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STEREOTYPES
Gypsy vs. Roma: “Gypsy” conjures up all kinds of
stereotypical images of Roma in the minds of viewers and readers. It should be
replaced by Roma. Gypsy has been applied to the Roma by outsiders and it is
offensive to many Roma just like Indian is offensive to Canada’s Native People.Ronald Lee, Roma Community Centre
GYPSY THIEF STEREOTYPE
‘Of all the stereotypes of the Roma, the social construct of “Gypsy
criminality” has had the most devastating impact upon the social status of the
community.’
To increase ratings or sell newspapers the Gypsy as
Thief stereotype is sensationalized by news media all over the world. A
disproportionate number of stories vilify the Roma – usually portraying them as
con artist and thieves. Viewers believe the reports without question simply
because they saw it on the news – resulting in the most damaging stereotype
against the Roma.
‘The criminal stereotype of the Roma fails to recognize
Roma as victims of crime too – and in particular of hate crime.’
Roma and the Law:
“Of the many popular perceptions of the Roma, surely none is more
alienating—for both sides—than the notion that the Roma are associated with
criminal behavior. For majority populations, the concept of “Romani
criminality” is too often a justification for their continuing indifference or
hostility toward the plight of this group. For the overwhelming majority of
law-abiding Roma, the burden of the criminal stereotype is one more sign that
they can never get an even break in their struggle for acceptance and
integration. At the same time, the taboo among many Romani leaders against any
discussion of this issue, especially with the majority community, means that
the subject has been off-limits even to the fair and balanced inquiries that
could help to dispel myths and to establish an objective body of information.
Labeling an entire ethnic group as criminal is discrimination. This practice, especially by the media,
should be discouraged.” Read More
CAREFREE
LIFESTYLE STEREOTYPE
A common
misconception about Gypsies is that they have romantic carefree lifestyles and
are free to point the wheels of nicely decorated caravans in any direction and
travel at will. But many Roma in Europe are persecuted and without rights. Many
are forced to live beside the city dump or metal wastelands filled with toxins
in extremely poor conditions with no
running water – places where nobody else wishes to live – on the outskirts –
segregated and rejected by society. In these hovels they are still considered
nomadic and yet, have nowhere to go. This is not freedom and far from any
imagined romantic carefree lifestyle.
SEXY
GYPSY STEREOTYPE
1875,
Paris: Great scandal followed Bizet’s opera premier of Carmen. Not only was she
a manipulative, free spirit who seduces good men at will, but she smoked on
stage, got stabbed and died on stage too. Carmen developed a bad reputation
overnight. But Controversy creates interest, and Sex and Violence sells tickets
– so it was not long before Carmen became the talk of Paris. When the opera
premiered in Vienna it became a popular and critical success and went on to
become the most popular opera of all time. Fueled by erotic fantasies Carmen’s
popularity in the collective psyche overshadowed reality, resulting in the Sexy
Gypsy Stereotype. Although modern times are closing in fast, in a traditional
Roma culture sexual conduct is highly regulated. Further Reading: Gypsy Sexuality
LOVE
AND MARRIAGE
The findings of a recent study by AMALIPE show
that many of the myths surrounding Roma lifestyle are outdated. These include
marriage age, family size and the practices of arranged marriages and dowries.
The following short videos speak of three realities: Sold into Marriage at age 12: Bairam Geta, a young Roma girl, tells her story while taking care
of her little one. We Love Each Other: Yanka and Vassil share their views
on marriage age, family size, dowries and the outdated practices of arranged
marriages as they prepare to celebrate their own wedding. Married to Roma:
Mariana is not Roma but she is married to a Roma and says, “Gypsies are better
than Romanians”
FOLKLORISM
and STEREOTYPES
Uni Graz: Michael Teichmann :‘Such a static concept of culture that neglects
continual change and leaves outside all kinds of sociological aspects, holds the permanent danger of folklorization,
that is the reduction of culture to outer and simplistic patterns or aspects.
Artistic discussion on Roma and Sinti is characterised by such folkloristic
attempts, especially those cultural areas of widespread public influence such
as film, television and photography, which offer very few examples of truly
individual perspectives….’
Judith Oakley:
Folklore and exotic literature often convey the ideological and the symbolic
disorder which the Gypsies appear to represent. The Gypsies are shown in either
positive or negative form. Their apparent differences from non Gypsies are
elaborated or simply imagined, for example, the belief that the Gypsies are
closer to nature, or wild and free.
