GYPSY CHILD

We all have one thing in common. We value family, we love children. We treasure and cherish and look after our own, enchanted by lovely kids of others' we see every day - from blue eyed and blonde haired to brown eyed caramel skinned little rascals. We adore them because of their innocence, as yet undamaged by the society we live in.

However in Spain, Italy and Romania - it is a different story. One morning you go out to use the ATM to withdraw some cash and get approached swiftly by a cute child or a teenager, sometimes as young as 8 years old and all of a sudden you notice once your cash pulls out it gets professionally stolen by him or her. Not so cute.

These are gypsy children. Thieves. Often having to be exploited by their own families to go out and 'make a living' by stealing and hustling. The reality is bleak for these families as they live a few hours away from the main city in rat-infested mobile home parks.

I randomly came across a heart wrenching documentary entitled 'Gypsy Child (Thieves)' by Liviu Tipurita made in 2009.

Somehow this film got a lot of criticism from Anti-Gypsyism organisations, stating it was a 'strong piece of journalism about a very difficult subject', yet denied by BBC who went ahead with broadcasting globally. In particular, the blame was put on the consistent use of the word 'gypsy' throughout the film shot in Spain about young children stealing and subsequently released as minors and families of those in question not touched by authorities in attempt to stop, what was called by Tipurita as 'exploitation of their own children, living in fear of not making the income they are told to'.

I found the film amazingly done and carefully treaded on negative connotations to Romani people as a race, but simply relaying the facts. One moment in the film is so powerful - a shot of a man using an ATM physically fighting off persuasive kids attacking and distracting him, whilst trying to access his money. Compassion and anger fly, because in truth - these are only children. It is a helpless situation but it's an informative look at today's world we live in.

Children are the future. Is this the future? If these kids were blonde and blue eyed, would the audience seeing the film think differently? 

Romani mother holding her child

Hippie family labeled as gypsies by society

A mini Om Shanti moment at a hippie festival 

AMERICAN GYPSY, A STRANGER IN EVERYBODY'S LAND

Gypsies reside all over the world. It said to be more than one million in America alone. I watched the award winning documentary "American Gypsy" by filmmaker Jasmine Dellal and for me, I thought it provided great insight. Curious about what other people thought, I read through the comments on the PBS site where it once aired and was taken aback a bit by the length of ignorance and negativity, though I can't say I was surprised.

Gypsies have always seemingly had a bad rep. Stealing, panhandling, exploiting...but doesn't every culture have all that somewhere? It must not be forgotten that Gypsies have been ostracized and prosecuted, and have never really had a home. Some have stayed as close to the culture as possible, some have assimilated into others. The documentary explains assimilation in America specifically.

Here's where Our Gypsy Souls rest. Gypsy is a race. Gypsy is a lifestyle. Gypsy is a style. It is all of the above and Gypsy has influenced music such as Johannes Brahm (yes, classical!),  Gogol Bodello, and our own Angelina 'Jipse' Roz. We embrace the positives in this blog. We love to travel and live bohemian. We call ourselves Gypsyters. The modern day hipster gypsies.  Get in on it :-)

 

Traveling back in the day

Jimi Hendrix influenced by dem gypsy eyes

Gypsters, Jipse and Kim Tank on the road, again

Cause we can't wait to get on the road again, with gypsy dog, Mr. Fox!

BIGGER FATTER GYPSIER ... WRONG!!

We were shocked to see this poster that Channel 4 were going to use for 'Big Fat Gypsy Weddings' advert. Not big fans of the show, where,  in our opinion it shows a negative side of Irish Traveller Life, rather than a Gypsy life. Major difference between a traveler lifestyle and a Gypsy cultural background. With ignorance toward this fact, UK audience is miseducated. But it makes for good TV, so what do they care?

We also received much criticism of our blog also saying we should know the difference between Gypsy style fashion and culture. We do know, thank you very much. Guess it's a matter of opinion on what each individual finds offensive. We are showing Gypsy culture which includes history, fashion, music in a very positive light. So where is the harm?

Stop taking this blog so seriously and take this poster and that TV show seriously. It caused bullying and upset to a lot of families of the show, especially the children.

WHAT IS A GYPSY?

Traditional gypsy caravan 

Gypsies waiting to be executed 

Many of you ask, what is a Gypsy? Whilst starting this blog, I knew I would get criticized for 'commercializing gypsy culture and /or lifestyle'. I am not. Here is my answer. I do not want to bore you with facts or long historical evidence, these are just bullet points. And after - bit about me...

Gypsy (as taken from Wikipedia)

The Romani are an ethinic group living mostly in Europe, United States, Brazil and the UK who trace their origins to the Indian Subcontinent. Romani are widely known in the English-speaking world by the exonym

as Gypsy.

TERM 'GYPSY'

However, as a term 'gypsy' is considered derogatory by many members of the Roma community because of negative and stereotypical associations with the term. In North America, the word gypsy is commonly used as a referece to lifestyle or fashion, and not to the Romani ethnicity.

WHERE FROM GYPSY?

For a variety of reasons, many Romanies choose not to register their ethnic identity in official censuses. There are an estimated four miliion Romani people in Europe (as of 2002), although some high estimates by Romani organizations give numbers as high as 14 million. Linguistic and genetic evidence indicates the Romanies originated from the Indian subcontinent, emigrating from India towards the northwest no earlier than the 11th Century.

CONFLICTS WITH GYPSY

The persecution of the Romanies reached a peak during World War II in the Porajmos, the genocide perpetrated by the Nazis during the Holocaust. In 1935, the Nuremberg laws striped the Romani people living in Nazi Germany of their citizenship, after which they were subjected to violence, imprisonment in concentration camps and later genocide in extermination camps. Because no accurate pre-war census figures exist for the Romanis, it is impossible to accurately assess the actual number of victims. In Communist Eastern Europe, Romanies experienced assimilation schemes and restrictions on cultural freedom. Czechoslovakia carried out a policy of sterilization of Romani women, starting in 1973.


MY SUMMARY

So to be put very simply, traditionally people believe gypsies to be travelers in mobile homes/caravans moving from place to place and earning money by performing or stealing. This, of course is a generalization. A stereotype can be made of any culture. On International Roma Day, which falls on April 8th, gypsies will have little to celebrate. Cultural tensions and, for some, deplorable living conditions. 

MY STORY

Born into an all musical family in Moscow, Russia I have traveled performing with my family migrating to London and giving up for political asylum once communism collapsed in early 90's. I speak English & Russian. I am strongly influenced by Soul & Russian gypsy music. I don't care for term 'gypsy' being derogatory. It isn't to me.

Times have changed. I celebrate the word of having a 'gypsy soul', a nomadic existence and an out of the ordinary art & performer lifestyle. It's empowering! Welcome to the world of Modern day gypsy ... next post!

PERSONAL NOTE: I found it crazy that my mother passed on april 8th, International Roma Day. Rest in peace, mama.