Rroma

< Back
About Rroma (Gypsies), so about our family too, are many misunderstandings. Most people have negative associations. That is why we like to give you some information on this website.

Diversity
There is not one Rroma people. The Romania Rroma population contains about forty categories. There are differences in the extent they are traditional or modern, they form closed or open groups, they are integrated in Romanian society or not. The categories do not only differ compared to each other, in one category you will also find individual differences.
A Rroma can be situated somewhere between somebody who is assimilated and does not speak the Romani languages and some body who is very standoffish to citizenship. A result is nobody knows how many Rroma in the country. Some sources will say 300,000 and others 2,000,000. A reason we will stress here is the fact of mixed marriages. The children are mixed Rroma from different subgroups or half Rroma and half Gadjo, a not Rroma. How they are raised depends highly on the specific cultural identity of (one of) the parents. The grant children may marry back into the Rroma bloodline or not. This reality exists since the 11ste century when Rroma came to what we call now Romania.

Nomads and tramps - poor and illiterate
Based on historical ground we would say that Rroma more have been forced to travel than travelling is characterising their nature. In this they are same as the Jews, with whom they shared the Nazi camps. Of course you will seen travelling Rroma in Romania. We ourselves are saying: these are part-time and summertime nomads. They live somewhere and five o'clock they go home. For sure there is poverty in the population and education deprivation as well. But there are also for example riche Rroma and high level graduated Rroma.

Prejudices
Rroma are dirty, sly, unreliable, criminal, quarrelsome persons, knife fighters, drunks and lazy. When you are not familiar with these qualifications, Romanian people will teach you as soon as possible. We do not agree. They are far removed from the truth. We hope it is enough to tell you we are dirty, sly and so one. We mean that good and bad qualities honestly are distributed to all kind of people. Rroma are not an exception.

Apartheid and deprivation
In Romania is apartheid. This is a serious imputation, but we mention that Romanians speak about Rroma as their blacks. This aggravates the access to education, work, housing, medical help, social support and (local) funds. A position in society like this may be lead to - like every where - a group of citizens feels powerless and turn away from the mainstream in that society. It is also a social psychological evidence that people manage their thoughts in a way that make the live bearable: I do not depend on them who abuse me. And when I am not related to them, I can lie to them and steel from them. Certain groups of Rroma or individuals probably have this mentality. So some Rroma could be too shamed about their colour and ethnicity and some Rroma could have an isolating proud and a great but undermining self-esteem.

Are Rroma nice?
Yes. At least our Rroma are nice. Hospitable, warm, obliging and social. More than most N.W. Europeans they have a we-culture. In a short time you are part of it. Doing together nothing, work or party together. Share a baptising, wedding or a funeral. The culture of sharing and giving will bring you some overhead costs.

Nuance
We hope this very limited information invite you to nuance. For sure there are Rroma pickpockets. For sure there Rroma that take care of your belongings. For sure there are Rroma that give you their last bread. They embrace you as their brother or sister. That is why we leave all possible negative aspects of the other Romanians (corruption and so on) behind.

Some Rroma weblinks: < Back
Mistó avilán!
www.roemenie.com