The 15th International Conference on the linguistics of the Romani language will take place on 13 and 14 September 2023, a biennial event that brings together all the specialists in this field and which is held for the first time in Italy.
Category Archives: Italy
UN on Racial Discrimination
Croatia and Italy are singled out for their discrimination of Roma.
- UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination publishes findings on Croatia, Italy, Namibia, Senegal, Turkmenistan and Uruguay. In: OHCHR. 31.08.2023. https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2023/08/un-committee-elimination-racial-discrimination-publishes-findings-croatia
Italy: A Gang of Sinti
Several articles in the Italian press about the arrests of a gang Sinti responsible for over 30 burglaries since December, and for theft of over 200’000 euros. They also had a collection of false license plates, radios, wigs, etc.
- Nove arresti per furti nelle ville di Cuneese e Alessandrino, sgominata una banda di ladri sinti. In: La Stampa. 27.07.2023. https://www.lastampa.it/cuneo/2023/07/27/news/nove_arresti_per_furti_nelle_ville_di_cuneese_e_alessandrino_sgominata_una_banda_di_ladri_sinti-12968273/
- Così la banda dei sinti rubava nelle case: padre e figlio tra i cinque arrestati in operazione dei Carabinieri [VIDEO]. In: La Voce di Alba. 27.07.2023. https://www.lavocedialba.it/2023/07/27/leggi-notizia/argomenti/cronaca-17/articolo/oltre-30-furti-in-abitazione-tra-le-province-di-cuneo-e-asti-cinque-arresti-in-operazione-dei-carab.html
- Sgominata una banda di sinti cuneesi che compiva furti anche nell’Astigiano. In: La Voce di Asti. 27.07.2023. https://www.lavocediasti.it/2023/07/27/amp/argomenti/cronaca-18/articolo/sgominata-una-banda-di-sinti-cuneesi-che-compiva-furti-anche-nellastigiano.html
Milan: Brawl
An argument over a car parked in front of a courtyard escalated into a brawl involving up to 60 Roma and Romnja. They used sticks, bars, bottles and knives. The police had to intervene.
- Milano, maxi rissa in via Faà di Bruno con oltre 60 persone coinvolte: 7 feriti, intervento dei carabinieri. In: Corriere della Siera. 19.06.2023. https://milano.corriere.it/notizie/cronaca/23_giugno_19/milano-maxi-rissa-in-via-faa-di-bruno-con-oltre-60-persone-coinvolte-5-feriti-intervento-dei-carabinieri-4797b0f5-d7f0-4e70-bf4a-89b1dcf4axlk.shtml
Italy: What ????
An article in the Italian press. It starts well, with the fact that Roma came to Italy as early as 1422, if not even earlier. But then it dives into the worst stereotypes: Machismo among men, girls being controlled by their brothers and fathers, little education, etc.
Once again, good intentions, little knowledge and understanding, and perpetuation of stereotypes.
- Rom, Sinti, Caminanti. In: Futuro Europa. 02.06.2023. https://www.futuro-europa.it/41533/area-51/rom-sinti-caminanti.html
Italy and Racism
An article about the everyday racism faced by Roma in Italy and on the spread of false news and anti-Roma propaganda in the country.
Bad.
- Antigypsyism in Italy: Virtual hate and real-life consequences. In: European Interest. 30.05.2023. https://www.europeaninterest.eu/article/antigypsyism-in-italy-virtual-hate-and-real-life-consequences/
Football and Racism
Another case of racism in Italian Football. When will the Football League take action?
- Torino’s Juric racially abused during thrashing of Spezia. In: France 24. 27.05.2023. https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20230527-torino-s-juric-racially-abused-during-thrashing-of-spezia
- “If they shout at you gypsy, it’s hard not to react”. In: Breaking Latest News. 27.05.2023. https://www.breakinglatest.news/health/if-they-shout-at-you-gypsy-its-hard-not-to-react/
Roma Camps in Rome
The Councilor for Social Policies Funari states that the goal is to achieve true inclusion and the right to citizenship of the Roma who live around Rome. For 69% of Romans, the minority “is a threat” (57% among Italians).
There are problems and they are undeniable: the real estate market, which concerns all Romans, and then the racism that continues to exist, and the further discrimination, caused by the institutions and for which we can only apologize.
