Tag Archives: Stereotypes

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

Published by:

French Chronicle …

A TV reportage in one of the largest Roma camps in France near Nantes in Western France. What is good, is that they say that these Roma only make about 20’000 people in the entire France, and that they are an essential pool of workers for the French agriculture… This is a real change of tone.

Other news are more of the usual: The government policies on Roma are being criticised (the news is that there seems to be one); the month for Roma action with a few events; a camp near Paris near a waste treatment centre; a project of a new site for Roma abandoned in Western France; and near Marseilles, some politics regarding drugs and Roma camps.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia, Roma, and Employment

Published by:

Slovenia, Roma, and Employment

The employability of Roma in Slovenia remains a challenge, as they face high levels of unemployment and limited employment opportunities. According to data from 2002, about 15% of Roma were employed, while 85% were unemployed. They are for bright exceptions that prove that this is also possible. This is the case of Đani Stojanovič, who works at Komunala Novo mesto.
Why no journalist ask how one gets at such numbers if governments do admit they do not know how many Roma live in a country?

News Eastern Europe Poland Romania

Roma, Romanians, and Poland

Published by:

Roma, Romanians, and Poland

After the fall of communism, in the early 1990s, a significant number of Roma migrants from Romania appeared in Poland. According to this article, they engaged in organised begging (and other stereotypes). But the result was that for many Poles, Romanians and Roma were two interchangeable terms, i.e. all Roam are Romanians and all Romanians are Roma…

No comments.

News Eastern Europe Slovenia

Slovenia and Stereotypes

Published by:

Slovenia and Stereotypes

In discussions about the Roma community, there are constant warnings about the need to improve the educational picture. Available estimates on the involvement of Roma in education show that the gap between Roma and the majority population is very large. Despite this, the situation has been slowly improving in recent years, and there are big differences within the Roma community. There is no official data.

“The myth that Roma are uneducated is not true,” Jože Horvat Muc, president of the Roma Association, told STA. As he estimated, there are “quite a few Roma who are educated” in Prekmurje. In the southeast of the country, however, the reality is different, as there are more Roma who do not finish school, he admitted.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Uzhhorod, the War, and Roma

Published by:

Uzhhorod, the War, and Roma

A long reportage about the Western Ukrainian city of Uzhhorod. Beside speaking to residents, refugees, people getting rehabilitated, they also looked at Roma from the city. 6’000 of them lived there prior to the war, and now almost 600 of them are enrolled in the Ukrainian Army. In addition, there are Roma refugees from currently occupied territories.

Unfortunately, they also speak about “barons” (which do not exist), and other stereotypes.

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

Published by:

French Chronicle …

Quite a number of articles this past week in France about Roma. A conference on the “Gypsy practises” mentioning nomads; another one on the persecution of Roma, Sinti, and Yénisches, which perpetuates some of the stereotypes; and an action to help Roma from a slum.

After that, a small commune in Western France which doesn’t want to expel Roma without a more permanent housing solution; and finally, a plethora of articles of a false rumour that a small village next to Nantes would see 500 caravans and Roma resettled there.

News Eastern Europe News Western Europe Romania Ukraine United Kingdom

Ukraine, the UK and Roma

Published by:

Ukraine, the UK and Roma

A reprint of a Guardian article in the Ukrainian press about Roma palaces in Hășdat.

Both articles pander to sterotypes…

France News Western Europe

French Chronicle …

Published by:

French Chronicle …

More news this week about Roma in France. First, a photography exhibition about Roma in the Balkans. The issue, they speak of “nomad” populations, which is totally wrong in the Balkans. Second, it shows the usual pictures of poverty and many children, which is a result of exclusion, not Roma traditions. In brief, these exhibitions strengthen stereotypes.

A reportage in Nantes  focuses on a new camp near the city and the controversies that it generates there. The story of a premature baby who was abbducted by its parents recently made the headlines in France. The parents were later stopped in Belgium. Here, the article says that the father and mother are Roma, that the father is a petty criminal and the mother a toxicoman.

The other news are more common: A camp near Paris and one near Toulosue were dismantled.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine, the Economist, and Roma

Published by:

Ukraine, the Economist, and Roma

A Ukrainian translation of the article of the Economist about Roma in the Ukraine which, unfortunately, is not exactly up to the standards of this publication.

