11.10.2013 Rroma in Ukraine

Tschabanowa (2013) reports on Rroma in Ukraine. Like many before her, she limits herself to reporting on visible Rroma, which can be relatively easily found in ghettos. That she from the outset sets Rroma as lepers and victims, does not seem to bother her. She begins the article by stating: “To learn how Roma live and what they do for a living in Kiev, we went to their camp.” Many of the Rroma that Tschabanowa meets in Ukraine come from the district of Transcarpathia (former Hungarian/Slovakian region). Looking for work, many of them come to the capital during the summer. The image that Tschabanowa paints of them is one of large families, widespread illiteracy and exclusion. That she reinforces prejudices about Rroma in spite of the emphatic perspective about them, she does not seem to be aware of.