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Linda Hernandez
24 February 2004
A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE HISTORY, ORIGIN, CULTURE, AND PERSECUTION OF THE ROMANI PEOPLE, FORMERLY KNOWN AS GYPSIES (Part 1 of 3)
By examining the lives of the Romani people throughout their history, the harsh judgments and brutality of the hegemonies and the mainstream societies against this people is brought to excruciatingly painful light. Examples of ethnocentrism and fiercely affirmed mass stereotyping are demonstrated against this people in its severest forms. Ethnocentrism is defined as “the judging of people from other cultures and backgrounds by one's own cultural standards and beliefs" (Meanings, 9). Culture is not only the “capabilities and habits held by members of a society", but it is also a learned system of behavior patterns including the “many forms of dress" (3). In short, it is “what people know, feel, think, make, and do"(3).
Stereotyping involves adopting a faulty belief system regarding an entire group based on hearsay, physical appearances, dress, and other superficial means of pre-judging and group classifying without regard for a group member also being an individual with unique character traits (3).
Some individuals hold to a stereotype so rigidly that they become prejudiced against a group and discriminate against the group regardless of information that the stereotype is unfair or untrue. When a stereotype is widely held in a culture, prejudicial treatment of the group on a broad scale is likely to occur in that society (3).
This definition of cultural stereotyping and the result of mass stereotyping as described is illustrated in the phrase that the “zigeuners" (Germany's word for the Romani people) were decided to be “lives undeserving of life", and justified the forced sterilization, persecution, and the calculated eradication of the Romani people along with the Jews, the people of African descent, and the “incurably mental ill" (Hancock, 36). The belief held in German society especially during the 1920's through the 1940's was that the entire Romani population was a criminal by birth, and as such were transmitters of the genetic disease of criminality (36).
This prompted the belief that they (the Romanies) were inferior and dangerous to the more pure population and deserved to die (36). By adopting this mentality, any shred of guilt for their treatment of this people was glossed over and justified. “Much of the so-called criminal propensity ascribed to the Gypsies is based on disregard or ignorance of the rules of Romaniya that are followed by the Roma" (Weyrauch, 6).
As you take this voyage into the world of the Romani people, be aware of the internal reactions to the information presented. Consider if the reactions are based upon the perspective of pluralism. Pluralism is “the acceptance of differences in others while not necessarily wanting to adopt those differences for the self" (Meanings, 9). One can gain a better understanding of the ‘self', can expand one's ideas and appreciations for other types of aesthetics when pluralism is adopted into the ‘self' (9). Adopting a pluralistic approach fosters creativity and personal progress in many ways (9). Consider how the hegemonies of various societies have treated the Romanies. Hegemony is the leading and most influential as well as powerful group within a society. The hegemony “leads the minorities and less powerful groups within their society" (4). They tend to “set the standards of behavior and ways of thinking"(4). Hegemony also influences the standards of the human ideal of what is considered beautiful as well as what is considered ugly. This has a direct effect on “gender dress" and the “social status of ethnic groups" (5).
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