Gilda-Nancy
Horvath
We
are against the word "Zigeuner"
The word "Zigeuner" ("gypsy") is
derived from the Greek athinganoi, meaning "untouchable" and refers
to the position of Roma within the Indian caste system. Already in the
thirteenth century, this exonym was applied to "asocial elements" –
for example, within the context of the first European "edict against the
Gypsy plight". For the Nazis, the term was synonymous with "unwertes
Leben" (unworthy of life) and was widely circulated in Nazi mass
propaganda. Even today, the word is still often used without thinking about it.
The aim of the campaign Ich bin gegen das Wort
"Zigeuner" ("I am against the word 'Zigeuner'") is to
knowingly present the term as what it actually is: a negative and clearly
discriminatory term, which is offensive to Roma. At the same time, the project
aims to dismantle and fight prejudices against Roma and Sinti.[1]
The campaign was initiated by people closely associated
with the Gipsy Music Association, and demands that "Zigeuner"
disappear from media reports, product names, and ultimately from everyday use
all together. They also point out that the majority of the Roma community in
Austria does not want to be called "Zigeuner" and demand that this
wish finally be respected. The correct term is "Roma and Sinti".
It is true that some Roma do indeed call themselves
"Zigeuner." There are many reasons for this, the most important one
being that the word "Zigeuner" means different things in different
languages. Roma in Hungary and Romania proudly call themselves "Zigeuner",
while in Slovakia the same word means "thief". However, even Roma are
often unaware of its meaning and negative connotations.
For this reason, the
initiators stress the importance that the campaign target everyone: Roma as
well as non-Roma.
A central element of the campaign are photos of people
from politics, media and other fields, holding up signs with the hand-written
words: "Ich bin gegen das Wort 'Zigeuner'."
Support for the campaign
has been surprisingly broad: over 1,000 people have allowed their photos to be
taken. These photos have been displayed in various exhibitions, a book and a
video, in addition to their use in public relations and media co-operations.
The campaign also includes workshops, for example in schools that aim to dismantle
the prejudices around the values, culture and images of Roma.
[1] Roma and Sinti are the largest ethnic minority in
Europe. There are between ten and twelve million Roma living in the EU member
states. They have been forced to remain in migration by laws that forbid them
to settle, by being marked as outlaws, by persecution and by being banned from
certain trades.
Today, around 95 per cent of Roma and Sinti are sedentary.
Although the reality of the "traveling Roma" is largely long since a
thing of the past, the idea – along with a score of other, largely negative,
stereotypes – persist today.
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