#sinti

If you want to help the Domari people in Palestine, this post has a link and a guide

What is Anti Romani sentiment?

(Aka: Anti-Romani sentiment, Anti-Roma sentiment, Anti-Gypsyism, Romaphobia, Romamisia, anti-ziganism)

(Anti-Romani sentiment) , is the particular racist structure, ideology and hostile prejudice targeted at Roma. It seeks to dehumanise, alienate and drive away Roma precisely because they are Roma. Antiziganism infringes the principle of equal value and equal rights. It is based on seeing people as being of unequal value and contributes towards an unequal distribution of power and resources.

Antiziganist prejudices often concern stereotypical assumptions about Roma being thieves, particularly unreliable or rude. These attitudes affect Roma in their daily lives through the hostility they encounter in public spaces.

What particularly makes antiziganism stand out is that it is largely seen as being legitimate. People who are accused of discrimination against Roma may exclaim in surprise: “But they were Gypsies!” as if this were reason enough for their behaviour. Antiziganism is widespread in society and affects Roma, among other things, through extensive discrimination in every area of society, marginalisation and vulnerability to hate crime.

( via minoritet.se )

Disclaimer: I am not the sole arbiter of what is/isn't antiziganism and I do NOT speak for all Roma. I am a Romanichal person and do not experience colorism and live in a country where Roma are less known than others. This blog is simply to raise awareness of Anti-Romani sentiment especially on US dominated website.

Disclaimer 2: I have a job, family and a chronic illness to manage outside of this blog.

I use any pronouns and I am 27 years old. I am mixed Romanichal and queer.

All topics that include triggering or adult content will be tagged as such. Please use caution when discussing or viewing these topics.

This blog will also reblog/post general Romani content including news, history, positivity and more.

If you would like to submit an example of Anti-Romani sentiment or ask if something qualifies as such, feel free to do so in the ask box.

Examples of Anti Romani sentiment:

Assuming that a Romani person is automatically in some way “magical” or does/is interested in some form of fortune telling

Saying the word “Gypsy” if you are non-Roma

Denying a Romani person’s beliefs or convictions on the basis of them being “woo” or “delusional”, or discounting their significance to Romani culture because they're practiced by other groups.

Homogenizing the diverse and complex tapestry of Romani experiences and groups down to what is the most stereotypical or popular portrayal

Creating stereotypical Romani characters who are violent, greedy, patriarchal, exotic + overly sexualized or scammers in stereotypical clothing especially fetishized clothing that often overlaps with orientalist portrayals due to the association of Roma with the Middle East and Egypt

Dressing up as a “gypsy fortune teller” with a coin headband/scarf, medieval dress and a crystal ball, or similar anti-Romani caricatures

Policing whether Roma can or can not reclaim words used against them, especially “Gypsy”. Many Roma consider the word Gypsy to be a self identifier, sometimes moreso than Roma.

Claiming tarot to be a closed practice or invented by Roma. This is a claim that the creator of the tarot deck we use today made in order to add some kind of exotic mysticism.

Calling Romani people wholly white even if they are mixed or white passing. Categorically this is untrue and from Romania all the way to the UK this claim is leveraged against Romani people to justify taking away government protections and to defend discrimination of and oppression against them.

Fake-claiming due to appearance. Romani people are an incredibly diverse and widespread ethnic group with subgroups all across the world, no two of us look the same even within families.

Claiming that Romani people are “just Indian” and should call themselves Indian. While our origins over 1000 years ago stem back to north India and Pakistan, saying we are “just Indian” is to deny us our unique identity and culture as a stateless people.

Expecting Roma to have a full family tree and DNA test results to “prove” they’re Roma.

Mistaking Irish Travelers or Pavee, an Indigenous Irish group, with Romani people.

Fake-claiming a Romani person for their appearance, culture or ability to speak their language.

Using specific cultural elements within Romani subgroups against Roma to try and further our oppression. For example: Using the fact that some families practice arranged marriages to discriminate against all Roma.

These are not the only examples, but are are a few obvious ones.