- Rom e sinti . Campidoglio: superare i campi e combattere l’antigitanismo diffuso. In: Avvenire. 04.04.2023. https://www.avvenire.it/attualita/pagine/rom-e-sinti-campidoglio-superare-i-campi-e-combattere-l-antigitanismo-diffuso
Italy’s Roma Inclusion Plans
The new Italian national strategy for the inclusion of Roma and Sinti communities 2021-2030 has been presented in Rome.
The text responds to the recommendation of the Council of the European Union to address the socio-economic exclusion of Roma and Sinti in the EU and in the enlargement countries, “promoting equal access to education, employment, assistance health and housing, inviting Member States to design national Roma and Sinti integration strategies.” The new plan focuses on the enhancement of Roma culture and at the same time on the fight against anti-Gypsyism.
They’d better resolve the issue of the Roma camps …
- Roma, presentata strategia nazionale di inclusione Rom e Sinti. In: Teleambiente. 04.04.2023. https://www.teleambiente.it/roma-presentata-strategia-nazionale-inclusione-rom-sinti-video/
Football and Roma
Again, and unfortunately as usual, supporters of the AC Roma insulted a player by calling him a Gypsy. Racism among supporters is just not acceptable, but everywhere, authorities turn a blind eye. They should be fined and banned from the stadiums.
- STANKOVIC REACTS TO REF AND RACIST ROMA CHANTS: ‘PROUD OF WHO I AM’. In: Football Italia. 02.04.2023. https://football-italia.net/stankovic-reacts-to-ref-and-racist-roma-chants-proud-of-who-i-am/
- Dejan Stanković was insulted by Roma fans, he answered them Sport. In: Breaking Latest News. 02.04.2023. https://www.breakinglatest.news/world/dejan-stankovic-was-insulted-by-roma-fans-he-answered-them-sport/
“Beware of Gypsies” !!!
In Rome’s subway, an announcement over the loudspeakers said loudly several time: “attenti agli zingari” [beware of Gypsies]. This is a first. Luckily, the company who runs Rome’s subway, Atac, is taking action.
We have a long way to go …
- Roma, “attenti agli zingari”. L’annuncio in metro è un caso. In: Il Tempo. 10.03.2023. https://www.iltempo.it/roma-capitale/2023/03/10/news/attenti-agli-zingari-metro-roma-annuncio-atac-trasporti-scuse-35152310/
- “Beware of gypsies”, the announcement on the metro in Rome. Atac announces a disciplinary measure – Lazio. In: Breaking Latest News. 11.03.2023. https://www.breakinglatest.news/news/beware-of-gypsies-the-announcement-on-the-metro-in-rome-atac-announces-a-disciplinary-measure-lazio/
Małgorzata Mirga-Tas
An exhibition of the works of Małgorzata Mirga-Tas in Ferrara, Italy.
- „PRZECZAROWUJĄC ŚWIAT” – WYSTAWA MAŁGORZATY MIRGA- TAS W FERRARZE. In: Polacy we Włoszech. 18.02.2023. https://www.polacywewloszech.com/2023/02/18/przeczarowujac-swiat-wystawa-malgorzaty-mirga-tas-w-ferrarze/
Italy and Roma Integration
According to the Council of Europe, Italy is not doing enough on the integration of Roma. Despite various parliamentary initiatives, a national legal framework has still not been adopted. Anti-Gypsyism persists at all levels of society and is insufficiently fought against. A negative portrayal of Roma and Sinti remains widespread, including on social media.
- Europarat bemängelt Integration von Roma und Sinti in Italien. In: Deutschlandfunk. 14.02.2023. https://www.deutschlandfunk.de/europarat-bemaengelt-integration-von-roma-und-sinti-in-italien-100.html
Casamonica
Again. This story comes up every few months, even though the people involved have been in jail for years. It is a story of a mafia clan that was also a Roma family (and not the other way around). They do not do that many articles in the press on other mafiosi.
Bad.
- “Casamonica – Le mani su Roma”, stasera in tv: anticipazioni del documentario. In: Today. 11.02.2023. https://www.today.it/media/tv/casamonica-le-mani-su-roma-nove-racconta-trasmette-l-11-febbraio-2023-un-documentario-sulla-celebre-famiglia-criminale.html
Turin: Coming Out
A theatre play on coming out.
