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The Romani people are today found across the world. Typically, Roma adopt given names that are common in the country of their residence. Seldom do modern Roma use the traditional name from their own language, such as Čingaren.
- Who are Roma? The word “Roma” means “man” and refers to lots of different sub-groups, including Kalderash in south-eastern Europe; Romanichals in England; Sinti in Germany, Italy, and France; Kalé in Wales, Finland, Spain and Portugal; and Gitano from Spain, as well as many others.
- Where do Roma come from? Historians think the Roma’s ancestors first arrived in Europe from northern India, through what is now Iran, Armenia and Turkey.
- What did Roma do? Traditionally, they travelled from place to place, although the majority of Roma are now “sedentary” (settled in one place). They included artisans (for example, wood and copper craft workers), farm workers, blacksmiths, musicians, fortune-tellers and entertainers.
- How were they treated? In many regions, Roma were forced into slavery, a practice which continued into the 19th century in Romania and elsewhere. Roma were also sentenced to death throughout the medieval era in England, Switzerland and Denmark.
While the Hitler regime’s targeting of Roma in several European countries during World War II coincided and intersected with the Holocaust, the former derived from a form of racism distinct from genocidal anti-Semitism.
- Malloryk
Three different phenomena have dramatically affected the Roma since they entered Europe from India: nomadism; non-Roma ( gadźé or gadje ; singular, gadźo) mistreatment and prejudice; and enslavement in Romania's historic provinces, Walachia and Moldavia.
Apr 2, 2020 · Today around ten to twelve million Roma live in Europe, yet very few Europeans know about their history, culture or way of life. What’s worse, majority populations are not only ignorant but downright prejudiced, making life for today’s Roma a struggle for acceptance and inclusion.
Nov 20, 2014 · Roma is an ethnic minority group without a country or a land to claim as their own, but with a population of about 12 to 14 million Roma living all across the world. The majority of Roma live in Europe, but there are also Roma in the US, Australia, Latin America, Middle East.
Sep 16, 2015 · More than 44% of the Roma individuals belonged to the Indian H-M52 haplogroup (including H-M82), ranging from 64% in the Balkan Peninsula to 21% in Spain (Supplementary Figure S1). In...
