma people in their
countries, many feel that if the Roma will not
assimilate than they must get out. President
Sarkozy of France has endorsed the physical
removal of hundreds of Roma and continues to
displace them. Hungary has also been very
persistent in using scare tactics to convince
Roma to leave the country. Hate crimes are
committed daily on the streets of Hungry against
Roma people.
From Website CBC News World
Who Is Helping? ERRC European Roma Rights
Centre. An international public interest law
organization working to combat anti-Romani racism
and human rights abuse of Roma through strategic
litigation, research and policy development,
advocacy and human rights education. The ERRC has
consultative status with the Council of Europe,
as well as with the Economic and Social Council
of the United Nations. Roma Rights Network The
aim of the Roma Rights Network is to raise
awareness of the Roma and the issues affecting
them through the dissemination of timely and
useful information, targeting regions and peoples
not normally targeted, and using tools and
strategies not yet extensively implemented in the
Roma rights community. These goals being achieved
through providing a crucial supplement to the
mainstream commercial media representations of
the Roma via in-depth analysis and comprehensive
aggregation of Roma-related news, documenting
abuses, and facilitation of information. These
advocacy groups are the two most prominent in
Europe for the case of the Roma people. Combined
they have brought over 1,000 cases of Roma rights
abuse to the courts of Europe and are
continuously teaming up with other NGOs and
government groups to help raise awareness of the
problems faced by Roma, and the ways to help fix
these problems.
From Website Dispute About. EU
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