The show was born from the idea of five Roma boys and girls in search of their history and identity. Five young people who met during a memorial trip to Auschwitz-Birkenau on the occasion of the day of commemoration of the Roma genocide, on August 2, 2022. This trip allowed five young Roma to discover a chapter of history that they hadn’t been taught in school. Visiting the places where part of their families were exterminated forced them to confront the past and question their own identity as young Roma in Italy today.
Back from Poland, the Roma decided to tell their common story and to intertwine the narrative with some personal stories of today’s Roma. The show aims to keep alive the memory of the tens of thousands of men, women and children who were exterminated and were unable to make their voices heard.
At the same time, the protagonists recount the difficulties of coming out ethnically, that is, of “coming out” and declaring one’s ethnic belonging. Although Roma rationally know that they are not guilty of anything, it is difficult for them to be able to get rid of that sense of guilt that comes from growing up in an oppressive context in which one is considered “thieves”, “dirty”, “inferior”. In the Romani community, the majority of people hide their origins and make themselves invisible. This for fear of falling into a discriminatory limbo that denies the right to housing, health, work and education.
- Coming Out Etnico, orgogliosi di essere Rom e Sinti. In: Sereno Regis. https://serenoregis.org/evento/coming-out-etnico-orgogliosi-di-essere-rom-e-sinti/
Venice Biennale
An article about the exhibition of Małgorzata Mirga-Tas, a Polish Romni who represented Poland at this year’s Venice biennale.
- In Venice, the Roma People Take Center Stage. In: Hyperallergic. 01.11.2022. https://hyperallergic.com/753458/in-venice-the-roma-people-takes-center-stage/
Italy, Meloni, and Roma
An interview of Dijana Pavlovic spokesperson for the Kethane movement that protects the rights of Roma and Sinti in Italy on her views of the victory of the far right in Italy. One of the question is typical of so-called “journalism”:
“You believe that there is a security problem in Italy. Often most of the crimes, especially those related to heritage, are committed by Roma and Sinti, how do you judge this data?”. Ms. Pavlovic’s answer is the right one: “What data? From this point of view, the data does not exist, it is just a commonly shared perception.”
- Dijana Pavlovic, “Chissà se sarà un governo di destra a risolvere il problema dei rom e sinti in Italia?” In: La Cronaca di Roma. 08.10.2022. https://www.lacronacadiroma.it/2022/10/dijana-pavlovic-rom-e-sinti/
Italy and Crime
Several articles about Roma, Sinti Piemontese, who were arrested for having committed at least 21 thefts in homes of elderly people by passing themselves as gas technicians.
Bad.
- Roma, clan di sinti si spacciava per tecnici del gas per rubare nelle case: vittime gli anziani. In: 7 Colli. 06.10.2022. https://www.7colli.it/roma-clan-di-sinti-si-spacciava-per-tecnici-del-gas-per-rubare-nelle-case-vittime-gli-anziani-68295/
- I due fratelli che raggirano anziani con la truffa del finto tecnico, 21 i colpi messi a segno. In: Roma Today. 06.10.2022. https://www.romatoday.it/cronaca/fratelli-truffe-anziani-finti-tecnici.html
Italy and Roma Culture
Three days to celebrate Roma culture: on October 3, 4 and 6 there will be the twenty-ninth edition of the Amico Rom international art competition. For the first time the event will take place in three cities simultaneously: Laterza in the province of Taranto, Lanciano in the province of Chieti and Campobasso. It is a contest of “literature dedicated to Roma and written by Roma”, explains the statement.
- Cultura rom, al via una tre giorni di letteratura e arte. Tra gli ospiti anche Mimmo Lucano, Moni Ovadia, Sigfrido Ranucci e Vauro. In: Il Fatto Quotidiano. 28.09.2022. https://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2022/09/28/cultura-rom-al-via-una-tre-giorni-di-letteratura-e-arte-tra-gli-ospiti-anche-mimmo-lucano-moni-ovadia-sigfrido-ranucci-e-vauro/6819068/
Italy, the Far Right, and Roma
The video of a far-right candidate in the upcoming elections in Florence highlights their attitude towards Roma and the dangers that Roma will face when they come to power.
In the video, Alessio Di Giulio shows a Romni and tells to vote for him so as to never see her again. This is bad but not surprising unfortunately.
- Italian politician’s threat highlights dangers Europe’s Roma face. In: Axios. 15.09.2022.https://www.axios.com/2022/09/15/italy-politician-roma-threat-election-discrimination
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