About the Rroma

click to enlarge

Where did the Rroma come from?

The group of peoples generally referred to as "Rroma," "Romani," or simply as "gypsies" are believed to have originated in the Indian subcontinent, and to have begun migrating westward sometime during the second half of the first millennium, with their appearance established in Europe in the 13th and 14th centuries.

Where do the Rroma live?

There are Rroma-related populations all over the world, even as far as the Americas and Australia, but the highest concentration of Rroma groups is in Europe, particularly in southeastern Europe. Official reports estimate the Rroma population in Europe to be around 12 million, but some advocacy groups peg the number at closer to 15 million, making the Rroma approximately 3% of the population of Europe.

According to the most recent Romanian census, more than 540,000 Rroma live in Romania - the largest population in Europe. Unofficial research by international groups has put the number between 1.5 and 2.5 million - it can be extremely difficult to quantify the Rroma population, due to the relative geographical and social isolation of its communities, to the stigma attached to the designation, and to the fact that "assimilated" Rroma often shed the label and self-identify as "Romanian." 1.5 million would be approximately 7% of the population of Romania.

What has happened to the Rroma through history?

The Rroma have been discriminated against since they first arrived in Europe. From their arrival in what is now Romania, in the 14th century, until 1856, Rroma could be kept as slaves. During the Holocaust, the Nazis killed between 200,000 and 1.5 million Rroma in camps and with death squads. Up until the present, various formal and informal methods have been used throughout Europe to subjugate, intimidate, or ban Rroma and Rroma culture from mainstream society. A pejorative meaning has been attached to the term "gypsy," to imply the dirty street thieves many Europeans believe the Rroma to be. In a 2006 poll, 91% of Romanians regarded the Rroma to be "involved in criminal activity," and 49% believed that the Rroma are "so different that they will never be fully accepted by other members of Romanian society."

What are the current conditions of the Rroma in Romania?

While some Rroma have been able to assimilate into mainstream society (through making money or through shedding their Rroma identity), many remain in harsh poverty. 67% of Rroma in Romania live in poverty (defined as an income of less than $4.30/day), compared to only 20% of Romanians. 20% of Rroma live in extreme poverty (less than $2.15/day), compared with less than 5% of Romanians. 44% of Rroma between 15-55 are unemployed.

Many Rroma in Romania live in Rroma-only settlements, on the edges of Romanian towns. These settlements usually lack functional plumbing, electricity, and gas, and most of the homes in them could charitably be described as shacks. A 1998 survey found that 21% of Rroma lived in houses built illegally or on land the occupants did not own.

Rroma also face chronic under-access to proper healthcare, due to their isolation and to the fact that medical care in Romania requires basic identity paperwork, which many Rroma (10-20%) still lack despite recent government efforts to issue it in Rroma communities. A 1999 survey found that both the infant mortality and the under-5 death rate among Rroma were double that of the Romanian population.

Schooling is one of the biggest issues preventing the Rroma from emerging from the underclass. Lack of resources, lack of outreach, and a fearful lack of understanding among uneducated parents lead Rroma children to either abandon school early or not to go at all. Fewer than 20% of Rroma children attend preschool or kindergarten. Only 17% of Rroma children make it to secondary school. 18% of Rroma children never attend school at all. According to one study, 28% of Rroma adults in Romania are illiterate.

The Romanian government and the European Union are increasingly focused on alleviating these problems (2005-2015 is the official EU "Decade of Rroma Inclusion," a program meant to focus attention and resources on Rroma integration), but progress is slow, and centuries of unfulfilled promises have left many Rroma people wary of any more attempts at help. This means that one of the biggest challenges facing us is even convincing the Rroma that inclusion in Romanian and European society is in their best interests.

What are some interesting facts about the Rroma?

Rroma in Romania have a vibrant culture based around the music and dancing traditions of their traveling past. This "wandering" identity even shows itself in the "flag" of the international Rroma community, which features a wagon wheel. Traditional Rroma music, dance, and dress is on full display during celebrations on the International Day of the Rroma (April 8), often held around real or symbolic campfires in Rroma villages. The Rroma are so identified as musicians that most weddings in Romania feature a Rroma musician. There are also many famous musicians and performers descended from Rroma: Ron Wood of the Rolling Stones, actors Charlie Chaplin and Michael Caine, and even Elvis Presley, to name just a few.


For more information about the Rroma, you can start with these resources:

• The Roma Rights Network
• The official website of the Decade of Roma Inclusion
• The Open Society Institute
• S.P.E.R. (Stop prejudecatilor despre etnie Roma!) 2008 Report "Come Closer: Inclusion and Exclusion of Roma in Present-Day Romanian Society" .pdf  .ppt (in English)  original site (in Romanian)