The Roma have long been discriminated against by many individuals across the globe. They have been maltreated, dehumanized, disregarded as part of normal society and forced to flee from the areas in which they have lived.
- An example of the way that Roma are seen in society is as “another name for Gypsy”.This definition itself is pretty vague, but if one looks at the definition of Gypsy they will see that the Roma are “a member of a people scattered throughout Europe and North America, who maintain a nomadic way of life in industrialized societies”. This definition shows us that the Roma are people who still follow a nomadic way of life.
- Another way the Roma seem to be defined is through their migration “from India and arriv[al] in Europe roughly 800 years ago, the Romani ethnic group—who are often called Gypsies, a name that some consider derogatory—have remained a shadowy, isolated group in the many countries where they’ve spread”. Once again, the Roma are defined by others as a group that no one really likes and that has become isolated due to the hatred and resentment that they have received from others.
- One of the last ways that Roma is defined is as simply as another term for the Romani people. Through these definitions, one can see that the Roma are not understood well outside of their respective culture, and that many times they are associated with demeaning terms.
Hancock, I. (2002). We are the Romani people. Great Britain: University of Hertfordshire Press.
National Geographic Society. (n.d.). Romani Culture and Traditions. In A Detailed Look at Some Facets of This Often-Misunderstood Subculture. Retrieved February 14, 2014, from http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/american-gypsies/articles/romani-culture-and-traditions/.
Roma. (n.d.) WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. (2003-2008). Retrieved February 20 2014 from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Roma
There is not too much known about the Roma because they are such a secluded society that does not permit access into their community too easily.
- An example of the Roma that has been popularized by mainstream media is the show “My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding”. This show seems to have popularized the idea of the Roma people and their day to day lives. The show also attempts to dispel any stereotypes that the Roma are known for by giving an inside look at the day to day life of Roma in various parts of the world (mainly the UK and USA). Most individuals find that the show just reinforces the stereotypes of the Roma people and gives them a bad name.
- Another example of Roma people in popular media is through the movie “Borat”. Once again the Roma are depicted as poor, unclean and uncivilized people. In the movie “Borat”, Borat (a Kazakh national) reinforces stereotypes of the Roma people in a joking manner that is oftentimes hurtful and done for purposes of shock value. Unfortunately, many people take these stereotypes seriously and since media outlets are playing these kinds of videos, it further internalizes that it is okay to degrade the Roma because a popular movie is doing so.
- Another example of Roma in popular media is in Victor Hugo’s book “Notre Dame de Paris” and how the main character Esméralda was depicted. Esméralda was depicted in the stereotypical nature of her day in 17th century France, some of which still exists today. Esméralda was kidnapped by the Roma and lived amongst them in Paris. This reinforces the stereotype that the Roma are baby kidnappers in addition to cannibals. This is quite the negative stereotype that is still common amongst many people even today, and even more so in small villages- mainly in Europe.
- One of the last examples of Roma in society is through documentaries such as “Gypsies” by Kurt Otterbacher. This documentary explores the Roma people and the conditions under which they live such as no clean drinking water, no electricity nor garbage disposal; open racism, and exclusion. One can conclude that the Roma have been treated in a disrespectful manner because of these stereotypes that have followed them for hundreds of years. One can hope that through available resources and education that the Roma will be better understood and more accepted by society.
Charles, L. (Director). (2006), Borat [Comedy]. USA:20th Century Fox Hugo, V. (1997). The Hunchback of Notre Dame. France:Gosselin.
Soldinger, M. (January 28, 2011). Most Groundbreaking Programme 2010. In Firecracker Films. Retrieved February 13, 2014, from http://www.firecrackerfilms.com/news/most-groundbreaking-programme-2010/.
Stanislaw, M. (Director). (2007). Gypsies [Documentary]. Germany:Berlin
Though there is still a lot to be understood about the Roma and their culture, there are an abundance of resources that are geared towards dispelling common myths, as well as educating others about the Roma. Many of these resources are available online so that people from around the world can better educate themselves about the Roma culture.
- One such resource is the Roma Community Centre. The main goals of the Roma Community Centre are to build community support for Roma in Canada, and to educate the public about the Roma regarding human rights and their culture.
- Another useful resource is the Canadian Council for Refugees. The goals of this Council are to provide information regarding claiming refugee status as well as providing legal information for Roma refugees to ensure that their rights are not violated in the process. This is important because oftentimes the Roma are seen as a type of undesirable people by many nations and they are often denied any sort of residence. The Council for Refugees aims to help people who are discriminated against because of their origin gain a fair chance at being accepted into the host nation.
- Another helpful resource is the Patrin Web Journal. The Patrin Web Journal helps individuals understand Roma culture, current events and social issue that the Roma are faced with today. This is important because many people do not know what kinds of hardships the Roma are currently facing, or even how hard their day to day life is due to discrimination and isolation. The Patrin Web Journal attempts to educate others about the hardships that the Roma have had to face through news articles, human rights reports and even interviews with Roma people. Through these outlets the Partin Web Journal aims to reach out to the Roma as well as others to help them understand that the discrimination is harmful and that there are people which are willing to help.