It states, for example, that almost half of the Roma who lived in Ukraine before the war fled Ukraine. But actually base themselves on Transcarpathian Ukraine. And anyhow, one doesn’t know how many Roma lived in Ukraine before the war…

Journalism on Roma is nearly always bad.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Czechia: Children’s Book

Published by:

Czechia: Children’s Book

The illustrated book Jekh, duj, trin! [One, two, three!] introduces children to the everyday life and traditions of an ordinary Roma family and prepares them to enter school.

Well, with a few stereotypes…

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia: Wild Poppies

Published by:

Slovakia: Wild Poppies

The association Divé maky [Wild Poppies] wants to bring the beauty of Roma art closer to the residents, contribute to breaking down stereotypes and prejudices against Roma, increase tolerance and give space for gifted Roma children to present their skills together with professional Roma artists.

Well, nice aims, but what they present reinforces stereotypes…

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, Roma, and an Opinion

Published by:

Slovakia, Roma, and an Opinion

An Interview with Igor Andre, a Slovcak from Bratislava who worked in the office for the plenipotentiary of the Roma and moved 10 years ago in Eastern Slovakia and taught in a Roma school.

Well, his view of Roma is stereotypical. He states: “The debate about the Roma in our country is influenced by the woke ideology”; that the debate is “automatically based on the principle that the majority is the oppressor and the Roma are the victims.” He continues and says that Roma are gifted in crafts… In brief, he knows and sees only a part of the Roma community and thinks he knows it all.

News Eastern Europe Serbia

Serbia and Child Marriage

Published by:

Serbia and Child Marriage

A seminar for representatives of local institutions on the topic of Child, early and forced marriages was held in Vranje, within the framework of the Roma women’s activism project in the protection of Roma girls from violence caused by child marriages.

The goal of the project is to reduce the number of child marriages in the Roma community in Serbia, that is, to protect the human rights of Roma girls, as well as to raise awareness that child marriages are not part of Roma culture.

Czech Republic News Eastern Europe

Online Racism

Published by:

Online Racism

A discussion with a young 19 year old Romni and TikTok creator about facing online racism, on how young Roma people live in the Czech Republic and what the biggest prejudice about Roma are.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine: Roma Program

Published by:

Ukraine: Roma Program

The Kyiv University of Technology and Design launched a bachelor’s program “Roma Music and Theater Art”, reports the Chirikli Roma Women’s Foundation.

Students will be recruited based on the results of a creative competition in which they have to perform a folk Roma song or dance. They will also take an oral exam on the history and culture of the Roma people.
Well, difficult to comment.

News Eastern Europe Slovakia

Slovakia, Olah Roma, and Education

Published by:

Slovakia, Olah Roma, and Education

The story of a Romni who is now a school teacher. That is really positive. What is less, is that they say that a rich wedding and a future as a housewife awaited her and Ildikó, a Roma a Vlach Romni, defied the rules.

According to the article, men have the decisive say and women’s role is to stay at home and take care of the household. Ildikó Kotlárová also grew up in the Vlach (called Olah in Slovakia) Roma community, refused to accept traditions – she did not want to get married without love in an arranged marriage and she did not want to be a woman whose word would not have weight in society. For not accepting the rules of her community, her life’s dream came true.

Again, the traditions of a very small group of Roma are generalised on all.

News Eastern Europe Ukraine

Ukraine, Roma, and Stereotypes

Published by:

Ukraine, Roma, and Stereotypes

The same article in both Ukrainian and Russian published in the Ukraine about Roma. It perpetuates some of the nastiest stereotypes, and of course generalises from some customs of Vlach Roma to all Roma all over the country.

Would one focus on ultra-orthodox Lubavitcher Jews and generalise on all Jews? Probably not. For Roma, though, this is the norm of reporting.

News Eastern Europe Poland

Poland and Roma

Published by:

Poland and Roma

An article in the Polish Vogue on  the W Stronę Dialogu Foundation campaign aimed at expanding knowledge about the Roma community in Poland and increasing its visibility in our country. People of different ages, different genders, living in different parts of Poland and representing different professions will take part in it.

rroma.org
en_GBEN
de_DEDE fr_FRFR en_GBEN