GYPSIES BETWEEN DISREGARD AND CONCERN
Last week we presented the case of the Romany beggars who put the British authorities on the alert. Under the pretext of seeking political asylum, the Romanies coming from Romania are begging, are accosting ladies walking by themselves, and are receiving welfare from the British tax payers. The reasons invoked by the Romanies in their asylum applications are mainly two: the precarious economic situation and the discrimination they are subject to in Romania. Today we’ll try to find out what the real situation of the ethnic Romanies in the Romanian society is.
Until ten years ago, the ethnic Romanies were hardly visible on the social scene. The Communist regime did not care about ethnic origin. The social levelling pushed to the absurd took the Romanies in its grip,a situation they could hardly overcome. Nevertheless, the RomAnies did not give up their customs and traditional social organisation forms. Then, just as now, for the majority population, the Romanies are divided into two categories. The first is that of the Bohemians, those with a gift for music, fortune telling and tinning, who are considered harmless. The second category, much more visible in the eyes of society, is that of those who are not on good terms with the law. Until 1990, the majority and minority conflicts, even if they existed, were solved at the level of the community, without too much fuss in the media.
After the revolution,there emerged a movement of ethnic emancipation of the Romanies, who wanted equal rights to a dignified existence and social esteem. In the last few years, special Romany classes have been set up, Romani language textbooks have been printed, and Romani language departments have been set up in universities. However, the number of drop outs from primary education is very large for economic reasons. Romany families have four children on the average, which makes the parents’ situation quite difficult. The Romany elite of young intellectuals is conducting a sustained campaign for equal opportunities and for the eradication of ethnic discrimination. Our guest today is Vasile Ionescu,a counsellor for Romany problems with the Ministry of Culture. We asked him to tell us about the areas in which young ethnic Romanies are training, and how that helped the community:
‘Many are social welfare students, but we also have students who study philology, law, history, and on the other hand most Romany intellectuals are involved in what we call ‘Civic Associations’, meaning associations that work in the field, that have good relationships with the community. Sometimes I regret not spending more time in a university environment, in libraries, in archives, because we are forced to work in the communities more, to carry out health-care programs, or programs of inter-cultural education. Many of our intellectuals are now going back to the roots . This phenomenon is gratifying and understandable. Until 1990, the Romanies were not recognised as an ethnic or national minority. After the revolution, we can assert our own values and culture, and many return to them gladly, so the number of intellectuals is likely to increase in the future. If in 1990 there were 3 or 4 of us who set up the Romany movement, now there are a few thousand. I don’t know any cases of abandoning the movement, and I know that there are many intellectuals of Romany origin, but being a Romany means to affirm your own culture.’
Deputy Madalin Voicu, the representative of the Romany Party in the Romanian Parliament upholds that the problems raised by the Romany elite are often false perceptions of an economic situation that is bad for everyone:
‘I represent all who understand that the Romanies must adapt themselves,measure up to certain standards and not to be protected. We should rather think of a way to accept our fellow human being with his good parts and this tolerant attitude might ultimately make us forget about the bad parts of each and every one of us. I don’t think that there is a political discrimination of the Romanies in Romania, and I don’t think that there is racism in Romania, except for isolated cases, for people who should be put on downers. I don’t think that there is xenophobia either. There are certain discriminatory attitudes, but I think that they are the effect of hard life in Romania in general. I agree that a lot of gypsies are thieves, robbers, beggars, and so forth, but I have never heard of a gypsy embezzling from a bank or destabilising the national economy. I hear that they stole a wallet, a gas tank or a chicken. I feel dutybound to say that the gypsies’ social misbehaviour is due to their lack of education or civic awareness. I won’t have the member of the majority community chide me for not doing what I’m supposed to. I would rather have the member of the majority show me what he is offering or how he thinks to support the best of us, so that we can jointly convince the worst of us and attract them into leading a civilised life.’
At this time, the ethnic Romanies are confronted with a split. Those who cannot adapt to the market economy live in dire poverty. One of the major problems of the community is that of vaccination against epidemics.Some of those who comply with the social norms would rather forget their ethnic origin. Madalin Voicu told us that the emancipated Romanies repudiated those turning the term gypsy into a derogatory term:
‘There are many politicians and dignitaries, and men of art and culture of Romany origin, who simply refuse to admit it, because of that category of people who have a negative image of our ethnic group. No one can force anyone else to admit their ethnic origin. If a great artist or a politician or a great engineer, or any other personality is of Romany origin, it is needless to say that he is a gypsy, because he is the property of this nation, he is part of the Romanian people, he is part of our heritage. Of course, if you want to speculate this and want to destroy him, you call him a gypsy. Unfortunately, this name has only negative connotations. I am trying to represent both categories. I can’t help it, I have to bear the slaps because of those who steal and have an anti-social attitude, but I have the equal obligation to raise those that want to emancipate. I cannot say that I agree to what the thieves are doing, but I cannot repudiate them either. Many of those who steal do it for survival. Of course that is unacceptable, but it is the reason. I want people to understand that I don’t need to separate the Romanian nation into minorities, I have overcome that stage.’
