A complicated prejudice.

A few weeks ago I mentioned my presentation on the Roma (or Gypsy) people in the Czech Republic.

In brief, the Roma people are found throughout central and eastern European countries. They have a unique culture and language that are often misunderstood. Strongly rooted in family life, they usually have large and extensive broods and have a deep catholic tradition that is coupled with various rituals and superstitions. They used to live a primarily nomadic life, from which the term Gypsy originated.

They are often very poor, and caught in a vicious cycle of prejudice and discrimination that limits their education and job opportunities. Petty crimes such as robbery are often attached to the word Gypsy. They live 10-15 years less than average, sometimes are ten times poorer than the majority, many live on under $5.00 a day. Discrimination against these people is historic dating back to the 15th century. The most recent large scale atrocity being their treatment in the Holocaust--where nearly a half million were killed in concentration camps. Since then, the Roma people experience systematic discrimination in the education system, the workforce, the police system, and even in medical care. Systematic abuse of these sorts stems from something much more deeply rooted: the individual prejudices of people.



After doing this presentation, (which I would gladly show to any of you who are interested) our teaching assistant made a long commentary on how our work affected him. As a Czech person, a Czech person with preconceptions, experiences, and assumptions--his opinion of Gypsies has long been formed and reinforced. But our presentation only could convey the views of an outsider who has done research. Meaning, we actually gathered facts, looked at the Roma side of things, and made a technical analysis. Our perspective made him consider the other side of the issue, the side of the Roma.
(see this video: http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/COUNTRIES/ECAEXT/EXTROMA/0,,contentMDK:20333806~menuPK:615999~pagePK:64168445~piPK:64168309~theSitePK:615987,00.html
(it is in the About the Roma section called: Film: Roma Voices))

But at the same time, the outside perspective really isn't right either. The interactions with modern day Roma on some regular basis stands for something. And if that interaction involves a stolen wallet--one can imagine that a prejudice might form. And further caution would be taken when you see the darker skin or hear the unfamiliar tongue at a train station. The clutching tighter of your purse, might lead to you talking openly about your conception. These conceptions couple with others--and precautions and discriminations are made on a mass scale. But they are based on something---right?

Both causes are rooted in something. Unfortunately, at the center lies a vicious cycle when these two meet. A cycle of misunderstanding, of crime, and of oppression and discrimination. You need an education to get a job--yet many Gypsy children are sent to schools for the disabled because of stereotypes and language differences. You need a job to buy a house--but hirers won't hire gypsies and many residences won't let you in without a job. To eat, you need a job that you weren't allowed to have. So you steal. You steal some money to buy some bread, and perhaps pick up some drugs to numb the pain. At the same time, you have a large extended family that is depending on you. And now? You have just reaffirmed somebody's stereotype of your culture. It is endless.

Yet, just after the presentation--I had my own run in with a gypsy. Walking with some other girls out of the station, a darker-skinned man with typical Roma features began following us and blabbering. We sped up. He sped up. We crossed the street. He was right on our tail. Mumbling even louder, he followed our every turn even as we sped up and zig-zagged. We clutched our purses and ducked into a restaurant to loose him...he still pursued. As we went out and down the street, he finally lost interest. A situation that could happen in any city--but it happened here...in Prague...by a Roma man. It was an assurance that nearly all crimes committed by the Roma are petty thefts, but it was still scary. And now? Now I stepped a bit into the insider view. The view shared by many Czech people.

Now, I am stuck in the middle as I fear the Roma people are as well. In the middle of a cycle that will be hard to escape. But at least I got a glimpse into their realities.





(all pictures are slides from the presentation)