Textiles and Dress

Anti-Romani sentiment

Anti-Romani sentiment (also called antigypsyism, anti-Romanyism, antiziganism, ziganophobia, or Romaphobia) consists of hostility, prejudice, discrimination, nativism, racism, and xenophobia which is specifically directed at Romani people. The Romani, who are believed to have migrated from India to Europe during the Middle Ages, have faced a long history of discrimination and persecution. Arriving Romanis were seen as suspect, in part due to their nomadic nature. Romanis were suspected of theft and fraud, pickpocketing, black magic, prostitution, and stealing children. Many countries passed laws restricting Romanis' ability to work and live. For centuries, Romani people in Europe were persecuted, enslaved, hanged, and burned. As a result, relations between the Romani people and other ethnic groups are frequently marked by mistrust and fear. Romani people often hide their ethnicity out of fear of discrimination and stereotyping. Some Romani people avoid non-Roma because they consider them marime. The term “gypsy,” long used to refer to Romani people, was rejected as an exonym by the first World Romani Congress in 1971. The term evolved from the Middle English "Egipcien," out of a misconception that arriving Roma migrants hailed from Egypt. While some Romani embrace the term, it is largely frowned upon due to its association with misconceptions and stereotypes in which Romani people are portrayed as nomads who roam around and engage in questionable, criminal or illegal activities, which is exemplified by the term "to gyp". During the COVID-19 pandemic, hate speech against Roma people in Europe increased. A 2024 United States Department of State report raised concerns about anti-Romani sentiment across Europe. The Romani community in Europe encounters challenges including restricted access to quality education and obstacles in integrating into the labor market, which contribute to increased poverty and social exclusion, as well as inadequate healthcare and substandard living conditions. Romani children are assigned to segregated "special" schools, where restricted curricula hinder their opportunities. Roma children and women are also particularly vulnerable to human trafficking. Romani people are often stereotyped as evil beings prone to stealing, lying, having the "evil eye," and resisting assimilation.

Also on this shelf

See also

• ▸Gone with the Wind (film)
• ▸Flow Country
• ▸Amir Shayesteh Tabar

Uncatalogued shelf

Text from Wikipedia; plate via Wikimedia Commons. Text CC BY-SA 4.0; plate freely licensed (see Commons). Source record. Images and catalogue data are reproduced from open-access collections.