ANTH 4020/5020
Roma communities today
Historical background, culture and
current issues
-Week 12 Class 1: Roma in the U.S. (cont.)
Today‘s outline
1. Text discussion (A. Sutherland:
Gypsies – The hidden Americans)
2. Gropper, 1975, „Gypsies in the
City“)
3. Group discussion
4. Summary
Text presentation
by Rachel:
• Gropper, Rena. 1975. Gypsies in the city. Cultural
Patterns and Survival. Princeton: The Darwin
Press, pp.17-59 (Ch. 2: Gypsies in the United
States and in New York; Ch. 3: The Economics of
being a Gypsy).
Discussion Sutherland
1. discuss the many roles the Rom baro has in his
kumpania.
2. What are the Barvale Rom's views about other
Gypsy non-Rom? do they view them the same
way as they do the gaje?
3. What stereotypes does Sutherland confirm when
referring to the Rom?
4. How was the "Gypsy School" an extension of
kumpania politics and social life?
5. As stated by Sutherland how is travel used as a
means of social control for the Rom?
Discussion Gropper
1. In reference to the chapter 2, in what ways do
you think the suffering of the Gypsies differed or
was similar to that of the general United States
population after the economic crash in 1929?
2. Also in reference to chapter 2 and the Gypsy
tribes in the United States, in what ways was it
beneficial or troublesome for one Gypsy tribe to
align with other Gypsy tribes? (For instance think
back to the Bimbulesti)
Discussion Gropper
3. In chapter 3, page 38, it says "Gypsy economic
activity either exploits a void in the economic
structure of the country or else follows
occupational lines in which the outsiders have
convinced themselves that Romanies excel..." Are
there any instances or cases that you can think of
that could challenge this idea?
4. Again for chapter 3, what are some possible
benefits of negatives of having no permanent
economic groups among the United States
Gypsies? How is this reflective of Gypsy culture?
Discussion questions
Split into 2 groups and discuss the following
questions:
•
•
•
•
•
What do you think about the“quality“ or
thoroughness of these ethnographic studies?
What do we learn about Romani immigration
and settlement in the US?
How are Roma maintaining seperateness?
Why do they view others as alien and impure?
Why did the Roma in the U.S. (manage to)
retain so many cultural traditions compared to
certain groups in Europe?
North American Gypsies: Intro
• Numbers: approx. 1 Mio.
• (about 20‘000 Roma Americans in Texas
according to Hancock)
• In the US the Roma remain largely „hidden“
• Reasons:
- declare themselves as members of other
minority groups
- delimit themselves from the gadze: don‘t
want outsiders to intrude into their different
culture and language
 fear of being polluted by gadze (contacts)
North American Gypsies: History
• Roma are in the Americas since 1498: Columbus
brought them on his 3rd trip to the West Indies
 forced transportation across the Atlantic to
colonies
• Spanish: shipped Gypsies to American Colonies
• French  to Antilles
• Scots, English & Dutch  to North America &
Carribean
• Documentation exists that in Jamaica Gypsies
were owned by freed (black) slaves
• In Cuba & Louisiana there are Afro-Romani
populations
Source: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/RR/pxrfh.html
North American Gypsies: History
• Roma migration to US from Romania after abolition
of slavery 1864 (mostly Vlax Roma)
 2 biggest sub-groups: Kalderasha & Machwaya
• Larger wave of immigration from southern and
eastern Europe in late 19th/early 20th cent.
• After WWI immigration restrictions were tightened
• Other prominent groups:
- Bashaldé or „musician“ Roma who immigrated
after the collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire
- Xoraxaya or Muslim Roma from Southeastern
Europe and Turkey
- Lovara (also a Vlax group) from Poland
• Many specialized in coppersmith work (repair of
industrial equipment used in bakeries, laundries) and
fortune telling in urban areas.
Sources: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/RR/pxrfh.html
http://smithsonianeducation.org/migrations/gyp/rompg.html
North American Gypsies: History
• Many specialized in coppersmith work (repair of
industrial equipment used in bakeries, laundries) and
fortune telling in urban areas.
Sources: http://smithsonianeducation.org/migrations/gyp/rompg.html
North American Gypsies: History
• Since collapse of Communism in Europe:
continuous immigration of Roma (frequently illegal)
into US
• Little social contact among these different
groups
 why?
North American Gypsies: Today
• Language Romanes is widely spoken among US
Roma
 Romanes is a principal factor of Romani identity
 transmitted from generation to generation
• Use of Romanes mandatory at certain traditional
events, e.g the Kris or Romani Tribunal, dealing with
problems within the community (several times a year in
Houston or Forth Worth)
• Adherence to concept of ritual cleanliness
 Gadje have the potential to pollute
 a certain distance is being kept up
• In contrast to Europe in the US Roma have been called
„Hidden Americans“ because they remain invisible,
mostly by own choice (tend to present themselves as
members of another minority)