What is roma people

Roma were rounded up and sent to camps to be used as labor or to be killed. During this time, Dr. Josef Mengele was also given permission to experiment with on twins and dwarves from the Romani community. There were also camps called Zigeunerlager that were intended just for the Roma population.

It is estimated that up to , Roma died in the Holocaust. For centuries, stereotypes and prejudices have had a negative impact on the understanding of Roma culture, according to the Romani Project. Also, because the Roma people live scattered among other populations in many different regions, their ethnic culture has been influenced by interaction with the culture of their surrounding population. Nevertheless, there are some unique and special aspects to Romani culture.

The Roma do not follow a single faith; rather, they often adopt the predominant religion of the country where they are living, according to Open Society, and describe themselves as "many stars scattered in the sight of God. The Roma live by a complex set of rules that govern things such as cleanliness, purity, respect, honor and justice. These rules are referred to as what is "Rromano.

Some Romani words have been borrowed by English speakers, including "pal" brother and "lollipop" from lolo-phabai-cosh, red apple on a stick. Traditionally, anywhere from 10 to several hundred extended families form bands, or kumpanias, which travel together in caravans. Smaller alliances, called vitsas, are formed within the bands and are made up of families who are brought together through common ancestry. Each band is led by a voivode, who is elected for life.

Roma Gypsies in Prewar Europe. Many Roma traditionally worked as craftsmen and were blacksmiths, cobblers, tinsmiths, horse dealers, and toolmakers. Others were performers such as musicians, circus animal trainers, and dancers. By the s, there were also a number of Romani shopkeepers. Some Roma, such as those employed in the German postal service, were civil servants. The number of truly nomadic Roma was on the decline in many places by the early s, although many so-called sedentary Roma often moved seasonally, depending on their occupations.

In , about 1 to 1. Hungary, Yugoslavia, and Bulgaria also had large Romani communities. In prewar Germany there were at most 35, Roma, most of whom held German citizenship. The most likely explanation, as established by leading linguists and ethnologists, is that the Roma people have their origins in India.

Exactly when they started to migrate to European countries remains unclear. What is also very difficult to establish with any certainty is the exact population of the Roma in any given country. Most organisations that give figures have minimum and maximum estimates, and these vary widely. Today, with an estimated population of 10 to 12 million in Europe approximately six million of whom live in the EU , Roma people are the biggest ethnic minority in Europe.

Roma people frequently identify with ethnic subgroups or "nations," which share similar language variations, dress styles and occupations, according to the RSG.

While it's believed that the Roma were originally Hindu , over the centuries, most Romani have adopted the religions of their host countries. The majority of Roma communities now practice a form of Islam or Christianity that retains some Romani influences.

Many Romani still face persecution and discrimination, and are denied rights and services in the countries where they live. Authorities in Italy have denied housing to Roma families — even those born in Italy — on the grounds that people living in cheap, makeshift metal containers in isolated Roma camps already have permanent housing, according to the Guardian.

And in , about 10, Roma were expelled from France after their camps were destroyed, according to the Baltimore Sun. However, recent decades have also seen Roma organizations and individuals working to secure rights for Roma worldwide, to preserve Roma traditions and culture, and to provide resources for Roma communities.

For example, the Roma Education Fund supports education programs to assist Romani students and to help integrate Roma into education systems worldwide that have historically excluded them. State Department, recognizing her efforts promoting Roma recognition and rights in Hungary.