They Aren’t Gypsies, They’re Romani – A People Uncounted

Reblog from February 29, 2012 with update from current article November 2013

The Big Picture, The Fine Print

While I was doing research on the Roma people for an upcoming film project, I learned a great deal about this oft misunderstood group. For instance, the reason they’re called Gypsy’s is  despite being from northern India, they entered Europe through the middle east and were thought to be Egyptians.

Besides the misnomer, they’ve faced centuries of extreme discrimination (Over 500,000 died in concentration camps alongside the Jews) which has led to a cyclical poverty and continued societal injustices. Just like the Cher song says “Gypsies, tramps and thieves…” These people are grossly misunderstood.

I discovered a bunch of really interesting facts about their music, language and customs, but mostly I learned that these folks have had a rough time being accepted in the world.  Shorter life spans, higher infant mortality, inability to get decent education or jobs, denial of health services and the current trend of deportation are among…

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