Deputy Madalin Voicu said that tolerance was the characteristic of a mature nation. The Romanies are not just picturesque characters any more, migrating in colourful waggons from place to place. In Romania in the year 2000 there are isolated cases of racism and xenophobia, rather a football stadium manifestation than one in campuses or institutions. Romanians or Romanies, we are equally responsible for the visiting card that we present to the world. Maybe the proof of maturity must be given by both sides.
Until ten years ago, the ethnic Romanies were hardly visible on the social scene. The Communist regime did not care about ethnic origin. The social levelling pushed to the absurd took the Romanies in its grip,a situation they could hardly overcome. Nevertheless, the RomAnies did not give up their customs and traditional social organisation forms. Then, just as now, for the majority population, the Romanies are divided into two categories. The first is that of the Bohemians, those with a gift for music, fortune telling and tinning, who are considered harmless. The second category, much more visible in the eyes of society, is that of those who are not on good terms with the law. Until 1990, the majority and minority conflicts, even if they existed, were solved at the level of the community, without too much fuss in the media.
After the revolution,there emerged a movement of ethnic emancipation of the Romanies, who wanted equal rights to a dignified existence and social esteem. In the last few years, special Romany classes have been set up, Romani language textbooks have been printed, and Romani language departments have been set up in universities. However, the number of drop outs from primary education is very large for economic reasons. Romany families have four children on the average, which makes the parents’ situation quite difficult. The Romany elite of young intellectuals is conducting a sustained campaign for equal opportunities and for the eradication of ethnic discrimination. Our guest today is Vasile Ionescu,a counsellor for Romany problems with the Ministry of Culture. We asked him to tell us about the areas in which young ethnic Romanies are training, and how that helped the community:
‘Many are social welfare students, but we also have students who study philology, law, history, and on the other hand most Romany intellectuals are involved in what we call ‘Civic Associations’, meaning associations that work in the field, that have good relationships with the community. Sometimes I regret not spending more time in a university environment, in libraries, in archives, because we are forced to work in the communities more, to carry out health-care programs, or programs of inter-cultural education. Many of our intellectuals are now going back to the roots . This phenomenon is gratifying and understandable. Until 1990, the Romanies were not recognised as an ethnic or national minority. After the revolution, we can assert our own values and culture, and many return to them gladly, so the number of intellectuals is likely to increase in the future. If in 1990 there were 3 or 4 of us who set up the Romany movement, now there are a few thousand. I don’t know any cases of abandoning the movement, and I know that there are many intellectuals of Romany origin, but being a Romany means to affirm your own culture.’
Deputy Madalin Voicu, the representative of the Romany Party in the Romanian Parliament upholds that the problems raised by the Romany elite are often false perceptions of an economic situation that is bad for everyone:
‘I represent all who understand that the Romanies must adapt themselves,measure up to certain standards and not to be protected. We should rather think of a way to accept our fellow human being with his good parts and this tolerant attitude might ultimately make us forget about the bad parts of each and every one of us. I don’t think that there is a political discrimination of the Romanies in Romania, and I don’t think that there is racism in Romania, except for isolated cases, for people who should be put on downers. I don’t think that there is xenophobia either. There are certain discriminatory attitudes, but I think that they are the effect of hard life in Romania in general. I agree that a lot of gypsies are thieves, robbers, beggars, and so forth, but I have never heard of a gypsy embezzling from a bank or destabilising the national economy. I hear that they stole a wallet, a gas tank or a chicken. I feel dutybound to say that the gypsies’ social misbehaviour is due to their lack of education or civic awareness. I won’t have the member of the majority community chide me for not doing what I’m supposed to. I would rather have the member of the majority show me what he is offering or how he thinks to support the best of us, so that we can jointly convince the worst of us and attract them into leading a civilised life.’
At this time, the ethnic Romanies are confronted with a split. Those who cannot adapt to the market economy live in dire poverty. One of the major problems of the community is that of vaccination against epidemics.Some of those who comply with the social norms would rather forget their ethnic origin. Madalin Voicu told us that the emancipated Romanies repudiated those turning the term gypsy into a derogatory term:
‘There are many politicians and dignitaries, and men of art and culture of Romany origin, who simply refuse to admit it, because of that category of people who have a negative image of our ethnic group. No one can force anyone else to admit their ethnic origin. If a great artist or a politician or a great engineer, or any other personality is of Romany origin, it is needless to say that he is a gypsy, because he is the property of this nation, he is part of the Romanian people, he is part of our heritage. Of course, if you want to speculate this and want to destroy him, you call him a gypsy. Unfortunately, this name has only negative connotations. I am trying to represent both categories. I can’t help it, I have to bear the slaps because of those who steal and have an anti-social attitude, but I have the equal obligation to raise those that want to emancipate. I cannot say that I agree to what the thieves are doing, but I cannot repudiate them either. Many of those who steal do it for survival. Of course that is unacceptable, but it is the reason. I want people to understand that I don’t need to separate the Romanian nation into minorities, I have overcome that stage.’
Deputy Madalin Voicu said that tolerance was the characteristic of a mature nation. The Romanies are not just picturesque characters any more, migrating in colourful waggons from place to place. In Romania in the year 2000 there are isolated cases of racism and xenophobia, rather a football stadium manifestation than one in campuses or institutions. Romanians or Romanies, we are equally responsible for the visiting card that we present to the world. Maybe the proof of maturity must be given by both sides.
posted by Andreea Demirgian at
4:39 AM
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