“When Gypsies are so far away that they verge on myth,
they suddenly become alluring: handsome, artistic, living untrammeled lives,
symbols of freedom. They are accepted provided they are confined to designated
areas and to folklore: music and dance, the circus, caravans in approved sites.
The only good Gypsy is the mythical one – the one who does not exist” – Jean-Pierre Liégeois, Gypsies: an
illustrated history
EDUCATION
Based on
the stereotype that Roma children are unteachable, they are often refused
admission and are sent to schools meant for mentally disabled. Jud Nirenberg:
“According to studies, 65 to 75 percent of Romanies are placed in “special
schools” before they reach puberty. Unless we accept that three-quarters of
Romany children are born mentally challenged, this clearly shows there is a
segregated school system in the Czech Republic. Justifications are not
requested, thank you — only rectification. There is only one reason for
three-quarters of nonwhite children to be in schools for the mentally
challenged and the reason is not a legitimate one.”
Systematic Segregation: Mayors and local school
authorities in Slovakia and other central and eastern European states still
favour segregation of Roma children, despite national policies adopted by the
central governments. Until solutions for including Roma children in the
national school systems are invented or
adopted by governments, many non profit organizations are struggling to give to
the Roma children a good education. “There is no country where the situation of
the Roma is good.” Vladimir Spidla
Lucie
Horvathova on Education: “In primary, high-school and
University they kept telling me: “You are not Roma anymore because you study.”
And I used to say, But why? I behave naturally. I go to school and I keep in
touch with my family. I know what is going on in the community. We have our customs
and I keep them. And the fact that I go to school means nothing. I did not lose
my Romanhood. It is part of my life. When everyone starts to regard education
in this way – as a Part of the Culture – our culture will evolve.’ ~ Lucie
Horvathova, See Video
RHAPSODIC
ROMANI STEREOTYPE
Carol Miller Church of Cheese: “Mention
Gypsies and one stereotype that comes to mind may be a dancing Spanish Gypsy, a
raven haired woman stomping the beat of Flamenco – a Carmen Amaya… Equally
famous Gypsy performers like 1940′s era French jazz guitarist Django Reinhardt
or the popular modern French based band the Gipsy Kings fit nicely within this
stereotype of the Rhapsodic Romani.”
GYPSY
FORTUNE TELLER STEREOTYPE
Whether
gazing into a crystal ball, reading palms and tea leaves or divining the future
with a deck of Tarot cards, the Gypsy Fortune teller is alive and well in everyone’s
imagination. Though she may be
considered a stereotype, with one foot in the real world palm reading happens
to be a practical way for many Roma women to earn money, especially if folk
believe it is in their power to reveal important future events. But, just as
not all Romani women are fortune tellers, not all fortune tellers can read the
future. This stereotype will never fade. See : Madame Rudika
Roma
Community Centre
In a move headed up by the ROMA COMMUNITY CENTRE in Toronto, Ezra Levant was forced to remove a speech that promoted
distrust, fear and hatred of Roma people.
* Statement by the Roma Community Centre: Blatant Hate Speech in the Canadian Media Targeting Roma
Dosta
Website
“Another
stereotyped view of Roma women depicts
them as dirty, having too many usually naked children, being beaten by their
husbands and exploited by their wider family who marry and have the first child at age 12. The
difficult living conditions which many Roma face have to be taken into account.
Lack of utilities such as running water, having no clothes for children, or
eventual cases of domestic violence are indicators
of poverty but not of ‘Gypsyness’.”
Gypsy
Stereotypes:
The Use of Satire in Debunking Stereotypes.
In this video several Gypsy stereotypes are mocked in an effort to debunk them, but there will be some who see it as confirmation of their stereotypes.
Chris Macdonald Dennis: “Stereotypes can be used in a
satirical manner in order to try and reveal to the audience that their ways of
categorizing the world are not only laughable, but dangerous. There will always be an uneasy line between
the laughter of recognition that consolidates a community around shared
experiences and values versus the unkind or undiscerning laugh of the outsider
who can’t sift the grain of truth from a larger stereotype”
3 stereotypes are satirized: *Gypsy Thief, *Roma
Illiteracy (thief steals book) *Supernatural abilities (thief magically slows
time 700 X
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