Other this-is blogs:

@thisisexorsexism

@this-is-transandrophobia

@this-is-transsanism

@this-is-ableism

@this-is-transgynephobia

@thisisantisemitism

@this-is-cissexism

@thisisslavophobia

For context, Raymond Gureme was a survivor of the Romani genocide. He was detained in several Romani internment camps in France starting from the age of 15yo with his family, escaped twice, was deported to a labor camp in Germany, escaped again and joined the French resistance at the mere age of 17yo. He was a very active member of the Resistance, killing Nazis and marching alongside De Gaulle on the day Paris was liberated.

Like most survivors of the Romani genocide and many Romani resistance fighters, Raymond never received any medals of honour for his involvement with the resistance. He and his family never received any form of financial compensation nor was it ever acknowledged that they had been targeted for genocide. 10 years ago, Raymond, in his 80s, was beaten up by French policemen in his own trailer for no other reason than his being Romani.

Two weeks ago his family was held at gunpoint by French policemen who broke into their trailers, destroyed valuables and property and called in several police cars and police helicopters to arrest one single person. This level of violence was completely uncalled for and is clearly an act of intimidation on the part of French cops.

Raymond Gureme is the most emblematic figure of the Romani resistance during World War II and one of the most important figures of the Romani rights movement in postwar western Europe. His family is passing around a petition to meet the region's prefect and ask for justice

To @rrojasandribbons @writingwithcolor and @romani-in-art

This is optional if anyone here wants to respond. Some of it was influenced by the Romani YouTuber Florian, who goes in depth about Romani culture. Since he kind of gives some points, I agree with. Which I can greatly sympathize for all of you, even if I'm not Roma.

This is also to help commemorate a flawed but underrated Disney movie that's turning 30 as of this year. Since I want to know what parts of the story need changing, at least the Romani parts that need improving. While The Hunchback of Notre Dame De Paris is a good story and varies on different takes of adaptations; the way the Romani are depicted is admittedly rather questionable. We can agree that they are portrayed in a sympathetic light but may be a bit misguided because of a lot of it based on outdated stereotypes. Even if the fortune telling, palm reading, belly-dancing, and magic parts have a small bit of truth, but like with most media is exaggerated into a culturally appropriated caricature. Or merely a product-of-it's-time, like a lot of older media that has some dubious depictions of minorities, women, or the disabled.

I at least know the few things I will take into consideration or ideas that I didn't really consider until now.

First: One is that the identity of which Roma it's specifically the Sinti/Manoush/Manouche group, since they're the mostly common in France. Thanks to Florian's video about all the kinds of Romani found all over the world.

Second: After looking at Florian's videos about the tragic history of Roma, it does make the situation for Quasimodo in the story much more devastating. Since his master Claude Frollo basically brainwashed him into hating his own people and never got to really get to know about his inheritance. Plus, not knowing he's being treated as a slave by Frollo, also adds some tragic irony, since Quasimodo didn't know that his people are unfortunately victims of slavery. That is until Esmeralda came into his life and showed him that not everything is as it seems. Plus, during her stay in Sanctuary, I imagine since she would find out that Quasi is Roma too, she would educate him on what he missed out on. Now that I think of it, that makes Esmeralda's situation more disturbing. Since that's what Frollo would actually do to her if she did give in, make her his slave. With probably the threat of cutting her and her people's tongues off for speaking their Romani language in front of their slave masters. Which is something I imagine Frollo would definitely enforce. (Since I plan to have his role similar to that of the La Jolla and Papermill Playhouse musical. Where he is an archdeacon, like most adaptations, but has a massive amount of authority as much as King Louis XI allows him to)

Third: I would also think that Esmeralda to call out or explain to the people who mock and discriminate her or her people and state the facts of what Roma people are actually like. Either rebelliously to the villains or calmly explaining to people who are ignorant but not ill intended. (Quasimodo, Pierre Gringore, and her mother Paquette. Once she finds out on her identity as her lost daughter) That they have a moral code, like to be clean, want to work, want to be educated, most adopted to Christianity, are not scam artists, nor thieves, and different tribes do different things that's not just what's associated with them. (Like musicians, flower sellers, bear trainers, cauldron makers/coppersmiths, silversmiths, goldsmiths, blacksmiths, locksmiths, tinsmiths, basket makers, carpet makers, sieve makers, horse dealers, bone artisans, papermakers, and farmers...Whew....) And do not want to be treated as inferior or, as history unfortunately shown, as slaves. Because certain Christians taking the Bible's scripture way too literally and use it as a tool for discrimination, either for the villains or against the main protagonist (Quasimodo) and tritagonist (Pierre Gringore, who I have as the narrator).