- One of the last resources is the European Roma Rights Centre. This resource is more European based as that is where the majority of Roma come from. This resource’s goals revolve around public education about the Roma people and the discrimination that they face effective policy development as well as advocacy for human rights. These are important things to educate people on because without effective policy and human rights, the Roma will continue to be mistreated by the people around them. One can attest that through these frequently available resources that one can become more educated about the Roma as well as how to help them.
Canadian Council for Refugees. (n.d.). Mission Statement. In About the CCR. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://ccrweb.ca/en/about-ccr
Czarnecki, A. (2011). About us. In romatoronto.org. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.romatoronto.org/about_us.html#.UwlRas68AnY
European Roma Rights Centre. (2012). Research and Advocacy. In Research and Advocacy. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.errc.org/research-and-advocacy
Patrin Web Journal. (2000). A brief history of the Roma. In Contents. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from http://www.reocities.com/Paris/5121/history.htm
Case Law
As established, the Roma are discriminated against and as a result are treated unfairly by the public. As a result of this discrimination and unfair treatment, the Roma are often targeted by the police at a much higher rate than the general population. There are many cases regarding the Roma and police brutality, but only two will be discussed for purposes of this assignment.
The first case is Vona v. Hungary (2013). In this case Gábor Vona who was a member of the Hungarian Guard Association had an armband that was similar to Hungary’s Reign of terror in 1944-1945. Mr. Vona and his guardsmen would often hold intimidating military style rallies throughout Hungary often targeting villages with a large Roma population. The rationale behind Mr. Vona’s behaviour was that he wanted to protect ethnic Hungarians from ‘Gypsy criminality’. Though this case happened rather recently in 2013, the Roma are still targets for discriminatory behaviour such as the kind of rallies that Mr.Vona took part in. In the judgement Vona v. Hungary, Mr. Vona’s rights were found not to have been violated, and article 11 of the European Convention of Human Rights found that everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and to freedom of association with others, including the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests. Mr. Vona was found to have been in violation of article 11 through his military style rallies and targeting of the Roma people.
Vona v.Hungary, Appl. no. 35943/10, ECtHR, 9 July 2013.
Another case in which the Roma were involved was in K.H and Others v. Slovakia (2011). In this highly controversial case, eight Slovakian women of Roma origin claimed that they were unable to conceive children after having undergone caesarean sections for previous children. The women involved claimed that there could be no other possibility other than that they had been forcibly and unknowingly sterilized. The case did not so much revolve around forced sterilization as it did in regards to acquiring medical documents proving that this had happened. The court found that these women’s rights were violated in regards to article 8 of the ECHR as it ruled that the right to respect for private and family life encompasses medical health. The court stated that the women involved had a right to know what documents they were signing as well as gaining access to these documents.
K.H. and Others v. Slovakia, no. 32881/04, § 82, ECHR, 2009.
Overall, the Roma have come a long way in how they are being accepted by society but they still have a long way to go. The Roma still face a lot of obstacles in regards to discriminatory behaviour and racism in their day to day lives. One can hope that through education and awareness that the discrimination towards the Roma people can be greatly reduced and that they can become more accepted by society.
Canadian Council for Refugees. (n.d.). Mission Statement. In About the CCR. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://ccrweb.ca/en/about-ccr
Charles, L. (Director). (2006), Borat [Comedy]. USA:20th Century Fox
Czarnecki, A. (2011). About us. In romatoronto.org. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.romatoronto.org/about_us.html#.UwlRas68AnY
European Roma Rights Centre. (2012). Research and Advocacy. In Research and Advocacy. Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://www.errc.org/research-and-advocacy
Hancock, I. (2002). We are the Romani people. Great Britain: University of Hertfordshire Press.
Hugo, V. (1997). The Hunchback of Notre Dame. France:Gosselin.
K.H. and Others v. Slovakia, no. 32881/04, § 82, ECHR, 2009.
National Geographic Society. (n.d.). Romani Culture and Traditions. In A Detailed Look at Some Facets of This Often-Misunderstood Subculture. Retrieved February 14, 2014, from http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/american-gypsies/articles/romani-culture-and-traditions/.
Patrin Web Journal. (2000). A brief history of the Roma. In Contents. Retrieved February 11, 2014, from http://www.reocities.com/Paris/5121/history.htm
Roma. (n.d.) WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. (2003-2008). Retrieved February 20 2014 from http://www.thefreedictionary.com/Roma
Soldinger, M. (January 28, 2011). Most Groundbreaking Programme 2010. In Firecracker Films. Retrieved February 13, 2014, from http://www.firecrackerfilms.com/news/most-groundbreaking-programme-2010/.
Stanislaw, M. (Director). (2007). Gypsies [Documentary]. Germany:Berlin
Vona v.Hungary, Appl. no. 35943/10, ECtHR, 9 July 2013.