Fourth: This part is influenced by @artofcolor and is something I had in mind with. It's going to be controversial, I admit, but what if Quasimodo and Esmeralda were bi-racial? It's kind of mixing in the book and the 2014 La Jolla/Paper Mill Playhouse. Since it's not too impossible that Paquette Sachette Guybertaut "La Chantefleurie/Sister Gudule might've hooked up with a Romani man at some point and thus gave Agnes/Esmeralda. For Quasi, I have it be Jehan Frollo and Florika(Quasi's mother in the play), who also hooked up. Despite Jehan that he was breaking the rules of the church. Though the child swapping part, I know will be difficult since I know that's based on a racist stereotype that's definitely NOT true. (Even though I do like that part of the long-lost parent part of the story, despite the racist undertones that lead up to that part of the story), but I might have a solution. Part of it has to do to make a little family drama mixed into this.

It would be Jehan Frollo who did the kidnapping, but more out of spite to get back at being rejected by Paquette, whom he tried to have an affair with. As well as feeling jealous that his older brother, Claude, loved her more than him. He decided to take away the one thing that mattered to Paquette the most, her daughter(Agnes/Esmeralda). So he did it and put Quasimodo in her place like a changeling. Not to mention that when he got banished out of the church, with the Roma, he was disappointed at how poor they are. Due to him being a lazy, spoiled materialist. Despite Florika objecting to abandoning their son and not wanting to be a part of Jehan's treachery by doing something that's dangerous and heinous. But she does have Agnes/Esmeralda to fill the hole in her heart of losing her child, and promises to treat her with much love as she would've with Quasi. So he gets banished from the Roma, and left to fend for himself. He basically used the Roma and Paquette as scapegoats, so he doesn't get blamed for doing something that's frowned upon by both Parisians and Romani. It's kind of meant to foreshadow how Claude Frollo would end up ruining himself due to not admitting the fault of his own downfall. All out of greed, lust, envy, and spite. (Might need working, but I hope you see what I mean by reworking this)

I know some might accuse it of white supremacy, but please don't since that's not my intent. Even though I can see the criticisms for the original book. Since we're not going to involve ourselves in a stupid "interpreting fiction as pro-propaganda for discrimination" nonsense that's ruining older media. I'm trying to make the best of both worlds. No one necessarily said you can't have these characters be of mixed inheritance. As well as acknowledging that this is just a falsehood myth for discrimination.

I'm not trying to offend or downplay anything, and I truly apologize if I offend anyone by mistake. I don't intend to. This was just because of me not knowing any better and being a bit ignorant on other cultures. All I just want to ask if anyone can give me advice on how to properly portray your people in the most accurate way I can. Even if it's a harmless fan-fic made just for fun. That's a mix of both the novel and Disney film, with elements of other adaptations mixed into the story. Here's the link below if you want to see.

tcr11050 - Hobbyist, General Artist | DeviantArt Now I know I would have to rework not just the story, but the illustrations. Especially recoloring the pictures of Quasimodo and Esmeralda. As well as redesigning her festive dress to not look too revealing. (Though I'll be posting them in another fan-fic site, since stupid DA won't allow you to go back and re-edit old fan-fics that are years old. I'll probably have to use either FanFiction or Home | Archive of Our Own)

I did try to ask the Romani subreddit to ask, but they politely declined, saying "No off-topic posts or Outsiders looking for inspiration" I ended up saying in response "Sorry for the inconvenience."

Romani Community & Education